The+Culture+of+Fashion+in+the+Spanish+Speaking+World

The Culture of Fashion in Spain By: Shelby Presley =Spain= Spain is one of the most popular countries for fashion besides Europe which includes Paris and London, which are widely known as a fashion district. Spain is know for fashion because throughout many years American and European fashion designers look for inspirations and many of them come from Spain. Many fashion designers have had a Spanish background like, Cristobal Balenciaga, [|Agatha Ruiz de la Prada] (known for her colorful and spunky fashions), and Fernando Sanchez (he was know for provocative lingerie collections) and many other world renowned fashion designers. Many trends on the runway have come from Spain. Spain is known for their dramatic, colorful, and elegant fashion.

= = = = == = = =Historical Ceremonies with Elegant Fashions=

There are many costumes that capture that art of fashion in Spain and resemble the spirit of the old. The dresses are heavy and in bright vibrant colors, but for most festival the skirts are red and bordered by a thick black velvet ribbon. The skirt also has a stiff crossover cape that drapes around their neck. The skirts consist of tiny black beads, sequence and massive amounts of glitter. Men in these ceremonies wore a silver button on a shirt and velvet trimmed jacket or vest. ( Kennett) These outfits have been around for ages to celebrate numerous occasions. The First Communion is a Roman Catholic ceremony. This is where the young boys and girls around the ages of seven and eight years old are introduced into the church and are given the body of Christ by the Father. It is a large family gathering and there are parties to celebrate the event and the special clothing that is worn for the occasion. The young girls wear fancy white dresses, veil and short white gloves, that had been perhaps passed down from their mothers and or sisters. The young boys wear a formal white button up shirt and black dress slacks.

A Quinceañera is a celebration for a young girl of 15 years old to celebrate her growing up and maturing into a young lady. These are comparable to a sweet sixteen's in America. During the ceremony the young lady dances with her father as well as other young men. This is the first time that the young girl will be able to dance with a young man that is approved by her parents. The celebration of the Quinceañera came from the French culture in the 1800's. This ceremony has changed over centuries. Quinces are much more popular now in the United States. Quinces have become more of a social status here in the U.S. and have become more Americanized due to more Latinos moving to America. Meaning they do leave out some traditional parts to the quinceañera. (The Quinceañera Tradition)

Clothing History
**Mantilla:** Mantilla is a lace or silk scarf that is very light weight. They were very popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth century worn by women in portraits. In the nineteenth century, Queen Isabel II encouraged its use. When she died the number of women who wore then decreased, but by the 1900's the use of the mantilla became largely limited to special ceremonies, such as bullfights and weddings.
 * Peineta: ** A large comb that is used to hold up the mantilla as well as used to keep the hair up during special occasions.
 * Gilet: ** Was known as a sleeveless jacket resembling a blouse or waistcoat, but overtime the style and way it is worn had changed. Today it is know as, sleeveless jacket or vest, which was worn as an outer-layer. The fashion gilets today can be fur, cloth and knitted. Sport gilets are made out of fleece. The length can be from waist to knee-length.

**Cristobal Balenciaga**
Cristobal Balenciaga was a Spanish Basque Fashion Designer. He started opening a house in San Sebastian in 1915. In 1920, he opened a second fashion house in Madrid, both under the name BALENCIAGA. Cristobal left Spain when the civil war broke closing his three couture houses. Cristobal later then settled in Paris, where he later opened a fashion house. In the 1930s he made nipped in waists and rounded hips on his suits and wide skirts on ball gowns, before the New Look of Dior in the 1940s. In 1945 he designed close-fitting waistlines, square shoulders. In 1951 he designed open necks, wide shoulders, and looser waistlines. Cristobal Balenciaga is one of the Worlds renowned Spanish fashion designers. In 1968 Cristobal closed his business during an era of fashion that he did not agree with and retired back to Spain. "A woman has no need to be perfect or even beautiful to wear my dresses; the dress will do that for her." -Cristobal Balenciaga ( Cristobal Balenciaga)

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