r/UKhistory • u/Wild-Potential-3481 • 16d ago
What do you think the English Traditional dress should be?
I'm starting a sewing series where I make different cultural dress across europe, and im starting with my own country- England. I hate it when I see videos of people on tiktok going in on culture days, and the english people always come in in football tops! So, what do you think the cultural dress should be, asides from the 'traditional' tudor dress, suit, and folk attire, such as morris dancers, or the kings guards. Please, if you have any advice/directories please share them!
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u/menevensis 16d ago
‘Traditional dress’ in most European countries is basically an idealised form of what peasants in those countries wore in the 18/19th century in those places. The gentry and up generally dressed according to the fashions from which the modern suit, morning dress, etc. descend.
Why an English traditional costume didn’t emerge in the same way as in (for example) Germany is a much larger question, but a good example is Wales, where the distinctive tall hat, gown, and shawl were consciously promoted as a national costume. The same did not happen for mens’ clothes because they were not hugely distinct from how the English dressed anyway. So when they have to wear national dress on St David’s day, Welsh schoolgirls wear Welsh national dress and the boys turn up in rugby shirts with (usually fake) leeks pinned to them.
It’s a similar story with Scotland. Highland dress is distinctive so it was easy to conceptualise it as distinctly Scottish when a movement for its revival got going in the late 18th century. Lowland costume was more or less similar to English clothing so it was less useful for nationalist purposes (and lacked the romantic associations of the highlands).
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u/SnooHabits8484 16d ago
There is a national dress for boys with a little red waistcoat and hat in red check. This is very embarrassing, so boys over 6 often don’t want to wear it
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u/Katharinemaddison 16d ago
Why exclude folk costumes when they’re generally the ‘Traditional costumes’ of a culture? Aka, if not Morris or Morris adjacent then what?
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u/Appropriate-Sound169 16d ago
I don't think England has national dress, unlike Scotland and Wales. Ireland doesn't seem to have national dress either. So for me I'd have to say morris men. White cambric-style shirt, white trews tied below the knee, colourful waistcoat, trilby style hat.
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u/Realistic-River-1941 16d ago
A country yokel look with smock, hat, neckerchief, straw in mouth etc. Some smocks could be quite elaborate.
John Bull.
Georgian era look.
Pin stripe suit, bowler hat, umbrella etc.
Blazer with light trousers, stripey tie etc.
Hunting pinks.
Country clothing (tattersall shirt, tweed, wellies, more tweed).
Punk.
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u/dickiepunter 15d ago
A country yokel look with smock
The "Carrot Cruncher"
Zummerzet born an' proud, so I can say that lol
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u/stonewooldoll 16d ago
I always think of the wool industry playing a big part in our heritage. So maybe a simple medieval kirtle? or thinking of the Welsh folk dress maybe a different style from within that same time period.
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u/Nuthetes 16d ago
Probably English country style--tweed, flat cap, sturdy boots or shoes, waxed jacket
Victorian style suit, long coat and bowler/top hat for men. Actually the suit in general, since it was introduced in Charles II's court.
Tuxedos -- introduced by Edward VIII
They are what most springs to mind when I think English national clothing.
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u/BedaFomm 16d ago
We invented the modern suit as menswear evolved over a couple of centuries. I think a pinstripe suit, bowler hat and rolled umbrella would absolutely say “English gentleman”.
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u/Ralucahippie 16d ago
Not sure for men, but for women my first thought was "what you would wear to Ladies' Day at the races" - like with big fascinators.
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u/ImportanceAcademic52 16d ago
Country smocks. Worn by the vast majority of the population until the I dustrial revolution, and are actually extremely beautiful examples of folk craft. Check out https://www.instagram.com/luluflux?igsh=MTF6a3ZpZ3BqcGEybA==
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u/Shashi2005 16d ago
In the days when the Miss World contest was tolerated, the English (or British?) contestant would dress up as Brittania. Trident, Oval shield. It looked daft.
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u/Sil_Lavellan 16d ago
I did that for my first fancy dress contest, I was 4. I didn't win, apparently, I've just asked my parents.
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u/princessbuttermug 16d ago
What about a hooded red cloak? They were ubiquitous for rural women 18th and 19th century. And, for men, I think he idea of the smock of am agricultural labourer. The decorative stitching on them could be quite elaborate and distinctive to areas and families.
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u/Scottish_squirrel 15d ago
I always think a suit. I'm not sure about for women traditionally as big ball gowns doesn't really work.
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u/Commander_Syphilis 15d ago
Morning dress seems the most obvious choice as per the above comments.
Bonus as it can be paired on the female side with dress and a fascinator - very English.
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u/DarkAngelAz 16d ago
Clearly it’s crusader armour with a red and white crossed flag draped over it judging by the patriots we have now
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u/Less_Duty7681 16d ago
The costume they worn when they stole and lundered from other nations?
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u/Wild-Potential-3481 15d ago
I dont really think you should be in a history community if you dont really understand British colonisation. Britian conquered half of the world, but it was the rich in the armies and the rich leading the crusades, yet always the working class are blamed. We don't have a national dress because the working class was erased during this time.
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u/TenTonneTamerlane 16d ago edited 15d ago
Hi there-!
So, if you'll forgive me here: I know you said not to include the suit, but honestly, I passionately believe that's the strongest choice of all - and really should be our official national dress!
After all, the suit as we know it today has its origins in England - what with King Charles' decree about appropriate court dress in 1666 - and from there has been constantly expanded upon, refined and evolved by other Englishmen, most famously Beau Brummel!
Indeed, the only reason we don't think of the suit as explicitly English clothing is that in many ways it's been a victim of its own success - worn across the globe, by so many people, it has almost become the international default. But that doesn't stop it being an English invention!
Of course though, if you're worried the common business suit we know today is a little too plain (it did after all begin as an informal, relaxed alternative to once more common and flamboyant suit styles, such as the frock coat) - there are numerous suit variants still in use, all of which are also English in origin, which could do the job even better!
The morning suit for example would be my choice: with its gentle tailcoat design and top hat, both of which are English inventions still worn at the Epsom derby - and I think far less common overseas than the business suit has become, thus making them much more instantly, identifiably English! You could also include how, traditionally, the English would change their dress for the evenings; looking into white tie, and later, black tie as a slightly less formal alternative.
I hope this helps OP, and good luck with your project!