Spanish national costume

Spain is a country rich in history and culture. Perhaps, many at least once in their lives delved into the study of traditions, flamenco and spectacular bullfighting. Among other things, the national clothes of the Spanish people are of great interest.

In our article, we will talk in detail about the historical aspects of the formation of a traditional costume in Spain.

The development of the traditional costume of Spain took place during the 15th-19th centuries.

In the 16th century At the court of the Spanish Habsburgs, rigid frames for costumes came into use, they were popular throughout the century until the 17th century. They influenced the development of costumes in other European countries.

The formation of the main traditional features of the costume was influenced by the knightly image, the etiquette of the royal court and religion. The costume emphasized naturalness and harmonious proportions, which was typical of the Renaissance, but, on the other hand, there were special criteria to hide the body.

In costumes, they have always sought to expand the line of the shoulders with the help of special rollers or an elongated line of the shoulders. Already in the 18-19 centuries, a more modern version of the outfit began to take shape, the items of which are present in modern models of the national costume.

The suit for ladies has always been distinguished by clear and regular lines and a triangular silhouette. Dresses had a corset, tightly tightened at the waist, a closed neckline in the form of a bodice of complex cut.

They tried to make the chest visually less voluminous with the help of a corset. The front part of the bodice ended with a sharp cape. A metal vertyugaden was sewn to the top, on which two skirts were put on. The top had a high triangular slit and revealed an underskirt that was always a different color.

Of course, the dresses were decorated with various kinds of decorative elements, in the form of strands of pearls, gold threads and decorative nets of threads.

The sleeves of the dress were usually long and double. The bottom layer was narrow, and the top one could vary, for example, be with a slit at the fold where the hand was passed through. Usually the second sleeve had a looser or flared shape, the edges of the sleeve gracefully hung down. The women's attire had a mesenteric collar, it had a cutout in front and opened the neck.

The costume described by us was inherent in the representatives of the aristocracy.

Later, in the late 18th and 19th centuries, women's attire looked a little different. It was a fitted vest with wide lapels, there was no corset, floor-length skirt with pleats, mantilla, comb, fan and shawl.

An integral element is the mantilla - a cape with lace, which covers the chest, shoulders and head.The comb was attached high to the hair in a vertical position, and the mantilla was covered on top.

The traditional costume for men in Spain consisted of a shirt, cropped trousers, a tunic and a raincoat.

The shirt was decorated with a mesenteric collar and high cuffs made of cambric, decorated with lace.

Cropped trousers were of a spherical style, sometimes they were supplemented with decorative fabric in the form of vertical stripes. These pants were also called bragett, they were worn under tight stockings - calles.

A tunic, also known as a hubon, was a short jacket to the waist line or to the middle of the thighs. It had a fitted cut, a front closure, a stand-up collar, and tapered sleeves with padded shoulders and a detachable peplum.

Such a collar was a prerequisite for the appearance of a corrugated collar. Its usual form gradually became larger in size, ruffles and lace were added to it. So, at the end of the 16th century. it was already up to 20 cm in size.

Raincoats were a variant of outerwear, while they had a variety of forms. They could be shortened or elongated, with a hood or no collar at all. The most popular were capes, they were worn unbuttoned or on one clasp under the neck. The cloak was always decorated with shoulder pads and spectacularly hanging wide sleeves.

It was in Spain, for the first time in Europe, that a frame was used in the form of a quilted lining made of cotton wool, horsehair and sawdust. Clothes were put on such a frame.

Later, the men's outfit underwent significant changes. Now it included a cropped figaro jacket, tight pants approximately knee-length, a waistcoat, a sash that covered the waistline, stockings, a three-cornered hat, a raincoat and shoes with buckles.

Basically, children's costumes were similar to adult clothes.The boys wore cropped trousers with leggings and a shirt.

For girls, a flared skirt, a shirt and also collars of a specific shape were selected. Unlike adult costumes, children's costumes were distinguished by more contrasting shades and the presence of patterns.

The color scheme of clothes changed depending on the historical period of time. At the beginning of the Middle Ages, these were pale, non-colorful shades: black, brown, gray and white. Relatively bright hues were also present: purple and green.

In the 19th century, costumes were characterized by bright colors such as red. Often clothes were decorated with patterns of gold or silver. Mostly they were flowers or peas.

Usually, smooth monophonic fabrics prevailed in the manufacture of clothes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, patterned fabrics, embroidered or printed, became widespread.

The patterns often used religious motifs, animals. Also, the fabrics were decorated with ribbons, stripes and lots of lace.

As we have already noted, there were clear lines in the costumes, with the help of which trapezoidal silhouettes and flared styles were created.

All wardrobe items were distinguished by a free cut, including men's pants and shirts.

Males wore felt hats or cocked hats, berets, red caps, similar to Phrygian caps.

Ladies decorated their hair with hairpins and combs.

Both in women's and men's costumes jewelry was always richly displayed. These could be pearl necklaces, precious metal belts, earrings, rings, belts, unusual buttons, clasps, chains, cameos, and so on.

Men wore shoes without heels, mostly made of soft leather or velvet. From the middle of the 16th century there have been changes in the shape of the shoes, the toe of the shoes has become sharper. Slits were made on velvet shoes through which the colored lining was visible.

Women's shoes were very diverse. They were also made of soft leather, velvet or satin. From the middle of the 16th century shoes with heels have already begun to appear.

Women have always sought to hide their shoes with their skirt. The exception was shoes with thick wooden soles. The thickness of the sole testified to the well-being of the lady.

This is, first of all, a wide flared skirt to the floor.

Usually made in dark colors, often with a printed pattern.

The skirt is complemented by a white blouse of a non-strict style. Mandatory details for a blouse are: cuffs, lace, or even jabot, frills, and the material should be soft and delicate. This shirt immediately makes the whole image feminine.

An alternative is wide-cut trousers - skirt-trousers or flared trousers. In addition to a monochrome tone, they can be striped or large-sized.

A rich red dress is often used to associate with Spanish culture. It is usually loose-fitting or layered.

A floral print sundress is another attribute of Spanish culture. It is often worn with a wide-brimmed hat or scarf.

Another traditional costume is worn together with a dark-colored corset, which is worn over a blouse or separately.

If we talk about accessories, then girls often use flowers, decorating their hair or pinning them to clothes.Another important accessory is a shawl with a fringe or a bright pattern.