Regional Types – Traditional Polish Folk Costumes

Łowicz region men’s traditional folk costume

Typical hat from Łowicz region.

Men’s traditional folk costume, Kurpie Zielone area.

Biłgoraj costume is classified as archaic. All its elements are made of linen. The original women's headpiece consisted of a "chamełka" (a type of a supportive bonnet) with a "rańtuch" (a scarf worn loosely around the head), common across the South-West Poland. The S-like and helix-like embroidery patterns used were also of archaic nature.

The costume worn by Lachowie Sądeccy is considered to be one of the most beautiful Polish folk costumes. It pleases the eye with colourful, embroidered, chain-stitched applications (made by men) on jackets and trousers, colourfully embroidered shirts and delicate, linear, bead embroidery on female corsets.

Lachy Sądeckie women’s traditional folk costume.

Lachy Sądeckie group. Men’s costume is traditionally believed to have stemmed from Swedish uniforms.

A Cracow costume is the only peasants' attire which was promoted to the rank of a Polish national costume. This decision was made on patriotic grounds, with the Cracow's peasants’ participation in the Kościuszko Uprising as a main factor. Even the Uprising's leader, Tadeusz Kościuszko, used to wear the Cracow costume (so he dressed "like a peasant") just so that he would not be recognised by Russian spies. Kościuszko's popularity contributed to the popularisation of the Cracow costume among the Poles in general.

Some of the costume's elements were applied to the uniforms worn by participants of the 19th century national uprisings. This popularity of the Cracowian costume, especially in its female version, was then reinforced by the Cracow’s intelligence of the Young Poland (Młoda Polska) movement, who promoted it as a new fashion.

East Kraków region traditional costume - front.

"Kierezja"
It was usually worn in winter. Recognizable for its wide, entirely embroidered, triangular collar called “suka.”The garment’s cut made the man wider in the shoulders and made him look fashionable thanks to the narrow waist and flared lower section.

Podhale region traditional woman`s folk costume.

A piece of printed fabric
Since the 1840s hand-dyed and printed skirts were worn in the Podhale region on both festive and normal days.

The highlands are represented by Podhale costumes. A common feature of both Balkan and Carpathian highlanders is the fact, that the men’s outfit elements, such as "gunia", "cucha" (types of coats) and "portki" (trousers), are all made of thick, fulled cloth in the natural colour of sheeps fleece. Rich ornaments, colourful applications and woollen embroideries were all made by men. The colourful compositions, woven on the thigh sections of "portki", called "parzenica" deserve particular interest.

Full dress men’s traditional shoes (“kierpce”) ornamented with metal “cętki”. This type of shoes was fashionable in the interwar period and after the Second World War. It is still worn by men, especially in Bukowina Tatrzańska area.

Townsmen’s traditional costume, Żywiec region.

Women’s traditional costume, Szamotuły area.

Element of festive maiden cap.
Made from tulle.Trimmed with delicate “tiulka” along the forehead and side-sections, made by rolling the fabric on twigs or straws with special frames.

"Western type" costumes

The costumes of regions such as Wielkopolska, Silesia, Lubuskie, Kujawy or Warmia are classified as western type, as they stemmed from the West European bourgeois style. They are made of very high quality fabrics: wool, damask, silk and velvet.

Present-day men’s costume from the Kaszuby region.