Estonians. Festive autumn-winter girls'/women's costume. Livonia Province, Anzekül Parish

Estonians

second half of the 19th century

The festive autumn-winter women's clothing is characterized not only by the ethno-local characteristics of the island women's costume, strongly influenced by Scandinavian culture, but also by the key differences between Estonian costume and other regional women's clothing, in which the primary marker of a married woman was the headdress. In Estonia, the same significance was attached to the apron as a marker of social and age group, a role that increased in the 19th century, when the distinction between girls' and women's headdresses among Estonian women was minimized. For example, in this particular ensemble, social status depended on the position of the tassel of the knitted cap: for a girl, it was inclined to the left, while for a married woman, it was inclined to the right.

Costume, women's