Presentation

2. National Dress in Britain
Costume of England - National Dress
England, unlike Wales and Scotland, has no
official national dress. Some people think men
in England wear suits and bowler hats, but it is
very unusual these days to see anyone wearing a
bowler hat.
An English National Costume group are
trying to make England’s national dress be the
clothes worn by the Anglo Saxons during the 7th
century.

3. The Anglo Saxons were warrior-farmers
and came from north-western Europe. They
began to invade Britain during 450 A.D.
A far better choice for an English national
dress would be to choose from our many
customs and traditions we have England.
There are a wide variety of costumes from
the spectacular ceremonies associated with
monarchy to the traditional costumes worn by
morris dancers and others at English country
fairs.

5. The Pearly Kings were the leaders of the
Victorian street sellers. They got their name
because they wore 'pearl' buttons on their hats
as a sign of authority.
Later they began to wear clothes covered
all over in buttons. The title of Pearly King is
passed down in the family, and there are Pearly
Queens, Princes and Princesses too.
They now spend their free time collecting
for charity.

6. English National Dress
Unfortunately the English don't
really have a traditional National
Dress as such. In one notorious
episode during the Miss World
pageant the English contestant
came out wearing a Beefeater's
costume, it was very
embarrassing I can tell you.

7. There have been calls over the years to
create a costume, but as usual no-one can
decide on what it should look like.
Even Henry VIII got in on the act and
commissioned an artist called Van Dyck to
create an English National Costume, this also
failed.
So for lack of anything else I will leave you
with the following picture of the nearest thing -
a Beefeater costume as worn by Miss England.

8. The guards at the Tower of London are
called Yeoman Warders. In principle they are
responsible for looking after any prisoners at
the Tower and safeguarding the British crown
jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides
and are a tourist attraction in their own right.
There are twelve Yeomen Warders.
While their role is usually confined to the
Tower of London, the Yeomen Warders do take
part in one State ceremony.
At Coronations, they form a guard of
honour inside the annexe at Westminster
Abbey. Their nickname is Yeomen of the Guard
Beefeater.

9. Beefeaters in London, England State dress uniform everyday uniform
For everyday duties, Yeomen Warders wear a red
and dark blue undress uniform.
Yeomen Warders working at the Tower of London,
are usually seen wearing the blue undress uniform
granted to them by Queen Victoria in 1858.

10. This uniform also bears the initials of the
Sovereign. The Yeomen of the Guard have a
purely ceremonial role.
They accompany the Sovereign at the annual
Royal Maundy Service, investitures and summer
Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and so on.
Their most famous duty is to 'ceremonially'
search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster
prior to the State Opening of Parliament, a
tradition that dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of
1605, when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up
Parliament.

11. Royal Guards
Life Guard Foot Guard

12. Welsh National dress is relatively young and
not as famous as Scottish National dress.

13. Still they do have a National costume, but
it's the way the ladies dress that is most well
known, in fact there isn't really a National
costume for men although recently through the
rise of nationalism in Wales a tartan has been
created and tartan trousers or kilts are often
worn.
For the ladies the typical Welsh costume
consists of a hat, made of black felt, with a
high crown and wide brim, which is worn
over a lace cap.

14. A red flannel shawl is worn over a crisp
white blouse, and a full skirt made of wool
with a black and white check pattern and a
starched, white apron.
Proper Welsh ladies always wore black
woolen stockings and black shoes and carried a
basket, made from willow withies.

15. Scottish National Dress
One of the most famous national costumes
in the world is that worn in Scotland, the kilt,
however some people say that the kilt is not as
traditional as some would have it. Be that as it
may it is certainly what people associate with
Scotland, along with whisky and haggis that is.
Some people consider it very bad luck to
wear a kilt in a tartan that does not belong to
your family. Just to remind you should you
visit Scotland any time - the men do not wear
skirts - they wear kilts - and don't you forget it!

16. Gentlemen
Today traditional dress for
men in Scotland is a kilt with
shirt, waistcoat and tweed jacket,
stockings with garter flashes,
brogue shoes and a sporran.
A bonnet is often worn
displaying the clan crest.

17. Ladies
Traditionally ladies don't wear
kilts, they do however wear
dresses or pleated skirts in a
tartan material.
More often though
they wear a light plaid or shawl
of tartan material. In Scotland
the national dress is a kilt

18. The kilt is worn around the waist.The national
costume of Wales is a long skirt, worn with a
petticoat and topped with a shawl.

20. A pipe band at the World Pipe Band Championships, Glasgow Green

22. Over time, the design evolved to become
more practical and the pleated, skirt-like
garment that we know today was created in the
mid 18th century.
It grew in popularity after being chosen by
Highland regiments serving with the British
Army and it quickly became sought after south
of the border as the British aristocracy
considered all things Scottish a fashion
statement.

23. The men wore two types of
dress depending on their social
status. The rich and elite people
wore a long sleeved tunic which
was pulled over their head.
If this tunic was not pleated
under the belt it was very full,
while the second one was a
sleeveless cochal. It was worn
over the tunic and fitted on the
shoulder.

24. The farmers or the younger lot who did
more of physical activity used to wear trews.
These trews were tight fitting up to the knees
and on top of that they used to wear jacket.
The trews worn by these people was further
designed either to be just above the knees, just
below the knees or sometimes went under the
instep.
The type, pattern and color of the cloak
worn used to separate farmer from a
nobleman. They used to decorate the mantle
with decorative pins.

25. Women also used to wear
cloak and mantle. Their
dresses used to be long up to
the ankles.
With the arrivals of
Norman and English the style
of the tunic has changed a bit
but the cloak remains the same.
The cloaks were usually
dyed in different bright colors
and were mostly in contrast to
the fringes at the edge.

26. Most women in Ireland a century ago
restrained themselves from wearing shoes so
that they had so much of grace during dancing.
However, later soft shoes were introduced
to assist the dancers during dancing. The cloths
were mainly made up of wool and cotton.
In 12th century Irish used to wear woolen
cloths mostly black in color as the sheep found
there are mostly black in color.

27. Irish National Dress
With the revival of Irish dancing, the
traditional Irish costume has become associated
with the bright flamboyant costumes worn by
traditional Irish dancers.
However in ancient Ireland people were
more likely to be seen wearing 'leine' (Irish for
shirt), trews (Irish for trousers) and long cloaks
fastened with a brooch.

29. Irish history gives a great glimpse of our
ancestor’s costumes. The sources such as
“Book of Kells” gives a vast description of the
dresses at that time.
The costume of Ireland included belted
plaid, tunic, trews, cochal, brahts etc. The
folklore of Ireland was very much inspired by
Gaelic and Norse costumes.
The costumed consisted of a fringed cloak
or mantle which they wear along with a check
trews and a short tunic which was worn both
by men and women.

30. The folk lore of Ireland has still preserved
this traditional dressing although the people
now do not wear it on regular days.
The folk music and folk dance has still
given this traditional dress its due importance.
In the 16th century A.D this costume was
banned by the British as Irish people were
unwilling to be a part of England. The saffron
yellow color has special importance in the Irish
costume; hence wearing any saffron colored
cloth along with cloak and trews was banned at
this time.

31. In the early 19th century the ordinary
peasants used to wear ribbons which were
made into flowers or crosses. The skirt that
they wear used to reach till ankles were
homespun.
A simple black bodice used to adorn the
dress. The piper’s at that time used to wear kilt.
The male dancers in the later period started
wearing this kilt whereas female dancers used
to wear hooded cloak on a white dress and a
sash.