Blog #3: Traditional European Fashion
- graceww37
- Oct 29, 2016
- 5 min read
European countries are known for their simple long dresses that are usually accessorized/colored/patterned in the center. Many countries males are known to have some sort of skirt and long socks. These traditional clothing are more often worn then in other countries.
Ireland
Irish people are very well known for being a patriotic nation with their ethic dancing. Their dresses are also attracting many people from different countries due to their alluring colors and patterns. The color green noticeable in many traditional outfits as it is the color of Ireland.
The ancient design was that both men and women wore simple knee-length outfits made from wool. Countryside peasants used to wear "Liene", a long tunic shirt. Men would usually just wear the leine whereas the women would use these shirts as undergarments covered by open-sleeved dresses. The men would also wear liene with a woolen jacket, breeches, and a "mantle" (shaggy cloak). The mantle was closed in the front with a brooch or bodkin.
Although kilts were originally from Scotland, Irish people also used it as a formal attire. "Lein-croich" was a long traditional tunic dress made with a solid colored cloth. Irish kilts were preferred with saffron and green colors, sometimes with a blackish background.
Apparel for women was quite simple and was made with wool fabric. They were similar to the men's outfits but with a smaller distinction. Women also wore leines with very wide sleeves. But the skirts were longer then the men's. Many dresses were decorated with ribbons and other accessories. Women dancer also showcased the simple but colorful outfits with patterns, and each school of dancing had its own unique designs. Lace collars became very fashionable.
Another popular item is the Galway's shawl and the fishermen's sweater. The shawl is a wide rectangle woven on jacquards loom and incorporated a symbolic design. These shawls are very popular outside of Ireland and many tourists would take some as souvenirs. Aran sweaters are also a popular item made from water-repelling wool that is very breathable. They are traditionally cream-colored and made as pullovers or cardigans.
Sweden
Traditional Swedish outfits are worn on special occasions like the Midsummer festival. The "Sverigedräkten" is a blue and yellow dress that has been established as the National Costume in 1983.
National dresses are expensive because they are made by hand. It takes months to finish one dress. They are usually old because they are supposed to last a lifetime and then handed down to relatives. Depending on which region your from, the dress may be slightly different, but the national dress is for everyone.
The dress includes the apron (made of linen/wool/cotton/crepe/silk), the neck scarf (made of linen/cool/cotton/silk with a variety of designs or embroidery), the head covering (white linen folded in forms with ruffled laced edges/lining to protect fabric from hair oil), and the waist bag (worn outside skirt or pants, made of linen/wool/leather).
Germany
Germany has a holiday called Oktoberfest where many traditional outfits are worn by many. People used to be identified by their social class but now it is depending on the garment of the attire in different communities.
Men usually wore ""Lederhosen" (leather trousers) that are knee-length and historically worn by working-class German men. They would wear the haferel shoe, which has thick leather or rubber soles. Shoemaker Franz Schratt was influenced by animal hooves, because the word "heferl" is roughly translated to "half a shoe". Men took great care into the crafting of their haferl. They topped off their outfit with a "Alpine" (made of warm felt or wool) hat. The brim went all the way around to protect themselves from the sun. But there are differences from region to region.
Women would wear a soft felt shoe with clunky heels with decorative buckles. Not exactly clogs, but the shoes would work just fine for dancing. Women usually wore "Dirndl" (ruffled apron dress) that consists of a bodice or blouse and a skirt. In the 19th century, the dirndl was a uniform for servant girls but today it is mostly worn for celebration. These garments are a type of "tracht" which was historically used to help identify people of a certain status.
Scotland
Scotland's traditional clothes are called "Highland" that describes the traditional regional dress of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. It is often characterized by "tartan" (plaid) patterns like in dresses.
Men's highland dress includes a "kilt" of his clan, along with either a tartan full plaid, short belted plaid, or fly plaid. Accessories include a belt, sporran, sgian dubh, tartan socks, garters, kilt pins and clan badges. They would wear the outfit with "Ghillie brogues", the traditional thick soled shoes with no tongues and long laces. The laces are to be wrapped around and tied firmly above the ankles so the shoes do not get pulled off in the mud. The shoes didn't have tongues either so they can dry faster in the damp Scottish weather.
Women's highland dress also depended on the clan tartan, or of her birth clan, or if married. Women and girls do not wear kilts but instead wear ankle-length tartan skirts along with a color coordinated blouse and vest. A tartan "earasaid" (pleated fabric that is wrapped around the body), sash or "tonnag" (smaller shawl) can also be worn together with a brooch or with a clan badge. The shoes (also called ghillies) are more thin and foldable variety with sole and upper cut from one piece of leather, mostly used for indoor wear/dancing now. They also have no tongue and the laces are also tied above the ankles.
Finland
Finland has a mix of culture due to having influences from the European and Indigenous. They date all the way back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Most of the population had an attachment with the countryside, thus nature was also reflected in their clothing style.
The national costume of Finland is commonly known and referred to as "Kansallispuvu". A silk scarf is usually worn around the shoulders too and the clothes were made from wool with cotton warp. The national dress for women consists of a skirt, cotton blouse, wool vest, jacket, apron, scarf, and a headdress. The traditional headdresses comes in a variety like caps, hats, and headbands.
The men had similar clothing except they wore trousers and they are knee-length knickerbockers. The shoes are either buckled or laced.
Progress: My final blog for the quarter is on traditional outfits and it's truly amazing to see how diverse the world can be with clothes. I didn't get to go into all the countries but i tried doing at least 5 countries in 3 continent. Although I wasn't able to go into detail or show some other outfits, I hope this gave an idea to those who aren't associated with traditional outfits. Maybe this can encourage others to find out about their background and try on their own country's traditional costume.
Reflection: European countries have more of a long puffy skirt kind of look whereas the other countries did not. They were also more color-coordinated rather then being colorful. Many dresses also had wide sleeves instead or fitted sleeves like Asian countries. But many countries showed a lot of pride in their country through the outfits and they celebrated many festivals that had everyone wear traditional outfits for a day. Everyone seemed really happy to be representing their home country too.
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