Spain as we see it? Passionate, life-affirming, bright, eccentric, sensual and very musical, with melodies caressing the soul and unrestrained dancing. And also associated with the gypsy Carmen, who conquered the world with her beauty and outfits. The Spanish dance costume (see photo in the review) has a rich history and is very diverse, depending not only on the region, but even on the city. And it is always a triumph of colors, richness of finishes and fabrics.
The very concept of "Spanish costume" is associated with a certain historical period - the 15th-19th centuries. In fact, these are rigid frame outfits that were adopted at the court of the Habsburg kings in Spain (they had a significant impact on the fashion of many royal courts in Europe). In clothes, sometimes harmoniously, and sometimes not so, the traditional standards of the aristocracy, the asceticism of the Catholic faith and the former glory of chivalrous times have merged.
Spanish women's costume
In the form in which everyone now knows the Spanish folk costume from films, books, illustrations and medieval paintings (that is, the image formed in art), it was finally formed in the 18-19th century. One of the main roles in thisMaho culture played. This is a special social stratum of the population, Spanish dandies who came out of the common people and emphasize their origin with clothing elements.
The beauty of a common woman and her image as a whole is especially glorified in the paintings of F. Goya. It is generally accepted that it was formed in Andalusia, and only then began to be considered the standard and calling card, by which the Spanish folk costume is still recognized.
The photo above shows women from the Sardinia region. There, women's and men's clothing contained almost identical elements. The mahi costume consisted of the following parts:
- Fitted jacket with wide lapels, no corset used.
- Mantilla is the most recognizable element. It is a long lace or silk veil, worn, as a rule, over a comb (peinet), stabbed into the hair at a right angle (tilting in one direction or another was considered vulgarity) and falling in free waves on the shoulders and back of a woman. At a time when the Spanish costume was made with their own hands, and not on sewing machines, every lady tried to make the mantilla unique, with characteristic patterns. Modern representatives of the country still wear it today, but only on the occasion of the holiday.
- Comb. Historically correct will be the one that has a height of 20 cm and a rectangular shape, with 4-5 teeth. For girls, white and cream were allowed, for married women - black and brown, the same rule applies to the mantilla. In this planSpanish folk costume seems a bit gloomy.
- Skirt - free cut.
- Shawl.
- The fan was the main accessory of that time.
It is now impossible to find clothes in this form, but the Spanish flamenco costume can be partly considered its modern incarnation.
Men's Spanish suit
Against the background of a black woman's mantilla, which hides not only the head, but also the shoulders (it is assumed that historically this element came from the East), the men's attire looks more than just bright. We list its required elements:
- Strongly cropped jacket, more like a jacket. It did not fasten, ended at the waist, later the French would call it "figaro".
- Short vest, always in bright colors.
- Skinny knee-length pants with rich embellishments.
- Sash - a wide belt, often colored.
- A cloak that wraps from head to toe and is lined in bright colors.
- Montera or Three-cornered hat and hair net.
- Stockings.
- Low-cut shoes with metal buckles.
Another atypical accessory that both women's and men's Spanish costumes had (see photo above) is the Navaja. A large folding knife was worn only by commoners, this is due to the ban on carrying large cold weapons.
In modern Spain, most of the elements of such a costume went into the clothes of a bullfighter.
How machos fashion migrated toaristocratic houses…
As you know, everything forbidden attracts a person with even greater force than what is available - this is our nature. The immorality of the life and behavior of machos, put on display, noisy dances with castanets and tambourines, songs - all this attracted the high society. Therefore, by the 1770s, both the lifestyle and clothing of commoners had become a craze for the aristocracy.
However, among other things, this phenomenon had another very interesting aspect. This period of Spanish history is characterized by the dominance of afrancesados (supporters of the Habbsburg dynasty). Therefore, the Spanish maho costume in this case also acted as a symbol of national self-determination, identity. Even the highest ranks, without hesitation, wore separate elements of clothing. All of Europe was conquered by the Empire style, and in Spain, meanwhile, maho reached the royal court at that time.
If we talk about the Spanish costume in the context of history, then we should highlight the periods of its development.
Reconquista era aristocrat costume
On average historical period lasted about 600-700 years. All this time, the Pyrenean Christians (mainly Portuguese and Spaniards) tried with all their might to recapture territories on their peninsula, which was occupied by the Moorish emirates. An amazing and unique situation, when the traditions of the national costume of the Visigoth Spaniards, Arab trends, as well as individual elements from all over Europe were mixed in one “cauldron” (knights from other countries actively participated in the campaigns). From the Gothic period to the Spanish costume (photo)long-toed shoes, recognizable headdresses (including capirot - a long cap), a long sleeveless surcoat (cloak-armice) that was attached over armor, in particular, in order to protect metal from atmospheric precipitation, migrated. Such elements of the image as sobreropa (a kind of cape), abrigo, hubon (a type of jacket), a cloak with drapery on one shoulder, kasaka and ropilla were exclusively national.
Women's Spanish costume begins to acquire features of its identity in the middle of the 15th century. It has a well-defined waist, from which folds of fabric radiate up and down, it often uses a cape. Hairstyles were dominated by a trend towards a smooth straight parting and a braided braid. The traditional headdresses are:
- coffia de papos - a complex structure made of a metal frame and a thin white canvas;
- vespaio - a thin transparent fabric that covered the forehead and head, falling behind the shoulders, and a thin metal hoop encrusted with precious stones was worn on top;
- trensado - a braid was wrapped in a fabric covering the crown, twisted with a black ribbon on top.
The last headdress was used until the 1520s and was adopted by Italian women. Trençado was sometimes combined with a turban (a trend of oriental Moorish motifs).
Renaissance costume
The period when absolutely all art experienced a stormy dawn, could not but be reflected in the costume. In the 16th century gothic costume withsoft flowing tissues begins to transform into a kind of armor on a rigid frame. In contrast to the Italian Renaissance, the Basque country offers its ideal figure in the spirit of Mannerism.
Strong influence on the Spanish national costume had other factors - first of all, the Catholic Church with its asceticism, the severity of the etiquette of the royal court and all the same chivalry. Fashion historians say that Spanish fashion, in comparison with harmonious Italian, where the human body was “respected”, acquired features of rigidity, was influenced by strict geometry, which changed the natural line of the silhouette and deformed the figure.
However, this fashion did not find support among commoners. The clothes still resembled a modern Spanish dance costume (first photo) with a slight introduction - a brightly colored lace-up corset.
Men's suit
During the Renaissance, the male costume undergoes significant changes, it acquires a conical shape, reaching a maximum width at the hips. In those days, the image of the nobility was unthinkable without the following elements of the wardrobe.
- Kamisa - shirt or shirt. She was completely hidden by outerwear, from under which only a linen or cambric collar and high cuffs with lace trim appeared.
- Calses - stocking pants, which, depending on fashion trends, changed their width: from the shape of a barrel with a frame to a more free cut. At the same time, the Spanish costume for a boy or a man had an absolute similarity.
- Hubon - varietytunic jackets. The bodice with a stand-up collar tightly fitted the figure. The clasp was hidden. In addition to narrow real sleeves, he also had folding false ones. The jacket was carefully, with the help of a lining, given the shape of armor.
- Bragette - short pants with a codpiece stuffed with cotton for volume.
- The collar acted as a separate element. Heavily starched along the edge, he had ruffles. Over time, its height changed - up to 20 cm by the end of the century. The famous ruffled grangola or gorgera, which is known all over the world.
- Ropon (medium-length or short outerwear with a fur collar or with embroidery) and the capita or fieltro that replaced it, kapa (cloaks of various styles).
- Headwear: soft beret with hard fur-trimmed rim and stiff cone-shaped brim hat (in the first and second half of the century respectively)
- Shoes: in wartime, boots, and in peacetime, narrow velvet or satin shoes with slits.
In the common people, the Spanish national costume of the Renaissance had completely different features and was more colorful. Instead of a narrow tightening hubon, they wore a loose capingote, for example.
Women's suit
He also underwent significant changes and, just like the men's, lost the smoothness and femininity of the lines, but instead acquired rigor and frame. The silhouette, as it were, consists of two triangles opposed to each other (bodice and skirt), the tops of which intersect at the waist. The costume consisted of the following items.
- Vertigado (verdugos) - an underskirt with metal hoops sewn into it made of dense material.
- Basquinha - an overskirt worn over the previous one, made of black taffeta.
- Sayo, vestido - top dress with a triangular slit in front or fastening with bows and loops. An integral part was a vaquero - a bodice with folding or fake sleeves. It was made from thin metal plates on hinges, which were bent and covered with velvet or fine suede. The Spanish costume for a girl excluded this element. The use of metal to slim the figure, hide natural lines, including the bulge of the chest, often injured, let alone inconvenience.
- Busque - a metal or wooden narrow plate attached to a corset in order to visually narrow the waist and flatten the stomach.
- Grangola and shirt - similar to a men's suit.
- The neckline is usually square and covered with embroidery.
- Ropa is an element of the upper wardrobe with long or short sleeves. Probably adopted from the Moors.
It was obviously impossible to work or lead an active life in such a suit. Therefore, ordinary townswomen had a different look. They did not wear the rigid skeleton verdugo skirts. In the course was a simple shirt with a narrow but not tight bodice with detachable sleeves. The skirt narrowed down with large folds or gathered in frills at the waist. She is now the main element included in the Spanish dance costume (the photo of the samples confirms this), including flamenco.
Shoes anddecorations
In contrast to the Italian brightness and richness of colors of decorative elements, the clothes of the Spaniards looked gloomy and more than ascetic. The color scheme was limited to black, gray, brown, white, and in rare cases, red and green. Preference was given to monochrome smooth fabrics. Printed, embroidered patterns of floral or religious motifs were also common.
Men wore soft shoes made of velvet or colored leather, without heels, with a wide toe that gradually became pointed. The design of women's shoes was similar, except that embroidery was added, and at the end of the 16th century a heel appeared. It was unacceptable to show the socks of the shoes from under the clothes, an exception was made only for chapines (photo above) - shoes with massive wooden soles, and the more noble the lady was, the thicker she had to be.
Complaining about the asceticism and gloom of colors, one cannot fail to say that the Spanish costume for a girl or woman tended to be complemented by large, catchy and bright jewelry. The country - the mistress of the New World, with all its we alth, could afford it. And the costume itself is partly a faded background. Main elements: fan, sashes, chains, necklaces, buckles, agraphs, head ornaments, pearl embroidery, etc.
Golden Age Fashion
The concept of the suit-armor was continued, and only in the second half of the 17th century, French fashion trends began to penetrate Spain, for example, an open neckline. Otherwise, the frame structure is preserved, the skirt is lengthened. The commoners are still wearing loose linen shirts, bright skirts and a colorful lace-up corset. Hairstyles are modest and concise - the hair was collected in a braid, which was laid on the back of the head with a “basket”. High society and commoners were united by the same mantilla and the presence of a fan.
Spanish men's costume has undergone more significant changes. Barrel pants disappear, they become less fluffy, knee-length, where they are tied with a bow. The hubon has shoulder bolsters and often folded sleeves, gradually lengthening. The form is greatly simplified, and the most progressive fashionistas begin to wear suits like the French "musketeers". It is noteworthy that Spanish men did not use wigs, they cut their hair short, from the middle of the 17th century the maximum length of the hairstyle was up to the middle of the cheek.
18th-19th century fashion
On the threshold of a new century in 1700, the last representative of the Habsburg dynasty on the throne of Spain died. The new monarch was the grandson of Louis XIV. At this time, the Spanish costume is "Frenchized" and takes an absolute course on the fashion dictated by Versailles. However, historians are not talking about its reincarnation and change, but about merging with the pan-European, but with the preservation of exceptional national features.
Since the end of the 18th century, maho culture has taken dominance in the highest circles of society, which, like a magnet, attracts aristocrats. You can trace this in a number of works by artists, the first photographs. Empire reigned in Europe, but the local aristocracy was massively fond of everything "folk". In addition to openaudacity and freedom (whether adult or childish), the Spanish costume openly emphasized national self-identity.