Italian costume

The national Italian costume has many interpretations, in each region it has its own. However, everywhere the outfits are distinguished by a riot of colors and many decorative elements, from which it is difficult to look away. It is not for nothing that high fashion originated in Italy, and to this day this country is one of the capitals of the world fashion industry.

The history of the national costume of Italy dates back to ancient Rome, where the outfit, in turn, was borrowed from the ancient Greeks. True, the Romans made their own adjustments to it, adding many interesting elements. In ancient times, clothes were unpretentious and were mostly sewn from woolen cloths. Sewing was done to a minimum, brooches were used instead of buttons and fasteners.

Already at that time, the Romans had the so-called underwear - a cloth wrapped around the hips, one of the names of which is subligar. The women had a prototype bra - the fascia, which supported the breasts.

Sometimes a strophyum was worn instead of it, it was worn over the main clothing.

The main element of clothing for men and women was a tunic, worn by both wealthy Romans and their slaves. The men's usually went to the knee, and the women's - to the very heels, and could have sleeves. In the cold season, they kept warm by putting on several tunics on top of each other. The clothes were sewn from bleached linen, only multi-colored stripes served as distinctive elements.

Free Romans could wear a toga.Slaves and foreigners were deprived of this right. It was a piece of canvas that was thrown over the shoulder in the manner of a modern postman bag. It was worn over a tunic, and so that it lay in beautiful folds, various weights were sewn into the hem.

There were much fewer restrictions in the women's wardrobe, their outfits were painted in any colors available at that time. Rich women wore a cropped table over a tunic to demonstrate the multi-layered outfit and emphasize their wealth.

The outer garment was a cape - rationium or palla. It was worn by women and men. If it was very cold, they put on a heavy cloak called laena, and also wore a cloak with a hood - kukullus.

Sandals with many leather straps were used as shoes. Designers are still inspired by these shoes, constantly bringing gladiator sandals back into fashion.

In the 5th century, the fall of the Roman Empire took place, which significantly influenced not only the history of Italian, but also European costume in general. At that time, the clothes continued to be simple and unpretentious. It was sewn mainly from natural fabrics of gray and brown shades. The feudal lords wore bright clothes made of silk, which were brought from Byzantium. Clothes were decorated with embroidered patterns and edging.

Women wore clothes that hid their figures, this was due to the influence of the Christian church. Only in the 10th century, the silhouette began to change, and the ladies began to emphasize their figure. In the XII century, the dress began to fit the waist, and lacing appeared on it. They also began to make darts and the suit was divided into two parts - lower and upper.

The Renaissance era came to Italy earlier than other European countries, it very quickly turned into the richest country. This directly affected the Italian costume of the 15-16 centuries, which was imitated in other European countries. Simple flowing lines, comfortable to wear and "standard" proportions are in fashion. However, the simplicity of the cut was compensated by the use of expensive fabrics - brocade, velvet, silk.

In the 16th century, most of the country was captured by Spain, Italian culture, like the national costume, continues to develop only in the north of the country and in Venice, which managed to maintain independence.

Elements of male costume of this period:

• Kamichi - undershirt;
• Calzoni - tight-fitting short trousers;
• Sottoveste - a fitted jacket, could be sleeveless;
• Jorne is a festive raincoat with fold-over sleeves and rich trim.

An elongated caftan with a deep cut was worn by older men. It was combined with a white bib (the prototype of the shirt front). Over time, the Italian's outfit changed. Shirts that were pulled together with a cord around the neck came into fashion. They were worn with a caftan with a deep square neckline or a stand-up collar. Paired it with stockings and knee-length trousers. Above they wore a jubbone - a lush and long cloak, which over time became narrower and shorter. He had puffy sleeves and a large collar.

The nobles always carried with them a sword (left) and a dagger (right). The costume was supplemented with a purse on the belt, gloves and a massive gold chain. The women's costume was much more spectacular and richer, the girls wore a dress with a tight top and a pleated skirt, which was called gamurra. The image was complemented by a light cape or a piece of fabric that was attached to the dress.

The role of outerwear was played by a long cloak, sometimes it was sewn with holes for the hands. The accessories were wallets that were hung on the belt, gloves and embroidered handkerchiefs.

In the 16th century, underwear and stockings appeared, dresses became lush and more spectacular. Girls began to wear dresses with a deep neckline, skirts were wide, heavy, with many folds. In winter, women complemented the outfit with a silk muff with fur trim.A balzo was worn on the head or covered with a veil. Also, various bedspreads were thrown over the head, as a rule, of lace or silk.

In Italy, unlike other European countries, there is no single national costume.

The thing is that different regions of the country were separated from each other for a long time, and finally united a little more than 150 years ago. At that time, the traditions were already fully established, and they differed in almost every single village taken!

Since it is almost impossible to consider each region, it is worth dwelling on several main regions that stand out for their flavor. Of course, all varieties of Italian costume have the same elements and common features.

The main feature is brightness and rich color palette. The skirts of Italian girls are most often decorated with drawings of various colors - roses, peonies, daisies, daisies.

The great influence of traditional costume can be seen in the collections of famous fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who often create outfits in Italian style.

Jewelry is of great importance; they are an integral part of the outfit. Married girls are required to wear a hat and black jacket, unmarried women must wear a white apron, and widowed women must wear a black one.

The basis of the national costume is a fluffy pleated skirt (gonna), a white, often embroidered shirt (kamichia) and a bodice. The image is complemented by a bright apron (gram-biule) and a scarf on the head (fazzoletto). These are the main elements of the Italian costume that are found in all regions of the country.

The only difference is the length of the skirt, colors and colors, the presence or absence of lace details. Lace was usually popular with noble Italians, and the everyday clothes of ordinary girls were simple and modest. But wedding dresses were very effective - they were decorated with ribbons, feathers, embroidery, brooches.

The male national costume is much simpler than the female one. It consists of trousers below the knee (pantaloons) and a white shirt. The image is complemented by a short jacket (jakka) or a sleeveless jacket (panchotto). The head is covered with a berrite - a woolen headdress or a Phrygian cap.

Trousers can be of different lengths, but must be tucked into leggings. A ragas is tied at the belt - a piece of fabric that serves as the prototype for the belt. The front of the jacket is usually richly decorated with embroidery.

The outfits of women from the southern regions and Sardinia in particular are especially varied. Wealthy ladies wore bright dresses, the preference was given to red. Be sure to complement your image with many rings on your fingers.

Poor women wore practical gray dresses with many pockets, the number of rings on their fingers was minimal. The most important element of the wardrobe was the headscarf that covered the head and shoulders. It could look like a real work of art: made of fine lace or expensive fabric, decorated with elaborate embroidery. Sometimes it took years of hard work to create one such scarf.

It was the Venetians who gave the world the idea of ​​the carnival, and the Italians in general. Carnivals in Venice are still noisy and fun, during this period the city becomes a real theatrical scenery, where you can see unique performances.

All those present are united by one thing - the presence of a costume and a mask. Most of the outfits are more reminiscent of works of art, which sometimes takes up to 15 meters of fabric. There are many shops in Venice that offer carnival outfits and all the necessary paraphernalia for rent.

You can dress up whatever your heart desires - a noble lady of blue blood, Harlequin or Pierrot, a musketeer or a boutto. It all depends only on creativity and imagination. True, on street festivities you can limit yourself to only one mask, and at some official events it is simply indecent to appear without a suit.

Shoes in Italy, as part of the national costume, are varied. In many regions, it is still sewn by hand, however, like the costume itself, the cost of which sometimes reaches several thousand euros.

In different areas you can find the following shoes:

• Wooden shoes with leather socks;
• Leather boots with wooden soles;
• Textile shoes with a dense sole;
• Soft leather sandals with long straps.

The national outfit of a young girl in Sicily. A fluffy pale pink skirt decorated with lace, a white shirt, a bodice, a white apron with poppies embroidered on it and a scarf duplicating it on the head. In the photo, the girl picks oranges, but in everyday life, of course, they wore more modest dresses. Such spectacular outfits were intended for a special occasion.

Italian wedding in national costumes. The bride is wearing a rich outfit that is replete with embroidery, gold and jewelry. There is a traditional white headscarf on his head. The groom's suit is more restrained - he is wearing a white shirt, underpants and a dark blue vest made of brocade.