When watching movies about Medieval times, we cannot help but fall in love with the amazing clothes that people were wearing back then. The beautiful, long gowns, expensive, handcrafted jewelry, and headpieces worn by both men and women, particularly from the rich and noble families, are an essential aspect and part of that period’s history. Although Medieval dress as it existed five or six centuries ago is no longer worn apart from specific events and folk festivals, numerous pieces of clothing influenced by it are still worn today.
To those of us who live in the modern days, the traditional Celtic clothing looks like it is worn by the characters of a fairytale, with its long gowns, colorful robes, and skirts worn by both men and women. Such attire is usually associated with the clothing of the Elves and other mythical creatures from Tolkien’s books. However, for the Celts, this was a way of protecting themselves from the climate of the island, as well as a symbol of their social status: the poor were wearing clothing made of textiles that were widely available, mostly wool, whilst the nobles had access to more delicate and more luxurious fabrics like silk, leather, and fur.
These types of clothes are not widely worn today, but the Celtic elements, patterns, and symbols are still very much alive. A famous example would be the Aran sweater, which although was created only a century ago, is already considered to be a staple of the Irish which features the old traditional Celtic elements, such as the tree of life, the diamond, and the cable rope stitches. Today the Irish wear Celtic apparel from stores like https://www.gaelsong.com/prod_detail_list/celtic-apparel in order to bring luck and to honor their ancestors.
Known for being passionate, outgoing, and living under the burning sun of the Mediterranean, it is obvious that the Spanish Medieval clothing was colorful and very detailed. During the Middle Ages, the predominant colors for both men and women were red, yellow, green, which were worn not only by the rich but also by the poor. Thanks to the climate and the fertile soil of the Iberic peninsula, the Medieval Spanish had access to a wide range of textiles, the most popular one being the linen that was used to make undergarments. Other popular fabrics include wool, leather, fur, and even veir, which is the fur of the squirrel.
A classic example of traditional Spanish clothing that is still worn to this day is the costume of the flamenco dancers, a dress that is usually red, black, or white. It is vivid, detailed, has been worn for centuries, and doesn’t seem to have an end. Another example is the bullfighter costume, called traje de luces which translates to suits of light, as it is heavily decorated with sequins, gold and silver elements, and detailed embroidery. Apart from these costumes, clothes inspired by the traditional Spanish dress are also very popular and to this day they inspire both regular wearers and fashion houses. With such a rich culture and beautiful fashion traditions, it is not surprising that the Queen Letizia of Spain is considered to be one of the best-dressed monarchs not only in Europe but in the whole world.
