Traditional Costumes links

A people's traditional costume is simply one of its numerous socio-cultural and historical indicators and reflects, per se, the various parameters that contribute to the cohesiveness of any given social unit.
Every Portuguese region exhibits ceremonial dress and a variety of others for everyday use, that denote its cultural, religious and moral values as well as those of wealth, the economic activities of that particular area and the division of chores between men and women.

Generally speaking, the features of Portuguese traditional dress reveal that the main activities in the territory were farming and fishing.The fishing industry is echoed in the bare feet that complement the costumes of the coastal regions as was required by the frequent contact with its sandy beaches and seawater. The hinterland regions complement their regional costumes with the wooden clog, a hardy solution for its often uneven and rocky terrain. Tending to the land in the deep furrows of steep valleys and harsh winter and summer temperatures calls for good, efficient physical and thermal protection of the foot.

The demands of the chores traditionally carried out by women on the beaches or in the interior, such as the transportation of foodstuffs on their heads, resulted in the inclusion of the turban or "rodilho" in many traditional costumes as a form of protection from the heavy loads that women were subject to, namely, baskets, cans and water jugs, that so much nurtured their homes and the Portuguese economy.The waistcoat, hemp and linen shirts and breeches that are often seen in everyday male costumes mirror the practicality demanded by the arduous labour inherent to the farming and fishing industries.

Sober colours like black and dark brown and bright colours such as red, green and blue and materials such as hemp, linen, cotton provided thermal protection in outdoor chores often carried out under a blazing sun or the cutting cold of frosty winters.
As land and gold were the prevailing currency, people would invest their savings in these. A woman's social status was considered to be higher or lower according to the amount of gold she wore.

Traditional Portuguese jewellery, a complementary accessory to its traditional costume, mirrors the influences of the Roman, Celtiberian and Moorish civilizations that throughout the ages forged the culture of the peoples of this region, having reached its peak in its fine filligrain pieces.

In a world of constant political and economic change, gold, along with land, became the only safe investment able to be passed down from generation to generation.

The solemn wedding and Sunday dress frequently kept and used as a shroud in Life 's last and final journey, manifest the sober religious and moral codes of Catholicism that, for centuries, prevailed amongst the peoples of Portugal. The church, marriage and death were considered the most important landmarks of collective and individual social life.

Despite their similarities from north to south, the traditional costumes of Portugal also differ greatly, thus making it perfectly possible to identify the uniqueness of every one of the regions that comprise the country's territory.