European Dresses

England Dresses: English National Dress: Male English National Dress

Female English National Dress

The 'male' English National Dress alludes to the colours of St George. The ‘female’ English National Dress design employs the light Blue of St Edmund the Old English King. Both orders of dress are practical, stylish, yet modest and easy to make. They use wool, leather, steel, linen and simple dyes. Solid silver jewellery is worn. For those who wish, man-made materials can be used. Simple hand making with square and rectangular cloth cutting is core to this to cut down cost. The knife in the custom made leather sheath hanging on the front is called a Seax. It was worn by the Old English as a sign of being free born English.

Both designs are shown with the models (one from the north of England, and one from the south) wearing their own footwear. There are no hard and fast rules to the footwear. Here they wear ground boots as they are safe, practical, unisex, and well made. But imagine a wedding version of this English National Dress.

Embroidery and cutting pattens can be found if you read on. It is down to you. Imagine wedding versions of this. Perhaps replacing the light Blue with White. Nothing is hard and fast. But stick to the basic design.

Spanish Dresses:
Modern dress styles in Spain today are quite distinct from the traditional Spanish dress. The rich cultural history of Spain has greatly influenced traditional Spanish dress styles. The modern Spanish dress style is in line with modern day clothing styles. Designer clothes are quite popular although more emphasis is placed on dress quality than the designer name. Spanish dresses are high in quality but at reasonable prices. It is not uncommon to see more teenage girls in trousers than skirts with denim a popular choice among both sexes. For the teenage Spaniard looks and appearances are very important. The mature Spaniard would likely be found dressing more conservatively but with style. Men favor colors that are not too bright while women like elegant and stylish clothes. Dress, quality and style are indicators of status in Spain.


Clothing and dress choice is very important in Spain. While western style of dress is very popular, scantly worn dresses are heavily frowned on in small villages in rural Spain. Also small skirts, swim wear or open dresses are frowned upon in churches. It is the fastest way to label yourself a tourist.

 Spanish Wedding Dresses:
 During the 16th century Spain was a strong force in the fashion world. Features of a traditional Spanish dress included elegance, rigidity, austerity and lots of decoration. Black was a popular color for traditional Spanish dresses made for normal wear. The color grey was used mainly for special occasions. Fabrics used for traditional Spanish dresses back then tended to be heavy and rich with decorations of gold and silver threads with jewels or pearls included. The Moors who once occupied Spain influenced Spanish traditional dress greatly. Among other things they brought in rich embroideries and the use of points, ornaments, jeweled buttons as well as the use of heavy collars and girdles. Many of these features can still be seen on some wedding dresses in Spain today.
 

 Spanish Flamenco Dresses:
Traditional Spanish dresses are conservative and tend to be non-flashy colors and would include traditional clothing used in festivals which are numerous in all Spanish cities and also in bullfights. Traditional dress would not be complete without the wide brimmed hat worn by men. Shoes are another important facet of traditional Spanish dressing.
 
A typical traditional Spanish dress for men would include black trousers tightly worn and short jackets while the ladies would wear an exquisite frilly flamenco dress. Down the years Spain held on to a lot of their traditional dress styles even when they went out of fashion. This was the main reason why Spain gave its title as the center for European fashion to other European fashion conscious places like Paris and London.


 French Dresses:

Pioneers of Fashion:

 The French have been the pioneers of chic fashion for hundreds of years. From Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Givenchy - they all share the same vision of how a woman should look and dress:

Let's Focus on What's Typical French Style:

 Anyway. Let's put French street style to the side. You and I are going to focus on sleek and sophisticated French style, and learn how to adopt it to our own wardrobe - from beret hats to tailored garments, color palettes to scarves, and even where to find French clothing outfits and womenswear inspiration!

French Street Fashion:

Our world is rapidly being globalized (and France happens to be a country with a fast-growing population of foreigners) so various types of ethnic cultures as well as the new and modern generation have, and are constantly influencing the way women and men in France dress. So there are multiple French fashion styles, however, classy elements can be seen in the majority of them.

 12 Tips on What to Wear to Europe

When packing for your trip to Europe it's not all about functionality like hiking boots and tennis shoes. Yet it's not also about being a slave to fashion, wearing stilettos and inpractical clothing.
 
1. When you pack, make everything count. Clothing must intermix to layer easily and complete different outfits

2. Dark neutrals work best with distinctive accessories or pack all black. Most Europeans wear dark colors

3. Lightweight and quick drying (these launder easily in your hotel sink) clothes allow you to pack light

4. High synthetic fabric clothing dries quickly (lyocell, modal, nylon, acrylic, rayon, polyester)

5. 100% cotton this takes forever to dry and isn't as compact as synthetics (a cotton blend is OK)

6. Flattering fits will make you look more European

7. Avoid loose fitting clothing (relaxed fit jeans, etc.). You may not feel out of place here but in Europe you'll feel dowdy (compared to chic and glam Europeans) in comfortable but loose fitting clothes

8. Dark colored footwear blends in easily with dark clothing and minimizes focus on sensible but not so sexy shoes.

9. Padded foot beds, EVA insoles, and rubber soles, provide cushioning while walking and ease fatigue.

10. When choosing a walking sandal look for the same features that you would in a walking shoe

11. Waterproof sport sandals serve double duty for hostellers (to wear in showers), light hikers, and those hitting the beaches.

12. Accessories will help make the most of your look. Scarves, jewelry, or a distinctive handbaga add personality and liven up neutrals.