Every bride dreams that the main holiday of her life is special. The first on the list of important things is the decoration of the bride and groom. Trivial white dresses on rings, generously decorated with artificial flowers and rhinestones, have long been tired of everyone, modern newlyweds want more. This is a wonderful trend, thanks to which the fashion world never ceases to be surprised at fresh ideas.
Our article is devoted to one of the types of such an important element of the outfit of the bride as a veil. On the colorful pages of advertising booklets you can find an unimaginable variety of options; some of them are very popular and common, and some seem outlandish. Fata "Spaniard" today is undeservedly deprived of the attention of brides. But maybe this is for the better, because those who dream of something completely unusual have a great opportunity to complement the look with this accessory.
Mantilla: historical background
Anyone who is even superficially familiar with the national traditions of Spain can easily guess why this type of veil is called that way. Lace head coverings in Spain were unusually common for some time. Mantilla - this is the name of such an accessory, which is part of the national women's costume.
Fashion historians cannot say exactly where and when the mantilla was invented. But many researchers are inclined to think that the history of this accessory is closely connected with the burqa that the indigenous women of the Iberian Peninsula first saw during the Arab conquest.
Mantilla - not tracing paper with a burqa. The general idea is rather the idea itself. Something similar can be traced in other cultures, even residents of Russia in the early Middle Ages used head coverings. The mantilla has also spread in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America.
In different regions of the Pyrenees, the mantillas had differences. In the cool north, they were made of dense fabrics that could protect against coolness. On the Mediterranean southern coast - from the lightest canvas that can hide from the sun's rays and annoying midges.
The fashion for this wonderful accessory was introduced by Queen Isabella, who often appeared in the mantilla not only during celebrations, but also in everyday life.
But the century of the beautiful head cape was short-lived: already at the beginning of the 20th century one could see this accessory only on the heads of flamenco dancers and venerable matrons.
Mantilla in modern Spain
Queen Sofia, the forerunner of the present Queen Letizia, always with great respect for the traditions of Spain. Sofia was born and raised in Greece, but during the reign she always sought to pay tribute to her new homeland. She often comes out in the mantilla now. The current Queen Letizia rarely puts on this accessory in everyday life. But it is this decoration that we will find on her if we look at her wedding photos. The veil "Spaniard" suits her very much and emphasizes the elegance of her modest, but incredibly stylish dress.
An example of their queen is often followed by subjects. At the beginning of the XXI century, many Spaniards increasingly began to make a choice in favor of this accessory - after a hundred years of oblivion.
Veil "Spanish" in a modern wedding fashion
Everything that monarchs do attracts the views of millions of people. Do not go unnoticed and the veil "Spaniard" Queen Letizia. A growing number of designers are paying attention to it, trying to beat the accessory. As an example, we can recall the last wedding collection from Oscar de la Renta.
But we are not talking about the trend: the wedding mantilla is still gaining popularity.
Take a look at a few stellar examples. “Spain” was chosen as a veil by Hilary Thomas, the wife of Alec Baldwin. A similar accessory can be seen on Camille Alves during a ceremony with Matthew McConaughey. In such dresses at weddings appeared Kate Moss and Gwen Stefani. The mantilla just went perfectly to the wedding image of Nicky Hilton, whom she chose to marry James Rothschild.
Kinds
Another clear advantage of the veil "Spanish" is the huge variety of its varieties. The choice of product length depends on the tastes of the bride and groom.
As for the forms, there are only two of them: a semicircle and a circle. Everything is clear with the circle, and the semicircular mantilla can cause bewilderment among the ignorant bride. You can wear it in two ways: by laying an even cut (circle diameter) on the forehead so that the rounded edge falls down behind; or, conversely, with a sloping edge to the face, and straight down.
Fabrics and decorative elements
In different regions of Spain, mantillas were made from a wide variety of types of lace. Today, you can rely on the experience of seamstresses and lacemakers of past centuries, or you can invent something completely unusual.
The entire mantilla may consist of textured lace, exquisite guipure. A monotonous translucent fabric can be used as a basis: a well-holding organza, flowing natural silk, delicate chiffon, tulle with an interesting texture.
If the main fabric is uniform, the edge is usually decorated with lace. It can be either smooth, exactly repeating the shape of a circle, or curly or toothed.
Brides allowed by the means can also order handmade mantilla, for example, woven on bobbins or needles, crocheted or made using other techniques.
Feathers of noble birds, pearls (and its imitation), beads, Swarovski crystals, precious and semiprecious stones are used as decorative elements.
Initially, the most expensive mantillas were made from Chantilly lace, today it is still considered a noble classic. Such an accessory is not cheap, but the range of its tasks is not limited only to decorative ones. Such a veil "Spanish" can be the first family heirloom of a young family, which will eventually be passed on to the next generation.
Mounting Methods
The question of how to attach a Spanish woman veil to the head is very important. With improper fixation, the exquisite jewelry will either fly away or cause inconvenience to the bride.
Initially, special crests were used as fixing the veil of the “Spanish woman” - painters. They were made of ivory or tortoise shell, generously decorated with carvings. For weddings it was necessary to use white and cream paint, only married ladies wore black and brown, and flamenco dancers were supposed to fasten the mantillas with red combs.
Over time, Paineta has changed a lot. Today, both elephants and turtles no longer suffer from capricious fashionistas; modern plastic and other polymers are used. The accessory has lost its former purpose, it is often worn as an independent hair decoration. But if you decide to make a choice in favor of the veil of the “Spanish woman”, you can at the same time acquire a painter.
You can attach the mantilla with other hairpins. A professional hairdresser will cope with the task with the help of hairpins, clamps and invisibility. It is advisable to entrust the matter to a professional, then the chances that the mantilla will last until the end of the holiday will increase many times.
Let us tell you a secret: the Spaniards used not only massive paints for attaching the mantilla to the head, but also small inconspicuous pins to lay the free edge with beautiful folds and attach to clothes. According to the rules of etiquette of past centuries, when turning the head, shoulders should not be exposed. Now the rules are not so strict, but if you want neither wind gusts nor whirlwinds of the wedding dance to violate the harmony of your image, you can use this little trick.
Mantilla Hairstyles
It is believed that you can attach a veil to any hairstyle. But the "Spaniard" is usually quite heavy edge, with poor fixation, it will crawl.
Professionals recommend the following types of wedding hairstyles, which are perfect for such an accessory: they will allow you to firmly fix the veil and will look harmonious with it:
- braids and plaits laid by the crown;
- gulki, "shells" and "snails";
- high tails tied at the back of the head.
Illustrations will help to imagine what a Spanish woman veil with a hairstyle looks like. Photos prove that different styles are combined with this accessory.
What dresses suits
A rich "Spaniard", generously decorated with wide lace, can become the main accent of the wedding image. As a perfect dress for such a veil, one can mention the recent Meghan Markle robe - stylish and elegant, luxurious in its simplicity. The Duchess of Sussex herself chose a different headdress for the wedding, but if her choice fell on the mantle, the image would turn out to be no less harmonious.
A long fluffy veil, falling to the floor, will fit the dress with lace shoulders and sleeves. An example of such an attire can be considered the legendary outfit of Grace Callie and Kate Middleton's dress similar to him.
Short dresses should be combined only with a short mantilla, but special care should be taken here: this accessory harmonizes better with elongated silhouettes.
But what definitely should not be done is to complement the mantilla outfits in frankly different ethnic styles, for example, in Greek. Dissonance cannot be avoided.
Who will suit
If you are considering a photo of a Spanish woman’s veil and understand that this choice will fall on your accessory, consider the general style of the celebration.
Such an accessory can be ideal for those who gravitate to the classical style, as well as to such areas as boho and eco.
An elongated “Spanish woman” sewn from thick fabric is perfect for those who are planning not only a civil ceremony, but also a church wedding.
As for age, there are no restrictions: the “Spaniard” is perfect for both very young newlyweds and older ladies.