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Cultural nostalgia

Runcarla

Veteran

As posted under the blog post, I don't really have nostalgia for a fashion era that occurred during my lifetime, but I DO have nostalgia for a cultural 'uniform'. Father emigrated from Germany to the US in the late '50's and soon met Mother. I was born a year after they married. There were trips over the years - by boat, and then by air, to visit Oma and Opa. There always seemed to be a festival of some sort, and I always had a proper dirndle. There were no visits after Opa, and Oma died (when I was a teen), but I do have nostalgia for a white shirt with puffy sleeves and a full skirt.

DH's folks emigrated from Scotland to Canada. DH was a third, secret passenger! The family tartan is the Buchanan plaid. Although it is a very ALGO tartan, I feel sentimental about it, and always have at least one garment - even if just a scarf - so I can 'represent'.

Do you have nostalgia for cultural garb?

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22 replies

Latest reply was from Glory

taylor

Veteran

I am equal parts Italian and German . My husband is Hispanic .
My / our cultural nostalgia Revolves around Foooooood

rachylou

Veteran

For the longest time, we thought we were McFarlanes... but apparently we’re... oh, I forget now. I miss when we were McFarlanes, lol. Good motto, ‘This I’ll defend.’

kkards

Veteran

My family came to the US in the early 1900s from Eastern Europe—mostly because they weren’t wanted there. No cultural dress came with them. Like Taylor , food is much more if our cultural touchstone

JAileen

Veteran

I’m a mix of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, German, and Swiss. We’ve been here a long time, so I don’t feel much affiliation with any of them. My mother said we had two tartans. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the names.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

My family is also from Eastern Europe, Latvia in particular but was in the United States from the early 1900s (all my grandparents were born in Massachusetts). No cultural dress and our cultural food was McDonalds. My husband's family is Hungarian. Like kkards with them it is all about the food.

LaPed

Veteran

I come from a family of Scottish Quakers (so, turn your nose up at frivolous things like clothes and wear the simplest things you can), plus one Dutch grandmother who grew up in Indonesia and survived a WWII internment camp there. She was a spiffy though extremely frugal dresser with an affinity for brights and pastels. She was the only person I knew growing up who swapped her handbag out seasonally, and her entire bag collection came from the thrift store where she worked. I'm married to a French Canadian from the Maritimes, whose heritage is as thrift-oriented as my own. His mum would pack school lunches in rinsed-out breakfast cereal bags, much to the mortification of her children. I can't say either of us is very connected to the apparel of our respective heritages. I do love a good plaid, but I think that has as much to do with being a New Englander as it does with my Scottish side.

Style Fan

Veteran

My parents and 2 older siblings emigrated to Canada from England. As a family, we went on trips to England several times and I have visited England on my own and with Mr. SF many times. Mr. SF's family has roots in Scotland. His father was in Britain during the war and fell in love with everything British including the Queen. I feel some cultural connection to England but more to Canada. We joke about British cuisine. On occasion, I make Toad in a Hole with veggie sausage.

SarahD8

Veteran

My heritage is Dutch and Swedish and I looooove wooden-soled clogs.

But, that is really a product of the recent clog trend, not really nostalgia like you are talking about Runcarla.

The only nostalgic heritage traditions we have of that sort in my family have to do with food, as others have said. And all from the Swedish side, at that.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Rachy, i had a piece of McFarlane tartan once! My aunt in-law brought to me from a trip to Ireland. She couldn’t find my requested McNeil tartan so brought my mother-in-law’s. It was probably because McNeil is Scottish and she was only visiting Scots-Irish territory in Northern Ireland. Sadly, I never made it into anything, and now it’s gone...

LLBean had several items in McNeil tartan a few years ago, and I offered to buy shirts for my DH and sons-in-law, but they weren’t interested. I think the only thing they had for women was a flannel pjs set, which I wouldn’t wear. maybe someday!

My brothers both have tartan ties.

elpgal

Veteran

I adore looking at Instagram feeds of saris and other hand-loomed Indian clothes but find them too impractical to wear. I can almost feel the texture and the smell of these garments. Makes me all twisty and nostalgic.

This NYer’s feed is my favorite:
https://www.instagram.com/seemaskt/?hl=en

rachylou

Veteran

Irish McFarlanes! I have to look into this now.

taylor

Veteran

Elpgal,
Such beautiful saris, thanks for the link.
Do you dress in a sari for special occasions/ weddings ?

Runcarla

Veteran

Elpgal - I have sari and kimono pinned to my Pinterest 'Fantasy Fashion' board. I would LOVE to have such beautiful garments, even just as works of art, but worry about cultural appropriation. I have no cultural claim to wear them, and would not wish to offend anyone by using them as art in my home.

I remember my mother's dirndle was made of olive/gold heavy silk with red and green embroideries and her apron was an iridescent green/scarlet taffeta. The blouse was exquisite and modest - nothing like the beer garden wench caricatures we see in popular culture.

elpgal

Veteran

Taylor, the last time I wore a sari was for my wedding! But I do wear other Indian clothes casually on weekends. I typically pair a long tunic with jeans or wear lounge pants made with block-printed fabrics. Not a fan of special-occasion Indian wear. It’s a bit too much for me.

Carla, that sounds beautiful. I must confess I didn’t know dirndles came in non red-white colors.

My yoga studio has a room where the entire ceiling is draped with gauzy saris. Go for it!

Joy

Veteran

My family tartan is very similar to yours but is from Robert the Bruce. originally from France. It has the same colors but less yellow. Bruse or Bruce begin with the Crusades and he settled in Scotland after returning.
My dominent family group was from Sweden. No one remembered or wore the area costume. My mother's family goes back to lPocahauntas. I am. direct descendent.

taylor

Veteran

Joy!, that is fascinating Pocahauntas and Robert the Bruce, too cool!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Not really. My heritage is English and Neil’s is Scottish, but most ancestors came to NZ a very long time ago near our founding document of 1840. The latest was my grandfather who was incredibly 89 years older than me ( died before I was born), and he came in 1910. We are both 1/8 Irish as well, so our kids keep the 1/8 strength there. Neil’s family was a “lowlander” one so sadly no tartan
I was a bookworm like you though Carla so I feel nostalgic about clothes where they were in, especially, movies made after books. So Scarlett O’Hara’s dresses. Even though I don’t like the history of those times the dresses appeal!

Anonymous

I have a mixed background with the most immediate being Brazil. I've always been most attracted to clothing (as well as food and music) from places near to and south of the equator. Saris are my favorite too, and also brocades and batiks-and will happily wear Asian inspired clothes anytime. As for my own, the first thing I thought of was Carnival dancewear!
My husband is a Highlander, so technically does have a family tartan. Somewhere around here I have a watch with it on, but don't wear it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

LOVED reading this. Thanks, Carla.

I am VERY sentimental. I can't even begin to write it all down....

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I come from poor Irish stock on one side so no clothing but I’m very fond of potatoes and from seafaring stock on the other but I confess I have no urge to wear bell bottoms!I think it’s lovely that you have such a strong sense of where you come from Runcarla.

Bonnie

Veteran

I'm half Swedish (my dad) and half Norwegian (my mom), and we always had lutefisk and lefse on holidays at their house. My Norwegian grandmother who lived in Minnesota would alway send a box of traditional cookies at Christmas. My parents joined a Swedish club when I was in my 20's and when my daughters were ages 3 and 5, they became part of the children's group. They learned dances, songs, and some words, and performed in Midsummer and Lucia festivities until they were 18. They in turn, took their children to the same group. The grandchildren now own the traditional garb, mustard skirts that I made, vests, flowered hats and scarves that came from Sweden. We still have lefse at Christmas.

Glory

Veteran

My grandparents came to Canada from Uist Scotland at age 17. They came alone and never saw their parents again.
My grandfather landed in Quebec but somehow made his way to Winnipeg where he was hired by the police department simply because he could play the bagpipes.
Eventually he became the police chief.
It’s such a fascinating story of grit and determination.
I have a cape with the tartan and the clan broach.