Architecture of (a basic) Feria dress - Traje de Gitana

This is a little girls dress but women's dresses
 weren't that different

What has changed in Feria Fashion?

The Feria dress, has really evolved since I started following this fashion.  From very obvious homemade versions dresses to haute couture and runway deserving styles. About 20 years ago, the dresses had so many ruffles on its skirt and sleeves, that it was hard to see who was in the dress, it practically gobbled you up. Fashion changed slowly, the sleeves evolved to long puffy sleeves with ruffles at the end, and the ruffles from the skirt slowly migrated from the waist to the hips, later from the hips to just above the knees, and that's where they seem to be (for now).  One big change in style has been the use of one big ruffle or wide skirt called "volante canastero",  which reminds me a lot of a mermaid's tail.  The use of many cascading ruffles is classic, and is still in style, but this "canastero" has hit the runway hard.  Actually it has been a favorite for Pilgrimages to "El Rocio", for the ease of movement during so many hours of walking.  Now in Feria fashion too.

Volante canastero

Cascading ruffles

Weight

Feria dresses are heavy, so they must be lined for strength.  The dress has to be tight fitting to distribute the weight around you body, a loose dress does not look good and the weight will be carried by your shoulders and that is not good either.  

Parts of a dress
Feria dresses have a bodice which end right above the knee.  The skirt with ruffles attaches to the bodice, and so do the sleeves with ruffles.  Another important part is the lining and a pocket.  Seams are generous on most dresses, so they can be taken in or let out, up to three sizes. A great thing for girls dresses, they can be worn many years with just a simple move down of the skirt and seam adjustment.  Thanks to all the tapas and good wine, large seams are also a good thing for us adults.

Sleeveless dress can be enhanced with ruffles at the shoulders,
but in my opinion dresses with sleeves are more elegant.

Bodice of the dress without ruffles.  See the generous seams

Skirt with ruffles

Secret Pocket

A Look inside the dress:

If you turn the dress inside out, you will find a secret pocket sewn to the lining of the skirt.  A good dress should always have this. You shouldn't wear a purse with the dress, it ruins the line of the outfit.  In the pocket, you can put you keys, lipstick and money.  But there is no room for a smart phone.  Too heavy and it will bruise your leg when dancing.  Pre-dating smart phones, when cell phones were little, women would put them in their bra.  Here you could hear them ring or vibrate and it freed your hands.  In your cleavage, you can also stuff a small fan (abanico) and hang your castanets!  Ha, ha! I know what you are thinking...  But yes, there is room for all that.  If not, a great addition to your dress is a boyfriend or husband with lots of pockets!  My friend has an additional pocket sewn onto all her dresses.  With two pockets there is plenty of room and she never has to wear a purse.

Proper way to hang a dress

Hanging the dress

Other important features, in my opinion, are two fabric loops attached to the inside of the skirt, at the point where the bodice meets the top of the skirt.  This is done so you can hang the dress inside out, from the middle and not from the shoulders.  The weight of the dress will definitely stretch and ruin the shoulder and neck line, if hung for too long from the shoulders.  To store your dress after you are done, clean it, turn it inside out and hang from the loops.

Neckline

Since these ready made dresses are made to fits several sizes, an interesting feature, is a tiny string sewn around the entire neckline, with enough cord hanging in the back at the closure.  This string is used when the neckline is not quite as tight as you'd like, you just pull the string and it tightens the neckline.  Make sure you tie a bow, not a knot, and tuck it in the dress.  Believe me, you don't want to struggle with a knot at the back of your dress, when you are back, tired, maybe drunk, in the wee hours of the night or you may sleep with your dress on.  Yep, I see some of you nodding, ha ha.  

So if you are in the market for a dress I hope your new dress meets many of these requirements, and don't be afraid to ask the store or seamstress to include a pocket, or string, etc.  Have fun dress shopping.

String at neckline to adjust to size, but it should not pucker.
If it does have it altered, it is too big