Traditional costumes represent a wealth of ancestral memories, beauty, a sense of belonging, and much more. This is what Epoch Times reporters from Italy to the United Kingdom discovered when they asked locals: “What traditional clothing do you consider most beautiful and best represents your traditions?”
Louka, Czech Republic
Marie Strakova, 62, Retired Controller
It is not important what costume is the most beautiful, but if it can touch your heart, and that our costume certainly can. We can see our ancestors in it, all the work and love to our region. It takes a lot of work to make such a costume; we work on it throughout the whole year. [Mrs. Strakova with her husband and grandchildren in traditional costumes from the village of Louka. Each village has a different costume.]
Marie Strakova, 62, Retired Controller
It is not important what costume is the most beautiful, but if it can touch your heart, and that our costume certainly can. We can see our ancestors in it, all the work and love to our region. It takes a lot of work to make such a costume; we work on it throughout the whole year. [Mrs. Strakova with her husband and grandchildren in traditional costumes from the village of Louka. Each village has a different costume.]
Canary Islands, Spain
Juana Gutierrez, 36, Teacher
For me, the one I’m wearing is the most beautiful traditional clothing, and the one that best represents our tradition. Since I’m from Gran Canaria—one of the seven Canary Islands—this is our dress for special days, but I must say that we have another model that is for labor days. You should know also, that every island has its own model, and within each island, every village has traditional clothing with some specifics of that place.
Juana Gutierrez, 36, Teacher
For me, the one I’m wearing is the most beautiful traditional clothing, and the one that best represents our tradition. Since I’m from Gran Canaria—one of the seven Canary Islands—this is our dress for special days, but I must say that we have another model that is for labor days. You should know also, that every island has its own model, and within each island, every village has traditional clothing with some specifics of that place.
Modra-Králová, Slovakia
Zofia Zigova, 17, Student
The most representative traditional clothing of my country is our Slovak folk costume; it represented people’s pride in a village, or a region. It’s a great opportunity to show creativity and originality, for the poorest people, too. And the fact that the outermost corner of the country tried to differ from others as well means that we, descendants, can be proud of the wealthy variety of the traditional clothing. I think what’s most admirable about it is that the basic term, folk costume, hides inside a large range of kinds of shapes, or lengths, or types, which often differ from village to village.
Zofia Zigova, 17, Student
The most representative traditional clothing of my country is our Slovak folk costume; it represented people’s pride in a village, or a region. It’s a great opportunity to show creativity and originality, for the poorest people, too. And the fact that the outermost corner of the country tried to differ from others as well means that we, descendants, can be proud of the wealthy variety of the traditional clothing. I think what’s most admirable about it is that the basic term, folk costume, hides inside a large range of kinds of shapes, or lengths, or types, which often differ from village to village.
Valle del Cervo, Biella, Italy
Gabriella Vanni, 66, Retired Teacher
The most beautiful part of the costume is by far the bodice, named ‘jifun’ that gives its name to the entire costume. It may be velvet or cloth. Everything is adorned with jet [black jems] and lace; it is the main part. There is this skirt with curling behind and the neckerchief, and the traditional jewels, which are the cross, the gold necklace, and drop earrings. The costume of our valley is the dress of our ancestors, so it’s our roots. We wear it with pride; for us it is the memory of our elders, of our ancestors. [This costume is from a valley on the mountains in northern Italy.]
Gabriella Vanni, 66, Retired Teacher
The most beautiful part of the costume is by far the bodice, named ‘jifun’ that gives its name to the entire costume. It may be velvet or cloth. Everything is adorned with jet [black jems] and lace; it is the main part. There is this skirt with curling behind and the neckerchief, and the traditional jewels, which are the cross, the gold necklace, and drop earrings. The costume of our valley is the dress of our ancestors, so it’s our roots. We wear it with pride; for us it is the memory of our elders, of our ancestors. [This costume is from a valley on the mountains in northern Italy.]
Simrishamn, Sweden
Agneta Fritz, 49, Piano Teacher
The regional folk costumes, they don’t represent the modern Sweden. We dress in these old traditional costumes for high festivals like midsummer. The folk costumes tell about your geographical background. I live in Skane, my dress is from Kinda in Ostergotland.
Agneta Fritz, 49, Piano Teacher
The regional folk costumes, they don’t represent the modern Sweden. We dress in these old traditional costumes for high festivals like midsummer. The folk costumes tell about your geographical background. I live in Skane, my dress is from Kinda in Ostergotland.
Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Alex Davies, 25, Community Forester Trainee
We do a lot of multiperiod, so we see elaborate Elizabethan attire and grand Georgian gowns, but the Viking Byzantium costumes, just before the first crusades, are the most beautiful I have ever seen. They have “cloth of gold,” literally cloth spun from gold wire. And because they were trading with the Silk Road, everything was silk: purples, reds, blues, really brilliant colors. Royal Blue was made using crushed conch shells, found only in the Mediterranean. Before the Vikings were heavily Christianized they wore all of their wealth, so all the grandeur was there to be seen.
Alex Davies, 25, Community Forester Trainee
We do a lot of multiperiod, so we see elaborate Elizabethan attire and grand Georgian gowns, but the Viking Byzantium costumes, just before the first crusades, are the most beautiful I have ever seen. They have “cloth of gold,” literally cloth spun from gold wire. And because they were trading with the Silk Road, everything was silk: purples, reds, blues, really brilliant colors. Royal Blue was made using crushed conch shells, found only in the Mediterranean. Before the Vikings were heavily Christianized they wore all of their wealth, so all the grandeur was there to be seen.
Wellington, New Zealand (from Saudi Arabia)
Azruz Rawan, 20, Student and Housewife
The scarves that we wear are the most beautiful and important items of clothing in our culture. They also represent our tradition because they are part of our religion. I feel I’m comfortable with wearing the scarf … especially as it is related to our religion. It is like an apple without the skin it becomes black. So it is the same with the scarf; it protects me from becoming black, it protects my purity. Also, if I don’t wear the scarf, all men, they can look at me, and I become like anyone on the street.
Azruz Rawan, 20, Student and Housewife
The scarves that we wear are the most beautiful and important items of clothing in our culture. They also represent our tradition because they are part of our religion. I feel I’m comfortable with wearing the scarf … especially as it is related to our religion. It is like an apple without the skin it becomes black. So it is the same with the scarf; it protects me from becoming black, it protects my purity. Also, if I don’t wear the scarf, all men, they can look at me, and I become like anyone on the street.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week. The Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “Has personal debt become a problem in your society?”
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