Tourism was always a big part of a nation’s source of income. Whether it was culinary tourism, cultural tourism, religious tourism, ecotourism, or any other type, countries always try to market themselves to the outside world as places where you can have fun, explore, and find out new things about areas you might have never heard a word about before. Nevertheless, there is always one thing that separates countries from one another, and that is the way they dress. Different geographical areas mean different cultures and different cultures always mean different clothes. In this article, you are about to be presented with some of the most iconic country-specific clothes the world has ever seen.
The Romanian blouse
This has to be one of the most easily recognizable country-specific items.The Romanian blouse, called “ie” in the original language, is a white shirt worn by women in general, with different patterns embroidered on it, that denotes the wearer’s social status. Besides that, it tends to have different religious, spiritual, and magical significance, depending on the region and the type of embroidery. These items are usually made of flax, hemp, wool or cotton. The origins of this blouse stem from the ancestors of the Romanian people, the Dacians. The tradition of this item has been passed down from generation to generation, and not only is it popular in Romania’s geographical region, but a plethora of fashion brands adapted this masterpiece’s design into their collections. Names such as Yves Saint-Lauren, Tom Ford, Dior or Valentino created clothes inspired by the Romanian “ie”. Should you wish to find out more about this eastern-European work of art, you can always read about it on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_dress
The Irish jumper
Next off, traveling to the west of Europe, and even more, to the west of Ireland, we are going to talk about the Irish jumper, commonly known as the Aran sweater. Let’s face it: this list would definitely not have been complete if we would not have talked about this item of legend. Stemming from the islands with the same name, the Aran Islands, this garment was originally created for men only, more specifically, fishermen. The properties of the unscoured wool it was made of, the Merino wool, gave the sweaters the quality of being water-resistant, hence protecting the men from the hardships they faced while rowing their boats. The Aran jumpers were made to withstand the damp, cold winds of the sea while retaining enormous amounts of water before even feeling wet. It was a literal lifesaver for many of these men, and the stitches had an intricate history as well. Some say that specific patterns were used in order to distinguish a clan’s members from another’s, and some say that these were just a symbol of luck. Regardless of the rumors, what we do know for sure is that the Aran sweaters have been slowly but surely popularised on the mainland as well, and have made their way into the hall of fame for country-specific clothes. Nowadays, plenty of people own an Irish sweater themselves, whether they know its origin or not. If you are part of the demographic that has yet to come by one, then look no further than online stores that stock a large range of Irish sweaters online at stores as Tara Irish Clothing https://www.tarairishclothing.com/ or other Irish sweaters providers . The Irish sweaters are always a great idea for both the cold and warm times, being breathable, warm and very chic.
The Lederhosen
Moving on to our last item on the list, we journey to continental Europe, in Germany, to talk about this outfit. It was originally used as common workwear in Central Europe, and it were usually related to the Bavarian region. They were custom-made for hard, physical work, and the fabric used for them was usually, as the name suggests, leather. During the 19th century, they were demoted to the rank of “peasant clothing”, but in the 1880s, there was a rising trend in Munich and other important cities to preserve rural clothing styles. For that sole purpose, plenty of clubs and associations were founded, thus maintaining this outfit’s history alive and kicking. Nowadays, they are commonly seen during the famous Oktoberfest, worn by the people at the festival, and it is also used as leisurewear. Nonetheless, this is a type of suit that is sure to withstand the test of time, as it has proved countless times before.
