National German costumes did not acquire their current appearance immediately. Over time, some details were added or removed. The main image took shape around the 16th century.
History
In the beginning, the clothes of the peasants were in many ways similar to the costumes of the inhabitants of the city. Images of people from the 15th century show that the gentlemen dressed modestly, their wardrobe was not much different from the things of the servants. The main differences were the quality of the fabric, its color and the ability to wear wardrobe items decorated with fur. The gentlemen could also afford decorations.
Since the 18th century, people have been able to use black and white lace in tailoring. Peasants used loden as a fabric. Loden is a warm fabric made from wool and is famous for its water resistance.
Until the 19th century, Germany was fragmented, which led to the fact that the costumes of different federal states, despite the fact that they have common features, are very different.
It so happened that German national costumes, photos of which are presented in the article, indicate age, status, profession, marital status. The ornament, if present, can even indicate how many children a person has.
Regarding ethnic costume
For several centuries, national clothes have included:
- capes;
- jackets with fur;
- shawls;
- straw or wooden shoes.
Shawls and collars were made with the addition of red, as it was believed that it was a talisman.
The most common sewing materials are wool, leather and linen.
What influenced the look of clothes
National German costumes were greatly influenced by geographical features of the area, fashion trends, historical events.
Climatic conditions have strongly affected the appearance of clothes:
- Warm, flat terrain was dominated by linen.
- The people living in the mountains used thick cloth as material.
- Those Germans who lived in a drier climate, most often in the foothills, preferred woven shoes made from straw, oats.
- Due to rainy weather on the coast, people had to wear shoes made of wood or leather.
Why is national dress so popular
Germans are a nation that honors its traditions and history. They consider wearing such clothes a sign of exquisite taste.
Another reason is that ethnic clothing has strong top support. Representatives of the highest strata of society of the federal state of Bavaria withenjoy wearing national costumes. For them, it is a matter of pride.
This clothing continues to evolve. If earlier only natural materials were used in tailoring, today fashion designers can afford to experiment with the choice of fabric.
To this day, folk costume remains an object that continues to be studied in detail.
Varieties of national costume
The traditional clothes are called Tracht. The name comes from the verb "tragen", which translates to "wear". This is the name of the national costume for both women and men. If we are talking only about women's clothing, then it will be called Dirndel.
National German costumes, like clothes of other cultures, are divided into women's and men's. There are costumes that were sewn for everyday occasions and for holidays. There is also a national German costume for children.
Also, keep in mind that there are winter and summer clothing options.
Men's suits
Historically, men began to abandon ethnic clothing earlier.
National German men's suit contains the following items:
- vest;
- jacket in summer and jacket in winter;
- pants.
If we consider a modern folk costume, then trousers often replace leather pants.
Now the pants are short, but sewing them that long has not always been a tradition. In the 19th century, the fashion for long trousers came from Paris to German lands. They were not onlylong but wide. Only through the years did it become popular to wear bloomers. Stockings used to be worn with short pants. The material for their manufacture has changed over time, as well as the appearance and patterns. At first, blue, gray or white wool stockings could be worn. Today, men, putting on a folk costume, choose only white hosiery.
Earlier, as now, great importance was given to the choice of a hat. It was hard to imagine that a man would appear in society without a headdress. They didn't even take off their hats to the much-loved beer houses.
In Bavaria, where the influence of tradition is strongest, it was customary to wear a green headdress decorated with an eagle feather.
Women's suits
The German national costume for women, which is called Dirndl, was first considered as a working clothes for servants. Then this name was assigned to all women's clothing.
Dirndl includes:
- White blouse. If this is a festive option, then the sleeves will be wide.
- Sundress, which consists of a corset and a wide skirt. If this is an option for everyday life, then the corset will be clasped, if for special occasions, then laced.
- An apron usually made from colorful fabrics.
The sundress skirt has many pleats, reminiscent of Renaissance forms. The material that was most often used for sewing a sundress is wool. Linen and silk were used a little less often for this.
The apron is one of the most important attributes of the costume
The apron is sewn so that its length is shorter thansundress skirt. Usually this product is assembled so that large folds are obtained.
The range of aprons is quite large: there are plain products, striped, with embroidery. Linen, cotton and silk are used for their tailoring. You can often see aprons trimmed with ribbons and lace.
If you look at the apron, then by the way it is tied, you can determine the marital status of a woman:
- If the apron is tied with a bow on the right, it means that the woman is married or engaged.
- If the bow is on the left, the lady is free.
- If the knot is in the middle, then here the meaning depends on the federal land: in some it means that the girl is chaste, in others - that she is ready for various acquaintances.
- If the apron is tied at the back, then it can have two meanings: either the woman is a widow, or she just works as a waitress.
Additional elements of women's costume
In addition to the main elements, the national German costume for women also contains additional ones:
- vest;
- corsages;
- jacket;
- coat.
There are more than 100 varieties of corsages and vests, they changed over time. Most of them are black, with silver or gold embroidery.
In the summer version of the dress, the sleeves of the shirt can be of different lengths.
A flared coat and a wool vest complement the winter outfit options.
Accessories
Women's suit requires accessories. Most common:
- black buckle shoes;
- bright scarf;
- handbag;
- neck jewelry.
Very rarely, a hat can complement the image. Today it is very rare to meet a lady with a headdress, although earlier it was impossible to walk with her head uncovered. Only very young girls could afford such behavior.
German national costume for a boy
Boys are often dressed up in folk clothes. They wear breeches, often with suspenders, a shirt, waistcoat, and shoes. And to make the boy look more interesting and traditional, he also wears a hat with a feather.
National German costume for a girl: photo
Girls' clothing in all attributes repeats the outfits of adult young ladies. They wear a sundress or a skirt with a vest, a shirt and an apron.
German national costume for a girl is made in bright colors, often decorated with lace.
Wedding national costume
Since ancient times, it has been laid down that the bride should get married in the best outfit. In the countryside, a national costume made of coarse fabric, which was decorated with embroidery, was put on for the celebration. In cities, preference was given to more simple, strict sundresses that could emphasize the figure.
In the federal state of Bavaria, the tradition of wearing a folk costume for a wedding is still preserved. A bridal bouquet is added to the outfit, which is then stored infamily.
Bavarian national costume
Bavaria is a federal state where a man in a national costume can be found everywhere.
The clothes of each region of Bavaria (Allgäu, Lower Bavaria, Upper Bavaria) have their own differences, which are expressed by the choice of color, embroidery and decorations. All traditions are observed from year to year.
It is especially important to come in folk clothes to one of the most important holidays - Oktoberfest. This is the time of fairs, festivities and festivities. Crowds of tourists from all over the world annually seek to visit Germany at this time.
Often, tourists want not only to try on national German costumes, but also to buy them in order to be able to better feel the atmosphere of the holiday, to feel the life of the Bavarians. The clothing industry makes good money on this, especially during the holidays. Cheaper options are made for tourists. If necessary, clothes are made to order.
The national costume of Bavaria is one of the best gifts you can bring from Germany.
Price
A real German national costume is very expensive. Its average price is 600-800 euros. You can buy it in Germany, they also sew national clothes to order.
Costumes that are sewn for tourists, and those models that can be bought in Russia or other countries, can not quite be attributed to the standards of ethnic outfits. These products are much cheaper, for example, in Russia you can buy such a suit for 3000-8000 rubles.
Familiarizing yourself with the attributes of ethnic clothing, you can sewdo-it-yourself national German costume. For this, it is best, as is traditional, to choose only natural fabrics. Having learned more about color symbolism, you can sew a product that will comply with the rules for creating folk costumes.
In no other European country is there a tradition to constantly wear national clothes. Only here you can see how an original costume, the features of which have evolved over the centuries, are worn in everyday life. Even those residents of the federated land who do not wear such clothes all the time still have a folk costume and are proud of its rich history and beautiful appearance.
