Rustic style clothing has been steadily gaining popularity lately. Long-standing traditions are present in every country, at all times and among all peoples. After all, each of us has inherited the spirit of our native spaces at the genetic level. This is probably where the desire for nature, that original naturalness, that can be felt in this style comes from.
Country style is not a specialized fashion trend. It contains many trends that are associated with national customs and traditions that distinguish one people from another. Therefore, the rustic style should be considered based on certain characteristics, depending on the characteristics of the country and people, and even the area and its natural conditions.
Rustic, or rural style, extends to many well-known styles, for example, ethno, boho, hippie, rustic, country, Provence, Russian and many others...
Rural life is inextricably linked with nature, so all of the listed styles are inclined towards everything natural and environmentally friendly.
Etro, Oscar de la Renta Etro, Stella McCartney, Temperley London
Here are a few examples of rustic clothing from different parts of the world.
American country
This style has long been a favorite for many designers around the world.
Somewhat earlier, country music was associated with cowboys and Indians, but today it has absorbed many features of various trends, including American farmers. It values the simplicity, naturalness and functionality of all items of clothing. Distinctive wardrobe items are checkered shirts, blouses with puffy sleeves and frills, wide gathered skirts, including multi-tiered ones, jeans, shorts, vests. This style is especially characterized by leather goods.
The Great, Isabel Marant, Temperley London
Russian rustic style
Russian style is distinguished by the lack of pretentiousness in its elements. The premises are characterized by simplicity throughout. Its main feature is the use of wood materials. The walls and ceiling, which are lined with boards, add special warmth and comfort. The furniture is also made simply and without frills. In Russian style interiors, a common piece of furniture is the chest. It can be used as a bedside table or for storing clothes.
Modern Russian style must have rafters and beams. The floors are made of wood. A mandatory attribute is also a Russian stove - or at least a minimal hint of it. For example, you can equip a fireplace stylized as a Russian stove. The presence of a woodpile of firewood, a scoop and a poker on a forged stand will emphasize the originality of the style.
Russian style of clothing
Here we can talk about a lot, starting with the fact that the beauty of the Russian costume was suppressed for a long time, not only from the moment of Peter the Great’s reforms, by forcibly changing the clothes of the people.
It is difficult to imagine events and things of times that are far removed from today. Little evidence has been preserved about the life of ancient Rus'. Russian wooden cities burned to the ground during the invasion of nomads or western neighbors. However, books, museums, notes from travelers, chronicles and letters have preserved unique evidence, including about Russian national clothes. Therefore, due to the fact that today the fashionable trend is the rustic style with all its folklore traditions, the splendor of the Russian costume can be revived and adapted to the new time.
Typical clothing for women is a long sundress with a floral print or embroidery, a loose-fitting blouse-shirt, a wide skirt with a border, painting or embroidery. Today, a spacious cut with a high waist, which used to make fans of Western European culture smile, is considered a fashionable trend.
And how many different accessories and decorations are hidden in the Russian style, starting from multi-colored ribbons braided into a girl’s braids! Headwear - shawls, scarves, scarves with the colorful colors of the Russian front garden! Belts – embroidered, knitted and woven from leather, cotton, sewn from coarse fabric. And what can we say about Russian prints with Khokhloma and Pavlovo Posad patterns, Gzhel, Palekh painting! We’ll have to stop, because it’s impossible to name all the districts and provinces that have long been famous for their craftsmanship.
Now let’s see what famous designers advise us in creating a trendy rustic look. First of all, designers recommend moving closer to simplicity and naturalness.
The rustic style strives to be closer to nature and provides great opportunities to experiment in the folk genre. Rustic style looks are often multi-layered, and all items are practical and versatile. That’s why clothes in this style are most often casual.
Ace & Jig, Etro, Temperley London Vivienne Tam, Stella McCartney, Markus Lupfer
Rustic interiors in Provence style
In Provence style interiors, the design features, decor, decoration and furnishings of village houses located in the south of France are most often reproduced. An interior project in this style involves the use of special colors. In most cases, these are soft pastel colors (as if bleached by the sun):
- pale orange and light terracotta;
- light beige and cream;
- lavender and soft blue;
- faded sea green, as well as light green.
Although furniture, floors and walls in Provence style interiors are often white. The floor is finished using terracotta colored stone tiles. It can also be plank floors that are covered, for example, with white oil paint.
The rustic style in the Provence interior is distinguished by the following features:
- Plastered walls. The plaster in real Provencal houses was always clumsy and rough. Today, when creating the Provence style in a country house, colored or white textured plaster is used.
- Also, the kitchen can have walls decorated in the form of do-it-yourself paneling and subsequent painting.
- The kitchen is often made using imitation brickwork. The kitchen design may involve the use of glazed brick or brick-like tiles.
- The decoration and design of rustic-style premises involves the use of hand-made wooden furniture. However, it rarely remains with the original color of the wood - in Provence style interiors, furniture is often painted in pastel colors. Often painted wooden furniture is decorated with floral painting. To bring the spirit of antiquity into the Provence style, artificial aging of the surface is used.
- The upholstery of upholstered furniture has a pastel design, flowers and sometimes stripes are used.
- Accessories, textiles and decor are also usually made in flowers, in some cases in checkered and striped patterns. Decorating the interior of the house involves a large number of textile elements made from lace with your own hands: napkins, curtains, pillowcases for sofa cushions, chair covers, tablecloths. In addition, a Provence style room often contains forged and wicker elements.
- A rustic interior in the Provence style emphasizes minimalism, coldness, and a certain restraint, which is caused by the hot climate in the south of France. Therefore, interior decoration assumes the effect of empty walls, lightness and a significant amount of white.
Dresses and sundresses in rustic style
These are precisely the items of clothing that delight with their femininity.
Their silhouettes are loose, and the cut lines add softness to the look. In most countries, and in Russia in particular, in ancient times, the clothes of a village girl did not demonstrate the smooth curves of the body. For religious reasons, it was not customary to attract attention and seduce the male population. Today for many this is absurd and ignorant, but there are other opinions on the issue of spirituality and morality. The length of dresses and skirts, despite the fact that traditionally women's clothing has always been to the toe, today is adjusted according to different standards. Long dresses in a rustic style can be flared, with a draped drawstring, or with a gathered skirt and a belt at the waist. To suit modern fashion, dresses can be short with numerous frills, flounces, and lace.
Cropped models go well with leather or knitted boots, wicker sandals and sandals. Large volumes of dresses and skirts dictate the puffiness of the sleeves. The puffed sleeves look especially cute and gentle.
Andrew Gn, Anna Sui, Huishan Zhang
Isabel Marant, Laura Biagiotti, Lela Rose
2 photos Luisa Beccaria and Alberta Ferretti
Country style kitchen
In a city apartment, rustic style will look most appropriate in the kitchen. Let's look at all the important elements that will help transform your kitchen into a rustic paradise.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Paintings divided into several parts for the interior (12 photos)
Color
The color scheme of a rustic kitchen is natural beige, light brown shades or any pastel colors you like. You can choose the following colors as a basis:
- light beige;
- lactic;
- baby blue;
- light olive;
- pale yellow.
To dilute the monotony of the overall background of the kitchen, it is appropriate to select accessories in rich, but not overly bright colors - an elegant tablecloth or curtains, woven rugs, vases.
Decorating walls, floors and ceilings in a country style kitchen
The main requirement for finishing materials for a rustic-style kitchen is naturalness; it is this that creates coziness, freshness and a feeling of relaxation.
An excellent solution for walls would be:
- plain pastel color;
- decorative plaster;
- finishing with boards or clapboards;
- decorative stone, imitation brickwork.
If you want to use wallpaper, choose materials with small patterns - floral patterns, stripes, ethnic and rustic motifs. To visually enlarge the space, you can use photo wallpaper depicting a rural landscape.
For the kitchen floor, it is preferable to use natural wood (parquet or solid wood boards), laminate with high-quality wood imitation, and unglazed tiles.
The kitchen apron can be laid with medium-sized tiles, plain or with a tiled pattern, with an aged effect, imitating stone or wood.
The ceilings are whitewashed, painted with water-based paint, decorated with wooden beams.
Furniture
Rustic style furniture is simple and functional, made exclusively from natural wood. Scuffs on wooden products, carved elements on the fronts of cabinets and slotted patterns in the backs of chairs will emphasize the rustic style. Shelves in the kitchen are traditionally left open - this adds a touch of lightness to the atmosphere and allows colorful accessories and decorations to be displayed for everyone to see.
It is advisable to hide modern household appliances behind doors so that their appearance does not violate the overall concept.
Kitchen decor
Curtains for the kitchen in a rustic style are made of lightweight ones that do not block sunlight (linen, cotton). Preference is given to light, plain fabrics or textiles with floral patterns, small checks/stripes.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Calculation of kitchen hood power
Dishes made of ceramics, clay, porcelain, earthenware are welcome. You can play with its color - choose neutral shades with colorful patterns or use objects in rich green, yellow or other rich colors.
The mood of a country style kitchen is set by:
- clay or wooden figurines;
- napkins;
- candlesticks;
- cushions and chair covers;
- live plants in intricately decorated pots and cache-pots;
- wildflowers in vases;
- items of village life.
A decorative portal above the stove, imitating a hearth and hiding a hood behind it, will look incredibly impressive and very rustic.
Hand-made products - patterned rugs, embroidery, paintings with a rustic theme - will add originality to the kitchen interior. Garlic and onion garlands, ikebana arrangements made from dried branches and flowers will look very impressive in such a kitchen.
Shirts and blouses
Shirts have always been a necessary part of folk costumes in all countries of the world.
As for American country music, modern fashion has especially loved the checkered cowboy shirt, tying it in a knot just below the chest. Shirts in pastel colors are characteristic of costumes of Slavic origin, as well as of Provence. In many countries, the shirt was decorated with embroidery in folk motifs and decorated with braid. The cut of the shirts was always loose, the length in different suits was different, depending on the created image.
Aigner, Alberta Ferretti, Chanel Christian Dior, Vivetta, APC
Pants and shorts
In ancient times, trousers were not expected in the village women's wardrobe, except among oriental beauties and in American country, where the need arose due to certain circumstances.
Today, choosing country-style trousers is a matter of responsibility. In country style, these are slightly flared, faded jeans or full-fitting trousers. In addition to them, you can wear high boots made of leather or suede, a cotton blouse with flounces or frills, and a deep neckline. In cool weather, add a jacket, suede or leather, and of course, with fringe. A cowboy hat wouldn't hurt. But this is only country music, and there are other options...
Rejina Pyo and 2 photos Alberta Ferretti Celine, Isabel Marant, Joie
Other clothing items included in creating a rustic look
It all depends on the nationality of the image being created. But knitted or fur vests, knitted sweaters, cardigans, warmers, sweaters, skirts, overalls - all this must certainly be in a rustic style wardrobe.
Celine, The Great Christian Dior
Main characteristics
Features of the rustic style in landscape design - a minimum amount of work on arranging gardens . Not many changes are made to the nature of the parks; most of the plantings are left in their original form.
This country style is in demand in the design of gardens because it does not require a large space to create. Gardens are perfectly designed and implemented in miniature areas. The main features of country style:
- the presence of soft smooth lines;
- smooth flow of one zone to another;
- natural relief, absence of heavy structures, retaining walls;
- playing with all the unevenness of the soil;
- the use of geoplastics - architectural and artistic transformation of relief.
Decorating a beautiful country yard is an opportunity to create a cozy corner that will be an excellent place for relaxation.
Water elements
Ponds are an integral attribute of natural landscape design. They don’t have to be big; the main rule is a natural appearance. The coastline is often unclear, and plants are planted in a chaotic manner.
The pond in the garden is populated with living creatures, which brings it closer to the natural form in which it is found in the wild. If you have a flat area and there is no way to make a pond, an alternative would be to create a channel or stream. Thanks to the noise and movement of water, the area comes to life and becomes closer to the naturalness of nature.
You can also check out our article “How to make a small pond“
Accessories for country garden
Old rural implements perfectly complement the look of a rustic style.
The main decorative elements of rustic comfort are hedges . They are not cut like a carbon copy, but left in their original form. Sometimes borders can be trimmed, but this is not done very professionally so that the naturalness is not lost.
An excellent solution for a village garden is to arrange arches and pergolas decorated with climbing plants - vines, ivy, wild grapes. Garden design in country style is complemented by:
- cart wheels;
- straw effigies;
- wooden tubs;
- rocker arms;
- wooden feeders and birdhouses;
- ceramic pots;
- wicker furniture.
The color range is not limited. The juicier and brighter the garden, the better. Also, in country style, be sure to make a small garden for growing vegetables.
Plants for a rustic style
In a village garden, paths are of great importance . Moorish lawn is most often used to decorate them; it looks elegant and resembles a carpet. Flower beds should also be in country gardens. To fill them, they use: sunflowers, carnations, daisies, pansies, ageratums, delphiniums, geraniums, mallows and others.
Among trees, preference is given to fruit trees. Select those crops that are characteristic of a particular region.
Usually the choice falls on apple trees, pears, plums and cherries. These trees will give beautiful blooms in the spring, and rich fruits in the summer and spring. Peas, beans, pumpkins, and carrots are planted in mini-gardens. Separate flower beds with herbs – parsley, onions, sorrel, spinach, and different types of salads – look very nice.
Shrubs are also planted in a rustic style:
- rose hip;
- honeysuckle;
- lilac;
- viburnum;
- currants;
- gooseberry;
- jasmine.
The rustic style in landscape design welcomes the creation of a large number of rockeries and rock gardens. They complement the landscape, making it harmonious and complete.
Materials
When sewing clothes, all materials should be natural, providing coziness and comfort. These are cotton, chintz, linen, cambric, wool, flannel, tweed, denim, knitwear, leather, suede, fur. Rough fabrics such as matting, as well as those with a worn effect, are also suitable for a rustic look. Knitted items are often handmade items. The presence of wrinkled fabrics such as a header is mandatory. In this case, crumpled fabrics do not assert negligence, but only emphasize that they are natural. Fabrics with a faded effect will be in their place.
Christian Dior, No-21, Celine Christian Dior
Palette and prints
A connection with nature dictates neutral and warm shades, while green, beige, gray, and blue colors will also be relevant. Dresses in pastel shades look unusually attractive and a little naive. In the palette of rustic clothing, both muted shades and bright, optimistic ones are possible. Only acid paints will be undesirable. The print contains folklore patterns, floral motifs, plant patterns, checks, polka dots, stripes, and of course, a mix of prints. Overall, all colors and prints should remind us of our connection to nature.
2 Photos Anna Sui and Tory Burch Self Portrait, Vivienne Tam, Ulla Johnson
Shoes for a rustic look
The first property of shoes that must be strictly observed is comfort.
You need to choose it depending on the weather and season. In modern fashion, you can't do without sneakers. Sandals and low-heeled Mary Janes, ballet flats, weave sandals, leather or rubber boots - all this should be in a country shoe wardrobe. The variety of such shoes is enormous, if you only take into account the nature of the area and weather conditions. And if we also remember about folk traditions, then it will be even more difficult to list them... There are lace-up boots, riding boots, soft moccasins, and even hunting boots.
Ace & Jig, Anna Sui, Brooks Brothers Rebecca Taylor, Temperley London
Accessories
Scarves, shawls, stoles will help complement the look in cool weather; in the Russian style - a down scarf or with painted patterns.
In the summer, the main headdress will be a scarf or a straw hat. In winter, especially in the northern countries, fur and fur products deserve attention: collars, hats, mittens with colorful patterns.
Leather belts with a large country-style buckle are a must-have accessory. Wicker and rope belts are an excellent use of manual labor. A basket woven from wicker or a bag made of textiles are necessary items for a village girl.
Alberta Ferretti, Christian Dior, Vivetta Ulla Johnson and 2 photos of Missoni
Country style interiors
Country style interiors are characterized by the following features:
- simple and slightly rough finish of the floor and walls;
- use only natural materials: fabrics, stone, wood;
- inappropriateness of plastic, synthetic fabrics, chromed and sparkling metal;
- Forged furniture, aged brass and copper are allowed inside the interior;
- natural colors, without bright spots;
- the design assumes simple outlines without excessive decoration, the furniture is solid wood;
- textiles: numerous tablecloths, curtains, napkins, blankets and rugs;
- a country-style interior project involves the use of small floral patterns, small polka dots and cages;
- products and accessories are made with your own hands, unique designs of crafts are welcome.
The most restrained and austere type of rustic style is the English country style.
This project has the following features:
- The design is predominantly saturated with dark colors, with shades of brown, dark green and red predominating.
- English country furniture is solid, massive, made of natural wood in dark tones, for example, mahogany or cherry. A solid wooden or leather sofa, a Scottish check pattern in the form of tablecloths, curtains, rugs, as well as small floral patterns would be appropriate here.
- The kitchen does not involve simple painted walls. However, English country cuisine is rich in textiles.
- A country style project is carried out using lamps, porcelain, and antique brass dishes. The interior design in country style is completed with paintings of hunting scenes, various antiques and landscapes.
- A country style project does not imply ideal order and minimalism. Therefore, slightly worn leather upholstery, an abundance of cute souvenirs, a lot of photographs and paintings on the walls will only add a cozy atmosphere to a country-style room.
Jewelry and decorative elements
Rustic style decorations should be simple and unpretentious.
They are made from wood, leather, textiles, and metal. Costume jewelry most often has a handmade imprint. Wooden beads and bracelets, shells and ribbons, floral decorations, corals, amber, jasper... Decorative additions to outfits can be a variety of embroidery, lace, fringe, beads, textile and leather appliqués, patchwork, frills, ruffles, flounces, large buttons, and of course same, patches or imitation patches. Decor made from feathers, fur fragments, and jute fibers will come in handy.
Author: Tatyana Dmitrieva
Andrew Gn, Cédric Charlier, Genny
Dice Kayek, Etro, Missoni
Temperley London, Stella Jean, Jil Sander
Varieties of rustic style
The Internet, digital technologies, innovations in science and technology have not been able to drown out modern man’s craving for nature, family values and home comfort. All this can only be achieved if you use the principles of decorating a house in a rustic style.
More: Interior in the style of blue and white Gzhel
But when owners of country houses are faced with practical issues of choosing home furnishings, they are amazed at the variety of styles and trends. In this case, you should submit to your ethnic roots and equip your home in a national genre that is close in spirit.
The most common types of interior design in folk style are examples of the following trends:
- French Provence;
- English country;
- Swiss chalet;
- Russian folk style.
Swiss chalet
Chalet is a rural or hunting lodge in an alpine mountain region. The furnishings in the chalet genre are distinguished by the complete absence of modern decorative elements in the decoration of the home.
The interior decoration of the living space involves the use of exclusively natural materials - wood, stone, etc.
The atmosphere of rooms in a rustic interior style does not tolerate the presence of unnecessary objects, nothing superfluous - everything is as modest and functional as possible:
- On the surface of the walls there is textured plaster, complemented by wooden panels.
- Massive, artificially aged beams look original on the ceilings.
- In the center of the living room there is a fireplace lined with natural stone.
- The color scheme of the interior is composed of calm soft tones of beige, brown and burgundy.
- Antique massive furniture decorated with simple patterns.
- Sofa cushions, rugs, peasant utensils, hand embroidery, and tapestries can be used as accent details.
Hunting accessories, animal skins, old photos in inlaid frames, and arts and crafts items will look good against this background.
French rustic Provence style
Romantic Provence, which got its name from the historical region in France where it first appeared, is a type of rustic style. This trend differs from the previous direction in its optimism and elegance, conducive to a comfortable stay in an elegantly decorated setting of a country house.
This genre is characterized by a light pastel background with a contrast of green and yellow shades. The walls of the premises are decorated with wallpaper with fine patterns or decorative plaster in soothing colors. The floors are covered with parquet boards with a pronounced wood structure.
More: French style in the interior - design rules
Antique exquisite furnishings of rooms, porcelain dishes, textiles with small natural patterns are the main features of the French folk style.
Country in America and England
English and American country houses with good and solid furnishings. Installation of a fireplace and choice of simple decor are required. Ceiling with exposed beams.
The color is darker than in the Provence interior, wood-like and without contrasts. In American country, the colors are light, with warm tones, and the walls are sometimes painted. Both English and American houses have wooden or stone floors and walls. In America - from uncut stones.
Metal, roughly forged lamps. Heavy and bulky furniture, often not painted, arranged without symmetry. There are blankets on the sofas and wicker chairs.
There is little textile in the American countryside; the villagers here do without decorative pillows and tablecloths. The British, on the contrary, prefer textiles and, more often, plaid. There are also textile wallpapers.
The American ranch is an understandably rough place: the shelves are decorated with thick glass and brass dishes, there are stuffed animals and clocks on the walls, patchwork quilts on the beds, fur skins and Indian rugs on the floors. The decor is complemented by stained glass and embroidery.
The English interior is strict and prim, like decoration - aged metal dishes and antiques.
General characteristics of the Russian style
The national appearance of the village genre also has individual distinctive features. The main feature of the Russian direction is its attitude towards natural wood.
Country buildings erected in this manner resemble the outlines of ancient Russian buildings - the Russian tower or log hut.
The walls of the Russian-style house are made of logs from ceiling to floor. The accent in the Slavic interior is a whitewashed or tiled stove. The floor is covered with simple boards with a contrasting texture.
The furniture in the hut is a long, large table with benches on both sides. A copper or silver samovar with bagels must be present on the table. This is not just a device for heating water, but the personification of national traditions, a symbol of the Russian soul and comfort.
More: Characteristic features of the loft style
The color scheme of Russian rustic interiors is very diverse and depends on the preferences of the owner of the house. Embroidery with red patterns, pottery, a chest covered with an embroidered blanket in the corner of the room are mandatory elements of room decoration.
