For their day- to- day activities, the French, both in the countryside and the cities, wear modern Western- style clothing. Perhaps the most typical item of clothing associated with the French is the black beret. It is still worn by some men, particularly in rural areas.

It is important to say that the French are known for fashion design. Coco Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Christian Dior, and Jean-Paul Gautier are all French fashion design houses whose creations are worn by people around the world.

Traditional regional costumes are still worn at festivals and celebrations. In Alsace, women may be seen in white, lace-trimmed blouses and aprons decorated with colorful flowers. Women’s costumes in Normandy include white, flared bonnets and dresses with wide, elbow-length sleeves.

Germany:

Women’s attire, the dirndl, consists of a closefitting bodice combined with an apron in a different colour. Sometimes its sleeveless and worn with a cotton and lace blouse, sometimes it features sleeves and a high neck. Hats are often costly and elaborate. They vary according to occasion and region: ‘Goldhauben’ (Upper Austria) and ‘Bollenhut’ (Black Forest region, Germany) are only worn on festive occasions.

A man’s traditional clothing is made from leather, linen and wool. The ‘Lederhosen’, knee-length trousers or short-pants made from leather are worn with rustic shoes and wool socks. Again, jackets and hats vary according to region and occasion