National costume of AUKŠTAITIJA

Content

• Short description of Aukštaitija

• Men‘s clothing• Women‘s clothing• Components of

traditional Aukštaičiai costume

• Gallery• References

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Short description of Aukštaitija

Aukštaitija – is the name of one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania.

Aukštaitija is located in the northeast part of Lithuania. Aukštaitija is very rich in dialects, traditional customs, traditional architecture, lifestyle and diversity of historical ethno-cultural heritage.

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Men‘s clothing

Their clothes were rather modest. Men in Aukštaitija wore grey, brown or brownish undyed matted woolen caftans (sermėga). In

eastern Aukštaitija they were sewn gathered at the waist, and in western Aukštaitija - with a

pleated back or sides. Shirts were white with a small stand-up or flip collar. Footwear - black or white boots (usually with flaps), tied with leather strips. A felt hat or cap was an important part of

their costume. It was made of sheep wool.

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Women‘s clothing

There dominates the white colour in this region - white veils, shirts, aprons and sometimes even skirts. Women's shirts

were often long and linen with red ornaments. Their cuffs was also decorated

with red ornaments.

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The components of Aukštaičiai costume

• Headdress’ jewelry, wimples

• Sashes

• Shirts

• Bodices

• Skirts

• Aprons

• Gloves

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Headdress’ jewelry, wimples

The most beautiful young girls’ jewelry was long braids, with colorful ribbons weaved into. They also used to wear rue or other floral wreaths,

gold or silver –toned galoons and ribbons crowns. Brides and their bridesmaids wore a

kalpokas, a crown decorated with fake flowers at the top and long colourful ribbons. During the

wedding ceremonies the rue wreath was replaced into a wimple. It was a symbolic

headdress of a married woman which she had to wear all her life.

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Sashes

National sashes were used to tie up men's and women's clothing - skirts, aprons,

waists, footcloths, and bags. The sashes were also used as a gift and greeting in

different ceremonies. There were narrowly woven and braided sashes in

Aukštaitija

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Shirts

Aukštaitija' women wore long white linen shirts. These have retained old, quite

primitive shape refereed to as a tunic with shoulders tabs. Shirts had red ornaments.

Sleeves were mostly decorative, sewn with either cuffs or left wide open.

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Bodices

A woman's bodice (corsage) was especially decorative in Aukštaitija. It was made of home-made wool or a wool mix. Even more common were expensive, professionally manufactured materials such as gold and silver brokate, silk,

velvet, damask, wool. Some of the bodices featured gold or silver tone borders. In the front bodices had decorative metal plates with loops. Narrow ribbons and metal chains were used for

lacing. Gold and silver tone, green and red bodices were most favored in Aukštaitija.

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Skirts

Skirts for special occasions were woolen or linen. A linen skirt in Aukštaitija was most often white with a red border. But woolen

skirts were considered better, more festive. An authentic woolen skirt

from Aukštaitija was most often gathered and four colored. The dominant colors

were green and red enriched by adding smaller amounts of yellow and purple.

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Aprons

The apron was the most important part of the Lithuanian peasant woman's costume. It was improper to appear in public without one. Aprons in Aukštaitija were made of white linen, featuring decorative red only or red and blue ornamental stripes in a

pick-up weave at the bottom.

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Gloves

Aukštaičiai knitted gloves were quite modest. They were knitted of one or two colors. The white colour was dominating. There were used geometrical and plant patterns in knitting them. Some gloves were used for work, the other ones for

going to church.

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GalleryGrįžti