Slovak Folk Costumes
Costumes or folk dress clothes identify the people living in villages, who were farming in the past. Costumes served as a protection against climate change.
The origin and development of the folk costumes were affected mainly by domestic raw materials, the type of work and employment, social class and nationality, religion and belief, contact with foreign countries and historical fashion of the higher social class. The biological characters, sex (men, women), age (children, youth and adults), the status and belonging to the family (single, married, widows). Material for the manufacture of folk clothing was determined by natural conditions and needs. They were manufacturing the skin and fur, flax, hemp and sheep wool to the textiles.
To the oldest part of the male clothing belong the canopy shirt and breeches, cloth trousers and various kinds of three-quarter and long coats of fur, capes and caps. The women clothing from canopy are under dress, shirt, apron, skirt, cap, wool aprons, cloth three-quarter jackets and coats. This also included shoes and coiffure.
Costumes indicate differentiation of the regions. Various embroidery decorations, its technology, ornaments, color and composition are typical for these regions.
At the end of the 19th century Slovak costumes had about 60 variations. Costumes varied according to the decorative elements that were placed on the male and female garb, in embroideries, tissues, laces and in their techniques, ornaments and color.
Changing economic, social and political conditions in the 20th century and especially the Second World War and its consequences accelerated the gradual transition from the traditional costume to urban clothing, which in the mid-20th century infiltrated into all regions of Slovakia. Nowadays, the urban clothing is a dominant type of folk costumes also in villages.