# Aleut/Eskimo outerwear **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176 "2016-11-27T17:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/1 "2016-11-27T17:05:10Z")
I saw some old B/W film footage today depicting an Aleut whale hunt circa 1940, wherein their outerwear rekindled a question in my mind: What is this material of construction? I am referring to the _very_ white, smooth, non furry substance that has the appearance of a modern Tyvek suit. Here’s a couple of pics of what I refer to:[http://www.bagheera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/eskimo\_whalers\_2011.jpg](http://www.bagheera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/eskimo_whalers_2011.jpg) [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/\_5uSgHmdhq5I/S8zDh5DYQCI/AAAAAAAAAD8/SUdhYwNhzCU/s320/Whaler+Eskimos.jpg](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5uSgHmdhq5I/S8zDh5DYQCI/AAAAAAAAAD8/SUdhYwNhzCU/s320/Whaler+Eskimos.jpg) [http://www.bluediamondwebs.biz/Alaska-aewc-com/BillHessPhotos6-05-08/pic1full.jpg](http://www.bluediamondwebs.biz/Alaska-aewc-com/BillHessPhotos6-05-08/pic1full.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/2 "2016-11-27T17:27:03Z")
Either that’s the non-furry side of a skin that’s been bleached (arctic people often wear skins fur side in for extra warmth) or intestines, which can be made into a water proof covering. But intestines have to be split open then joined edge-to-edge which makes [a distinctive linear pattern](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e1/1a/12/e11a121ecfd4e11d064d469a8772143a.jpg) so in the illustrations you show that’s not it. Most likely what you’re seeing there are skins worn fur-side in. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/3 "2016-11-27T17:38:24Z")
It’s called an anorak. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/4 "2016-11-27T17:38:37Z")
[This site](http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_groups/fp_inuit5.html) has information on clothing–and some fascinating art. Inuit traditional dress involves layers. The inner layer is skins with the fur side in–for insulation. The next layer has the fur outside–as protection. For further protection, a layer of animal gut may have been added… ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/5 "2016-11-27T17:56:57Z")
I never considered skin side out, fur side in. This, and the split intestine technique, explain it very well. Thank you all. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/6 "2016-11-28T01:42:50Z")
Of the skin he made him mittens, Made them with the fur side inside, Made them with the skin side outside. He, to get the warm side inside, Put the inside skin side outside; He, to get the cold side outside, Put the warm side fur side inside. That ’s why he put the fur side inside, Why he put the skin side outside, Why he turned them inside outside. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/7 "2016-11-28T08:27:43Z")
Note that clothing-wise, it could sometimes also be something as exotic as [fish](http://www.yupikscience.org/5fishcamp/5-2.html)- or [birdskin](http://www.yupikscience.org/6birds/6-2.html). I’d say not in those photos, based on the lack of seamlines, but it’s cool to note, nonetheless. > [@Chefguy](#): > > It’s called an anorak. I thought anorak was the Greenland term, and parka was the Aleutian. You’ll note that that Yupik site seems to use parka exclusively. Although I’m getting conflicting information on what the difference is. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/8 "2016-11-28T16:15:50Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Note that clothing-wise, it could sometimes also be something as exotic as [fish](http://www.yupikscience.org/5fishcamp/5-2.html)- or [birdskin](http://www.yupikscience.org/6birds/6-2.html). I’d say not in those photos, based on the lack of seamlines, but it’s cool to note, nonetheless. > > I thought anorak was the Greenland term, and parka was the Aleutian. You’ll note that that Yupik site seems to use parka exclusively. Although I’m getting conflicting information on what the difference is. Yeah, it’s fairly interchangeable. You do hear parka more in Alaska, and they can be made either from fur or gut. The gut parkas are waterproof and used for kayak travel. Fur parkas generally open in the front, while gut parkas pull on over the head. I tend to refer to the gut parkas as anoraks, but have no idea where I picked that up. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/9 "2016-11-30T01:52:15Z")
The [parka wikipage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parka) says the difference is that the anorak is a pullover, while the parka has an opening in front. The word _parka_ originally comes from Nenets, a Siberian language. It was borrowed by Russian, and Aleut picked it up from them. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/10 "2016-11-30T05:55:36Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > The [parka wikipage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parka) says […]the parka has an opening in front. It _doesn’t_ ever say that, actually, which is what makes it confusing. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/11 "2016-11-30T07:59:20Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > It _doesn’t_ ever say that, actually, which is what makes it confusing. It strongly implies it, since the anorak is described as a pullover jacket, and the parka as a knee-length coat. It’s very unlikely a knee-length coat will be a pullover. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/12 "2016-11-30T08:22:12Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > It’s very unlikely a knee-length coat will be a pullover. Simply untrue. The most common aboriginal outer garment over the entire Boreal zone was a long, pullover “shirt”, often about knee-length among men, and even longer on women. Coats, having an open front, are most likely a late European influence on Northern native clothing. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/13 "2016-11-30T08:34:49Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > It strongly implies it, since the anorak is described as a pullover jacket, and the parka as a knee-length coat. It’s very unlikely a knee-length coat will be a pullover. In reading about it, I’ve seen lots of pictures of people in garments that appear to be pullovers and I would characterise as knee-length, though - like [these](https://portfolio.newschool.edu/rivecarlin/files/2016/09/parka-1a2c9ie.jpg) or [here](http://www.yupikscience.org/8fallhunting/8-3.html). Note that second link uses the name parka exclusively. The word “anorak” doesn’t appear anywhere on that site as a descriptor of any clothing, and that site is produced with input from Bering Coast natives - not Aleuts, but the same language family and similar traditional lifeways. I can’t help but feel the Dope is failing us because no one has yet chimed in to say “I’m an Aleut, and we call them …”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/14 "2016-11-30T15:48:12Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Simply untrue. The most common aboriginal outer garment over the entire Boreal zone was a long, pullover “shirt”, often about knee-length among men, and even longer on women. Coats, having an open front, are most likely a late European influence on Northern native clothing. Called a _kuspuk_. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/15 "2016-12-01T16:17:20Z")
> [@ZurBob](#): > > [http://www.bluediamondwebs.biz/Alaska-aewc-com/BillHessPhotos6-05-08/pic1full.jpg](http://www.bluediamondwebs.biz/Alaska-aewc-com/BillHessPhotos6-05-08/pic1full.jpg) This last pic looks like something ordered from Land’s End. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/16 "2016-12-02T11:02:09Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > This last pic looks like something ordered from Land’s End. That photo [is from 1988](http://www.logbookwasilla.com/logbookwasilla/tag/bowhead). Other pics on the same page suggest it is a modern synthetic jacket, eg [http://www.logbookwasilla.com/storage/thumbnails/13925192-16398187-thumbnail.jpg?\_\_SQUARESPACE\_CACHEVERSION=1328295892385](http://www.logbookwasilla.com/storage/thumbnails/13925192-16398187-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1328295892385) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/17 "2016-12-02T15:42:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Called a _kuspuk_. Ooh, great information. The right word points to the [Wiki page on the topic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuspuk): > [@](#): > > A kuspuk (/ˈkʌs.pʌk/) (from Yup’ik qaspeq; Iñupiaq: atikłuk) is a hooded overshirt with a large front pocket commonly worn among Alaska Natives. Kuspuks are tunic-length, falling anywhere from below the hips to below the knees. The bottom portion of kuspuks worn by women may be gathered and akin to a skirt. Kuspuks tend to be pullover garments, though some have zippers. “hooded… with a large front pocket…”. In other words, they’re hoodies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/18 "2016-12-02T16:01:11Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Ooh, great information. The right word points to the [Wiki page on the topic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuspuk):“hooded… with a large front pocket…”. In other words, they’re hoodies. 😃 Often quite colorful, as well, and sometimes fringed with fur. The men don’t wear them as often. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aleut-eskimo-outerwear/773176/19 "2016-12-02T17:33:03Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > This last pic looks like something ordered from Land’s End. Upon review, I must agree. Is there a point to this observation?