Folk Costumes
Concerning
the Vidzeme complex of costumes, we can distinguish
6 local areas - Northern Vidzeme, Piebalga,
Western Vidzeme, Lielvārde, Krustpils and
Eastern Vidzeme.
In Northern Vidzeme - territories
of the Valmiera, Valka, Gulbene districts
- the common traditions of woman folk costumes
became apparent in making crowns, wearing
cardigans, plaids, hair - string, binding
belts.
The Gulbene district is
situated in the north - east of Latvia. Our
neighbouring districts are those of Alūksne,
Valka, Cēsis, Madona in Vidzeme, and Balvu
in Latgale. We are called to be the citizens
of Vidzeme Maliena, though three villages
of the district - Lizums, Ranka, Druviena
- belong to the etnographic area of Piebalga.
Women
Folk Costumes
Chemises.
Chemises were sewed from a thin, bleached,
woven linen. They are cut out according to
tunic form chemise type, with epaulettes.
In Gulbene, we come across two types of chemises:
the oldest one - with a steep collar - and
the youngest one - with cuffs and an unbendable
collar. Chemises were decorated with hem stiches.
Collars and outer edges were trimmed with
little knots, balls or rhombs. Chemises were
pinned together with silver brooches.
Skirts. In the Gulbene
district, skirts were woven striped and checked.
Checked skirts mostly were red and black,
also red and grey. In the second half of the
19th century, women prefered a striped skirt.
It was woven of woolen or wool - mixture material.
It was sewed of a 2 - 5 metres long piece
of material. One edge of it was gathered and
was added by a belt of the same material.
The length of a skirt was as long as ankles.
Belts. The women
of Gulbene wove figured, flowered, striped
belts. They were tied up around the waist
by gathering about herself twice and using
a simple knot.
Cardigans. A cardigan
was sewed of the same material as a skirt.
Sometimes a one - colour wool material was
used. Women wore sleeveless bodices, which
were of the same cut as cardigans. A neck
cut was quadrangle.
Head - dresses. Girls
wore 4 - 10 centimetres wide soft crowns of
red or black cloth. They were embroidered
with coloured glass beads, white or black
glass straws. Women wore a tower like hat
with a tulle lace on its brim. A hat was sewed
from a thin, white linen. The material used
for sewing was 30 centimetres wide and 48
- 50 centimetres long. It was folded up in
two parts. Two parts of the same brim were
sewed together with a flat seam. Hats were
also decorated with lace.
Plaids. The 11th
century Galgauska plaids and the 12th century
Stāmeriena plaids were considered to be the
most luxuriant. They were decorated by metal
rings with a peculiar ornament of crosses
and roofs. In the 19th century, this ornament
was used only for belts. For festivities rectangular
plaids with fringes were used. Most often,
plaids were white. There were also figured,
one - colour plaids with colourful stripes
along the four brims. The most ancient plaids
were rectangular, with warp fringes. Those
of more recent times were square, with fringes.
Brooches were not used for plaids. Linen covers
with fringes and figured shawls were also
worn.
Socks and Footwear.
In winter, women wore white and grey woolen
socks, in summer - linen or cotton socks.
More luxuriant socks are decorated with various
colourful ornaments. Women wore black, smooth
shoes with low heels and wide toe-caps. Pastalas
were also widely spread.
Aprons. In the middle
of the 19th century, the wearing of an apron
as a full dress, was not obligatory. It was
mostly worn by affluent mistresses and maids.
Aprons usually had belts of white or striped
linen or cotton.
Man Folk Costumes
The
man folk costume of the Gulbene district belongs
to the Vidzeme folk costume type and includes
the clothes spread in the whole territory
of Latvia: a shirt, trousers, coat (short,
half-long, long), fur coat, socks, boats,
shoes, belt, hat, tie, mittens.
Shirts. Comparing
the cut of chemises and the cut of shirts,
there is no great difference. We can find
the same
epaulettes, unbendable collar and narrow cuffs.
The difference lies in the fact that shirts
were always sewed of similar material, and
they were not so long as chemises. They were
sewed of a qualitative, rather rough linen,
without decoration. Only for full dress, some
additional embroidery was done.
Trousers. Trousers
were sewed of the same material as coats -
one - coloured, checked or striped material
was used.
In summer, at work men wore linen trousers
of white or blue colour. Legs of trousers
were rather narrow, without creases. They
were as long as ankles.
Coats. Coats were
of three kinds: short, half - long, long.
The only difference was in trimming. For full
dress, long coats were used. They were sewed
of a light grey material. It had light green
cuffs with red ornaments.
Fur Coats. Fur coats
had big collars and a widened lower edge.
They were girded with woven belts.
Belts. Usually belts
were woven striped.
Hats. Hats were black,
with rather high bottoms, straight or with
turned up brims. In summer, men wore hats
which were plaited of straws, but in winter
- sheepskin or hare - skin hats.
Footwear.
The most widely spread footwear was pastalas.
They were of every day usage. In the 18th
century, they also belonged to full dress.
In the middle of the 19th century, boats were
used for full dress. In Gulbene, yellow top-boots
were also worn.