National clothes are an important way of people’s self-identification. It reflects the characteristics of thinking and character in the same way as in language. According to the development of the costume, one can trace changes in the cultural and political life of the people, find out what aesthetic principles were valued by one or another nationality. In addition, they abound in all kinds of decorations, and they are simply pleasant and interesting to study. The national costume of Italy has one feature. Which one - find out from this article!
Disunited kingdom
In fact, the main feature of the Italian national costume is that it simply does not exist. The constant change of the various tribes that conquered the Italian lands did not allow him to take final shape.
At different times, the Etruscans, Phoenicians, Greeks, Franks, Goths dominated here, and they all made their own adjustments to the everyday clothes of Italians. Not to mention the fact that until the mid-19th century, Italy, like Germany, was divided into many kingdoms, republics and lands, which also did not contribute to the development of a uniform appearance of clothing.
Like the dialect, the national costume of Italy in each province was different. To this day, three border regions enjoy special status with the predominance of a foreign language - French, German and Slovenian.
General Features
Of course, there are some features that are characteristic of all varieties of Italian attire. First of all, it is the brightness and variety of colors. This is not surprising - under the generous rays of the warm sun, flowers bloomed not only on fertile soil, but also on the skirts of Italian beauties.
The serene blue sky, mild climate, sparkling sea gradually honed the character of the inhabitants of the peninsula, giving the world one of the most cheerful peoples. All this has absorbed the national costume of Italy. Photos of girls in traditional Calabrian clothes energize no worse than uncontrollably joyful Italian singing.
In all costumes, great importance was given to jewelry. It was also an indispensable element of Italian clothing. Married women had to wear a hat and a black jacket, unmarried women had a snow-white apron, and widows had to wear black. A single man could flaunt the streets in a red jacket and green hat with red cords.
The main thing is in the details
Considering the costume of Italy, a photo of which can be seen in publications devoted to the history of national clothes, you can see that almost all the differences are concentrated in the field of accessories. The composition of clothes everywhere is approximately the same: women wore a long skirt with an apron, a corset and a white embroidered shirt. A head scarf covered his head. Men over a white shirt wore a jacket or vest with long sleeves. Pants were often narrow and tucked in leggings.
Folk costume of Italy (photo): female
The national wardrobe of Italian women consisted of a long pleated skirt or assembly, a shirt (often embroidered) with wide sleeves and a corsage. This apron, cervical and headscarves complemented this outfit. All these elements can be found in all provinces and lands, the length of the skirt, color schemes, embroidery, the presence or absence of lace could differ.
For example, in the northern lands in the Middle Ages, lace was very popular, decorating the outfits of beautiful women who follow fashion. In the lands bordering Germany, everyday clothing was rather restrained and mean in details. But everything was allowed at the wedding: costumes were decorated with ribbons, plaques, feathers and embroidery.
Costumes of the Southern Lands: Sardinia
The most diverse national costume of Italy is the southern provinces. The wealthy ladies of Sardinia, for example, wore dresses made of bright fabrics, mainly red, decorated themselves with many rings - sometimes there could be up to seven pieces.
Women from the poor have never worn more than three rings, and their dresses were in practical gray shades, with many pockets for the convenience of doing household chores. The differences were noticeable in the fittings: the buttons of rich ladies were exclusively gold, the middle class could afford silver, and the poor made them of simple metals.
The most important detail of the women's wardrobe was considered a scarf or shawl covering the shoulders. Often it was the result of many years of work of skilled embroiderers and was a real work of art: thin lace, expensive fabrics, dyed only with natural dyes. Depending on the occasion in which this or that outfit was worn, its composition could sometimes be very complicated: up to several shawls and skirts at the same time.
To this day, national costumes are sewn by hand from the most expensive fabrics. Its value can reach up to 10 thousand euros.
The national costume of Italy in Calabria took a lot from Roman and Greek robes. Women's skirts were shorter and more magnificent, ribbons were woven into braids, a long scarf wrapped around the waist. Another detail was added to the men's wardrobe - a cloak. Most often it was sewn from black or red fabric.
Men's Italian costume
Italian folk costume for men was somewhat simpler than women - at least they did not have to put on several pairs of pants. But it also had its own zest. Usually it consisted of pants just below the knee, a white shirt with simple embroidery and a jacket or sleeveless jacket. The traditional headdress - berrita - was made of black or red wool.
The trousers could be of different lengths, but they were always tucked into leggings. One of the essential elements was ragas - a piece of fabric that wrapped around the waist over trousers. The front part of the jacket was usually decorated with rich embroidery.
In Sardinia, a men's suit could include up to ten items. Instead of a hat, men wore a kind of cap that hung to one side or gathered in folds in the back, resembling a beret.
National costume today
At present, national clothing in Italians can be found only at Catholic or folk festivals. This nation honors its traditions very much and takes pleasure in using every opportunity to remind itself and the world of its colorful history. Adults and children wear national clothes and take to the streets. Little mods are especially fond of such holidays, because the Italian costume for children is no different from the "adult" versions. Is that the size.
The costume of Italy, the photo of which you will find in this article, has many variations. It is simply impossible to cover all of them, since each region, even each village, had its own distinctive features in the manner of dressing. No wonder Italy has become the birthplace of haute couture.