Provencal clothing: Lace cap, a flat straw hat, with a black velvet choker with a cross attached, a provencal printed cotton scarf tied just so around ones shoulders, a white cotton lace chemise, with a floral printed over shirt, a cotton printed boutis skirt and apron, white cotton tights, black shoes, lace gloves to carry ana a straw basket.
A straw lunch basket. To carry out to the fields to share a lunch under the olive trees, by the lavender fields, next to the vineyards… overlooking the sea on a summer day… need I say more, dang! Provence is romantic from their socks to their bows.
Provencal towns with names such as: Bonnieux, Isle sur la Sorgue, Saint Remy, Aix en Provence, Lacoste, Gordes….
Often a vest was worn to protect and dress up the cotton chemise. A velvet ribbon added to show the waistline that was often hard to detect under the heavy boutis skirt.
The flat straw hat was attached with a black velvet ribbon. Everything was hand made. Provencal fabric was made with natural dyes and printed with hand carved wooden blocks. They say the best sewn garments had twenty perfect same measured stitches in every inch.
Underneath their straw hats the women wore fine cotton laced caps.
As women wore the hair in a bun, a cap kept ones hair neat in place and also a way to show modest considering long hair was a sign of feminine beauty.
Classic traditional provencal clothing from the 1800s.
A wedding took place in the town of Aix en Provence, the guests wore traditional provencal clothing. I searched for the bride and groom, but unfortunately, I did not find them. Instead I found guests in rich provencal detailed costumes. Which is not a everyday, nor often seen way to dress for a wedding or otherwise.
Provencal traditional men's clothing was far simpler than what women wore, but isn't that often the case? Provencal men's clothing back in the 1800s consist of heavy cotton pants, with a red sash for special events, a linen or cotton shirt either in white linen or a provencal printed shirt worn under a vest (often in white or black) with many buttons down the front. The vest had a pocket for the pocket watch, a straw hat with a black ribbon around the brim.
Traditional Provencal antique costumes/clothing is not just about what they wore, it is also about how they wore their clothing. How they tied their scarves, wore their jewelry, attached their medals or pins, it was a mixture of details in the color, print, textures, layering…
When I find antique provencal textiles the details are what draw me in. The labor intensive details: The perfect stitches in the boutis, the wood block printed fabric, the natural dyed fabric, the lace…
French antique clothing is harder to find in perfect condition, let alone in voluptuous quantity or in yards… bits and pieces, tattered somewhat or stained is often what one can find at the brocante… it takes a great deal of patience and love to restore what is left.
Click on image to enlarge to see the details better.
Books and Such you might enjoy:
Leave a Reply