In the monograph a comprehensive historical and ethnographic study of the traditional costumes of Ukrainians of all local areas of Podillіa in the second half of the XIX – early XXI century, taking into account the history of their creation and modification, was conveyed for the first time. New materials of the Podillia folk costumes from the stock and exposition collections of 31 museums of different levels and directions of work, private collections and ethnographic laboratories at higher educational institutions were introduced into scientific circulation (two thousand three hundred photographs) were all analyzed by the author. A thorough assessment of the collected sources was made using modern methodology and on the basis of elaborated historiography (740 items).
The peculiarities of the process of formation of the territory of the historical and ethnographic region of Podillia are studied and its clear ethnographic borders are established. As a result, the monograph uses 64 administrative districts according to the administrative-territorial division, valid until July 17, 2020 of 9 regions, such as: 8 central and south-eastern districts of Ternopil, 14 central and southern districts of Khmelnytsky, all the 27 districts of Vinnytsia, 3 southern districts of Zhytomyr, 3°western districts of Kirovohrad, 1 western district of Mykolaiv, 3 northern districts of Odesa, 3 western districts of Cherkasy and 2 northern districts of Chernivtsi. The Podillia folk clothes have subregional (local) differences, which can be clearly traced within the boundaries of Bukovyna, Western, Eastern and Central Podillіa.
An extended classification of components of Podolsk women's and men's main and auxiliary complexes, outerwear, hats, shoes, belts, jewelry and clothing accessories of the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries was formed for the first time on the basis of functional use and other intragroup features and taking into account their terminological subregional and local-zonal differences. A classification of varieties of materials for the manufacture and decoration of traditional Ukrainian costumes of Podillia was also created and their detailed characteristics were given. The methods of cutting, construction and tailoring of all types of clothing components of the peasant costume and their transformation are peculiar to the people of Podillia. The techniques (weaving, beating, embroidery and sewn ornaments in the form of applications) and technologies of drawing and placement of a decor living in the territory of Podillіa are systematized and analyzed. Embroidery techniques are classified on the basis of frequency of use and dominant ornamental motifs on the basis of time of origin and origin itself.
Common all-Ukrainian and special regional features, specific subregional and narrowly local features and cancellations of folk compositional methods of creation of everyday, festive and ceremonial maiden, female, bachelorette, male and children's costumes of Bukovyna, Western, Eastern and Central formation as a result of socio-economic, cultural and spiritual development of the region and its interethnic relations are characterized. A terminological dictionary of folk names of Podillia clothes elements with 555 names has been compiled. 11 graphic maps-schemes of life of characteristic components of a traditional complex of clothes of Podolians are developed. Schemes of types of cutting and decorating clothes, as well as tables of decorative ornamental motifs and inherent embroidery techniques of Ukrainians of Podillia are given. Artistic reconstructions of folk ensembles of the second half of the XIX – beginning of the XX century, projects of modern models of clothes with the use of Podolia traditions and ancient and modern photos of separate components of costume of podolyan and their integral complexes are presented.
