Clothing

Inuit clothing was as ingenious as other aspects of Inuit life. It offered protection from the cold but was comfortable to wear even for arduous tasks. The basic clothes, in a variety of materials and styles, were parkas, pants, mittens, stockings, and boots. The favored materials were seal and caribou skin. Sealskin was water-resistant, so it was good for summer when the rains came and when hunters went to sea. Caribou skin was better suited for winter since it was warmer and lighter in weight. Other animal skins were used as well in different parts of the Arctic: hides of dog, bird, squirrel, marmot, fox, wolf, wolverine, and polar bear. Sea mammal intestines were sometimes sewn together in place of hides. The fitted tunics known as parkas (anorak among eastern groups) were tailored to fit the contours of the body and fit snugly at the waist, neck, and wrists to keep cold air out. They were worn with the fur facing the body. Many of the winter parkas had two layers for added insulation— the sleeveless inner one with the fur facing in, and the outer one with the fur facing out. The parkas had hoods. As many as four layers of caribou fur were used on their feet. Their mukluks (boots) and their mittens were insulated with down and moss.

The Inuit decorated their clothing with designs and borders of different colored furs, leather fringes, embroidery, and ivory buttons. Some of them, mostly women, wore jewelry, such as ear pendants, nose rings, and labrets (lip-plugs or chin-plugs, placed in slits cut in the flesh, and made of ivory, shell, wood, or sandstone). Tattoos also were common.