World Wide Customs

World Wide Customs: Mexico Mexico: Traditional Mexican clothes were designed to keep people cool in the hot climate that can be found in the deserts to the north to the jungles in the south. Originally, more often than not, these dresses were made mostly from cotton however following the Spanish colonization of Mexico, silks and wools started to become more popular as clothing material. (1) Most common in the  late 1850s , the China  Poblana (1) was a combination of a skirt, shawl and blouse meant to flatter a woman's  feminine features. The China Poblana gets  its name from Puebla, a country in Mexico,  where the style of Mexican clothing emerged.  However, the inclusion of "China"  in the term  is still disputed.  The name of the dress is not the only thing  about it to draw  controversy . During its  introduction, many women in the upper class  were scandalously ...

World Wide Customs: India INDIA: Men and women in India are draped and wrapped according to tradition, history and location. A  dhoti (1) or  lungi (2), which is a loose skirt- or shorts-type wrap for men, is common in rural areas and in high heat, and most often it is worn alone, without a shirt. (2) (1) Women also wore these garments and went topless until Muslim conquerors overtook large parts of India in the 12th century and ordered women to cover their bodies and heads. In urban areas men often wear long, buttoned shirts and loose pants called  Sherwanis (3) or kurta pajamas. (3)     (4) The traditional Indian Bridal makeup  (5) (6) is the traditional indian makeup for weddings. The day of marriage that she simply wants to look stunning enough to collect the public’s eye and also to be a most important portion of the day of her wedding day. She obv...

World Wilde Customs : Bruxelles Bruxelles  (1) Traditional Belgian clothing is now only worn on special occasions at festivals, such as the Shrove Tuesday Carnival in Binche. This event is the closest demonstration of traditional ethnic clothing and imitates the Wallonia region's traditional costume. Flanders and Brussels have their own variations. (2) The national Belgian costume for men features a smock and beret. It is brightly colored, and it features a large white collar and wooden shoes. The national costume for women is a special gown with Celtic trimming and colorful beads, which is worn over a white chemise. Both are significantly influenced by French traditional dress.  French culture dominates Belgian traditional dress, as Belgium has been heavily inhabited by the French, Dutch and Flemish. The diverse ethnic groups in modern Belgium each have their own versions of a national costume. In rural areas of Belgium, visitors can still ...

World Wide Customs: Spain  Spain: The roots of the flamenco dress can be traced to Andalusian women, since the dance became part of the mainstream in the early 19th century, the dress has evolved, but the Andalusian influence remained. Its original and proper name is " Trajes de flamenca ".  The original dress had a guitar-shaped body with a low neck. With the hair pulled back in a bun, a round or square neck made the wearer's neck appear thinner (1). (1) (2)                                                                             The roots of the flamenco dress can be traced to Andalusian women, since the dance became part of the mainstream in the early 19th century, the dress has evolved, but the Andalusian influence remained. Its origina...

World Wide Customs : Moscow Moscow (1) Russia is not only a landmass giant, but also unique in its geographical location and hence, the way of life of its people and their homogenous dress and food. Russian clothing features: (2) Russia is a vast nation and hence, the kind of clothing that one would notice in the dedicated stores of Moscow would naturally be quite different to that found in Siberia. Leather is a fetish in Russia. Lined with fur, the look has become synonymous with Russian clothing. In general, traditional Russian men like to flaunt leather a lot. In fact, till today, no matter what the time of the year is, a leather jacket is a cool thing to have! Russian women wear dresses or long skirts and blouses and love to flaunt high heels. Color preferences in Russian clothing: (3) There is a distinct difference in the color and theme preference of the Russian men and women; while the men do not usually like flaunting bright colo...

Germany The Bavarian Look (1) Folklore costumes  play a huge role in Bavarian life, more so  than in any other state of Germany  The saying goes that: "Clothed in a  dirndl   or  lederhosen  you are always dressed to perfection." Folklore dress not only is and always will be a fashionable way to dress but it will always represent an essential aspect of Bavarian culture. (2) Worn by locals to  traditional Bavarian festivities  such as the hoisting of a maypole, the Oktoberfest or on church high days and holidays, Bavarian folklore costume is also popular at weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.

 World Wide Costums: France FRANCE: When we think about French typical style, we immediately immagine a striped t-shirt, a beret and some red here and there (1). (1)    The  characteristic striped t-shirt comes from 1858, when the french marine choose it as its official uniform. It was made of 21 blue stripes on a white background, three-quarter-sleeves and a boat-neck. Sailors thought it was easier to find a man overboard if he was dressed like this. Coco Chanel was the one who made it famous (2) (2) (3) The traditional french beret (3) is just a  flat circular hat of felted wool with a little “tail”  poking out the top. Once again the big change  came in the 1930s when Coco Chanel, who  was famous for taking comfortable  men’s  clothing and adapting it for women,...