I always wonder why national costumes are almost always colourful and bright, and yet wearing black is considered one of the chicest things. It’s definitely a defensiveness thing, wear black and you are inscrutable, impenetrable. A mass of black textures is totally interesting, but most of the time black is just a failsafe. I don’t really wear much black myself because it does nothing for my complexion, and I don’t really do inscrutable.
The Greenlandic women who inspired Peter Jensen’s AW09 collection, the Russian peasant costumes in the Pierre Bergé Foundation and the Hmong people described in The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down (a brilliant read) all have colourful, deliciously intricate wardrobes. I remember spending a good few minutes as close as was allowed staring at one of the dresses at the Russian costume exhibition, these are clothes that really give food for thought through their richness.
These pictures from Bolivia have a similar effect. The heavy pleated skirts in red or check, that wobble with every step, are wondrous in their heaviness. The brightly woven fabrics they wear on their shoulders are so well-known but what caught my eye was the cream bowler hats with fake flowers attached to the brim. Back to the woman playing golf on her break, the cool gingham (I am thinking of Christopher Kane right now are you?) is so crisp and fresh, the mountainous backdrop just adds to that bracing feel. Looking at her plaits and the straw hat I can’t help but think of Sailor Moon, ha. Incidentally the three women directly above are constitutional reform supporters walking to join a march. Uh-mazing.
[Link] [Thanks to Moonface for Internet Skillz]
