In the Lublin region, several varieties of traditional costume developed, each with its own forms of head coverings. As late as the first half of the 20th century, they were an essential element of women’s attire. They accompanied both everyday and ceremonial life, and their form revealed the wearer’s age, marital status, and wealth.
Folk costume: a group of women with children in festive costumes (1902) by Rogowski, Ludwik (18..-19..) (photographer), Maciuk, Piotr (1951- ) (reproduction 1994) (photographer)The National Museum in Lublin
Head coverings varied regionally and, over time, were influenced by urban and courtly fashions.
Maidens covered their heads only on weekdays while working. For festive occasions, they wore wreaths or adorned their hair with flowers.
Married women, by contrast, were not supposed to leave the house bareheaded. On a daily basis, they wore kerchiefs, while for holidays and ceremonies they used caps and half-caps. A separate category was reserved for ritual – especially wedding – head coverings.
Let's take a closer look at some of them!
The Wreath – A Symbol of Maidenhood
Girls wore wreaths or flowers only on festive occasions. These decorations, made of fresh or artificial flowers, were often crafted by hand.
The bridal wreath held special symbolic meaning. It was worn only by virtuous maidens, and after the wedding ceremony it was left at a side altar in the church as a farewell to maidenhood. A variation of this custom – leaving the bouquet – has survived to this day.
Some wreaths took on more elaborate forms. They were made on the eve of the wedding by bridesmaids and the bride herself, using colorful fabric flowers, beads, wires, and ribbons.
The percale cap from Drelów, sewn around 1933 by Aleksandra Baniosz, was a characteristic element of Radzyń festive costume. Caps differed in fabric and ornamentation, and their quality reflected the owner’s wealth.
Caps were usually made by skilled small-town craftswomen, who also washed and styled them.
Cap – percale headdress Cap – 3D modelThe National Museum in Lublin
The Cap – Skill and Symbolism
A special role in the wedding ritual was played by the cap placed on the bride by the matron of honor. It marked her change of status – from then on, a woman could not appear in public bareheaded. This rite, known as the “capping ceremony,” takes its name from the headdress.
Married woman's cap Cap – 3D modelThe National Museum in Lublin
The Hooded Cap – A Symbol of the Bug River Tradition
These caps, part of festive attire, served both practical and symbolic functions: they covered the hair and ears, while also signaling marital status. Hair was arranged on a wooden frame (called kimbałka) so that the hairstyle fit entirely under the covering.
They were worn not only in eastern Poland but also in Ukraine, where they appeared in very similar forms. Differences lay mainly in decorative details and local tailoring variants, which allowed women to emphasize personal style while remaining within tradition.
The Humełka – A Colorful Headpiece from Krzczonów
In the parish of Krzczonów, young wives wore humełki – caps stretched over a linden-wood frame, decorated with a narrow strip of fabric and long, colorful ribbons. The lace crown was hand-made with white thread on a small loom.
From the second half of the 19th century, tulle caps also became popular. They consisted of a lace crown and two wide bands, decorated with white floral embroidery. Worn with festive or ritual costume, they highlighted feminine delicacy and elegance.
The Skośniak – Between Cap and Kerchief
In the Zamość region, young wives wore so-called skośniaki (also known as dupki) – small headpieces made from hazel hoops and fragments of kerchief fabric. They were attached to loose hair, with the decorative motif placed in the center of the crown.
An interesting variation, called oberek, was worn by wives in the Biłgoraj area. It consisted of a Tibetan wool kerchief (known as a tybetka) wrapped around a wooden frame. These kerchiefs, usually colorful and decorated with floral prints, became popular at the turn of the 20th century.
This type of cap was part of the Biłgoraj costume – one of the most conservative and archaic in the region.
Kerchiefs – For Everyday and Festive Use
Another common form of head covering was the kerchief. Plain linen kerchiefs were worn daily by women of all ages, protecting their hair during work.
Before putting it on, a woman folded the kerchief into a triangle. Two ends were tied under the chin, at the back of the head, or above the forehead, depending on the local custom, while the third corner fell over the back. Kerchiefs were often worn over caps, leaving only a small part of the cap visible, as shown in photographs.
The Szalinówka – A Festive Woolen Kerchief
One of the most distinctive head coverings was the szalinówka – a woolen kerchief with characteristic colors and patterns, worn from the late 19th century onward. It was reserved for festive occasions or important events and was purchased at fairs or in town shops.
By the end of the 19th century, the szalinówka began to be used during the wedding capping ceremony, replacing the cap formerly used for this rite.
Tradition Woven into Fabric
Traditional women’s head coverings from the Lublin region were not just items of clothing. They symbolized identity, marital status, and life transitions. Today, many of them can be admired in museums and on the stages of folk ensembles. Their forms, colors, and patterns bear witness to the richness of rural culture and centuries of women’s craftsmanship.
For more information on the costumes of the Lublin region:
Kaznowska-Jarecka B., Strój biłgorajsko-tarnogrodzki, APSL, cz. V, z. 8, Wrocław 1958.
A. Ławicka, Piękno zaklęte w drobiazgu: elementy dekoracyjne w strojach ludowych Lubelszczyzny [w:] Stroje ludowe jako fenomen kulturowy, red. nauk. Anna Weronika Brzezińska, Mariola Tymochowicz, Wrocław, 2013. (FOLK DRESS AS A CULTURAL
PHENOMENON https://ptl.info.pl/fp.php?i=220)
Piskorz-Branekova E., Polskie stroje ludowe, t.1-3, Warszawa 2006-2007.
Piskorz-Branekova E., Tradycyjny haft ludowy w stroju zamojskim, Lublin-Zamość 2009.
Piskorz-Branekova E., Tradycyjne stroje i hafty hrubieszowsko-tomaszowskie, Zamość 2011.
Piskorz-Branekova E., Tradycyjne stroje i zdobienia biłgorajskie, Zamość 2016.
Piskorz-Branekova E., Strój zamojski, „Atlas Polskich Strojów Ludowych”, red. M. Tymochowicz, t. 40, cz. 5: Małopolska, z. 17, Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze, Wrocław 2013.
Świeży J., Ludowe stroje głów kobiecych w woj. lubelskim, „Prace i Materiały Etnograficzne”, 1961, cz. 1., lubelskie.
Świeży J., Stroje ludowe Lubelszczyzny, Warszawa, 1954.
M. Tymochowicz, Strój janowsko-kraśnicki, t. 1., Stroje tradycyjne województwa lubelskiego, Lublin 2022.
M. Tymochowicz, Strój lubartowski, t. 2., Stroje tradycyjne województwa lubelskiego, Lublin 2023.
M. Tymochowicz, Strój łukowski, t. 3., Stroje tradycyjne województwa lubelskiego, Lublin 2024.
Prof. Mariola Tymochowicz, Aleksandra Sztal
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