British National Costume

Posted by admin on Aug 15, 2012 in European | 0 comments

When it comes to the British National Costume what part of the country you come from will actually determine what yours is. In this article we take a look at the various types of costumes worn by the people around the British Isles.

1.  England

There are numerous different outfits worn today for special events that may be classed as being one of the British National Costumes. Below we take a look at a couple.

Morris Dancer’s Costume

These costumes date back many centuries and comprise a waistcoat, shirt and baldricks along with a pair of trousers (pants). Furthermore the men and women who wear this outfit today are also required to wear pads just below the knees on to which have been sewn small bells. They will also wear several ribbons tied around the upper part of the arm and also a hat again which ribbons have been tied.

Pearly Kings And Queens

These costumes date back to Victorian times (19^th Century). The wearing of this costume at this time helps to identify the person as being the leader of the street sellers. The name was penned because they wore “pearl” buttons on their hats to show that they were in charge. However over time things changed and they begun to sew such buttons all over their outfits. The title of Pearly King or Queen will be passed down through each family as it did in olden times.

2. Wales

It is only the women in Wales who have a British national costume. Most of the images provided relating to the history and culture of this particular part of the British Isles will of course show pictures of women wearing the country’s national dress.

Their actual costume comprises a calf length skirt made from wool and a frilly cotton top. Also around their shoulders will be draped a shawl with tassels and on their head they will wear the traditional Welsh hat. This looks very similar to the kind of hat that would be worn by a witch, but rather than having a point to the top it is flat.

3.  Scotland

Again as with the Welsh national costume you will find that the Scottish one is instantly recognizable. The actual costume itself will differentiate between what the women and men wear. The men of course will wear the tartan skirt (Kilt) along with a type of purse that hangs from the waist known as a “Sporran” and a small dagger that is held in the calf length socks known as a “Dirk”. Furthermore they will wear a shirt and a hat again made from Tartan known as a “Tam O Shanter”.

As for the women they will wear the kilt and a blouse. But they won’t wear the sporran or the dirk. Furthermore the women also tend to wear a type of waistcoat as well over theirs. When it comes to this particular British national costume what color the kilt is will depend on which clan they are a member of.