Installation view, Items of Romanian traditional costume

Three stages stand out in the evolution of Romanian folk costume. In the first phase, Romanian folk costume was defined in relation to the costume of neighbouring peoples, differing in styles and colouring depending on region. After this phase, the urban setting began to exert an influence, in the form of new, mass-produced materials, which replaced homespun textiles and encouraged serial production, but still preserving the tradition of folk costume. In the third phase, folk costume was gradually replaced with city clothes.