National costume of France

The first prerequisites for the French national costume appeared in the 17th century. French peasants made their clothes from canvas, wool, cloth using cotton thread. At the end of the French Revolution, festive versions of national costumes began to appear.

In each province, costumes were created with their own characteristics:

• Breton - corsages, lace and fitted bodices.

• Flemish is a checkered shawl decorated with fringe.

• Catalonia - mangoths (armbands from openwork fabric) and bright colors.

The shoes were the same for all women and men. It was a wooden clog. It should be noted that to this day, wooden clogs are worn in the French countryside for work.

Until the 18th century, French men in the provinces wore a regular shirt, which was replaced by an elongated wide blouse from the same canvas as its predecessor. It was fashionable to wear such blouses over a jacket.

If before the revolution this variant of clothing was considered festive, then after its completion urban craftsmen and workers began to dress like that. The bourgeois preferred a jacket over a coat.

Popular shears were also worn by shepherds who wore a woolen cloak or a goatskin coat over it. I must say that some artists today prefer this style.

And by the beginning of the 19th century, French peasants had become fashionable with knee-high pants in combination with leggings or stockings tied under their knees. They relied on a shirt, vest, jacket and neckerchief.Then, closer to the middle of the century, men's fashion diversified in narrow long trousers.

Has undergone a transformation and collar shirts. Turn-down cuffs and a collar tightened with ribbon are replaced with buttons, and the top of the shirt was covered with a scarf.

The vest was closed on two rows of buttons. The whole structure was fixed with a shortened jacket, sometimes elongated at the back.

In the 18th century, the headdress of every peasant was a cocked hat, and at the end of the 19th century, older men began to wear it. Over time, the cocked hat was replaced by a hat with round brim.

For the manufacture of the winter version of the hat used felt, for the summer - straw.

On the coastal provinces, peasants wore a cap of six, decorated with a pompom.

Women's national costume was much easier. It consisted of a wide skirt decorated with frills or pleats and sweaters. All this was complemented by an apron and a scarf, which was tied on the shoulders.

The cap was decorated with a head. He was considered a home option, and to leave the house he wore a hat or scarf.

The color palette determined the status of a person. Peasants sewed their clothes from materials of gray, brown, white. Bourgeois were distinguished by blue, red or purple clothes. And sometimes black.

On holidays, a corsage was added to the usual version of the costume.

In each province, some national costumes were distinguished by embroidery, the shape of hats or the color of the apron.

Later, feminine dresses, similar to tunics, came into fashion. They were tied high under the chest. A few years later, the dresses became longer with layered skirts underneath.

Of the accessories, umbrellas, small hats with a veil, couplings and scarves can be noted.

Children were no different from adults and their costumes were a small copy of adult national clothes.

Girls wore skirts a little shorter than adults, otherwise everything was like women - cap, shirt, apron.

Boys' clothes accurately repeated the men's suit.

After the end of the French Revolution, the peasant national costume underwent dramatic changes. This happened due to the increased well-being of the peasants. And the markets began to replenish with factory fabrics - silk and cloth.

Another was the festive version of the costume. The fashion of the city left an imprint on him. In all of France, the national costumes were similar to each other and consisted of the same elements. But the features of each province influenced the shape of hats and corsages, cuts and colors. Fashion historians distinguish several sets of clothes of that time.

Urban costume came into fashion only at the end of the 19th century. Over time, only hats did not change. Some of them are still popular in everyday life. For example, in the Alps, Roussillon and Bretonia.

Today, patriots are trying to revive the old traditions and organize costume parties and carnivals, which include competitions for the best costume. Such events are especially popular in Provence, Bretonia, Savoyard.

National costumes are also popular with dance groups who sew them for their performances.

The feeling of colors, proportions and shapes - all this is embodied in a modern French urban costume. This is probably why France is considered a trendsetter.

The turn of the 16-17th century became a successful page in the history of France. The country entered the circle of leading powers and improved its economic situation. For all of Europe, France has become a trendsetter and benchmark for fashion and court culture.

The country is launching a Pandora doll and her wardrobe. The doll was produced in two sizes, a large doll, dressed in outerwear, and a small one showed underwear. Such a doll was prohibitively expensive and was sold in other European countries.

It should be noted that when the Pandora was being shipped, even hostilities ceased and did not impede its path.

Towards the end of the 17th century, France launched the release of an illustrated fashion magazine called Mercourt Talent.

There are standards of beauty. King Louis 14 was considered an ideal man - tall, handsome, with magnificent hair and regular features. All the men of that time should have had masculinity, gallantry, were able to dance and stay in the saddle.

For women, the French were less demanding. The Frenchwoman was required to be majestic, flirtatious, she should be distinguished by her cronyism and splendor.

As such, there was no ideal female appearance. He changed depending on the tastes of the king and the features of his next favorite.

The war had an impact on the men's suit. Clothing items similar to military uniforms came into fashion. And by the fortieth years and the end of the war, fashion had changed dramatically.

Then the young Louis came to power, and the costume acquired children's features. Under him, double skirt-pants were invented, which were called raingraves. By the sixties, men's wardrobe is gaining masculinity. Justocore, vesta and culottes are sewn.

Women's clothing did not tolerate such drastic changes and gradually came to the profile silhouette and home clothes.

Clothing of that period was made of satin, gas, taffeta and moire. Men's suits are made of velvet, cloth and wool. Lace is in fashion. They are decorated with small details of dresses and suits, as well as shoes.

Towards the end of the century, stripe, cage, embroidery and printed fabrics became popular.

With the advent of Versailles, the tapestry that adorns most of the costumes comes into fashion.