Czech culture and customs projected in the pace of time in Czech traditional garments.
A folk costume expresses the identity which is usually associated with a regional area or a period of time in history. It can also indicate social, marital or religious status.
Czech folk costumes may be divided into two groups: Western style in Bohemia and mid-Moravia, and Eastern style in the rest of Moravia and Silesia.
Specific aspects such as colours, embroidery, motifs and fragments of traditional costumes varied according to social, geographical and symbolical factors as well as according to the purpose of their use. Costumes worn on special occasions were usually richly decorated, colourful and accompanied with a wide range of accessories (scarves, ribbons, headdresses, hats, belts, etc.) while everyday clothes tended to be rather simple and practical. Every region had a set of amusing particularities. For example, women in Plzen region used to wear up to 24 underskirts, which were restricting their movements, nevertheless they wanted to feel stylish.
At present, folk costumes in the Czech Republic are no longer commonly worn, but people still wear them during popular traditional folk celebrations. This tradition is the strongest in Moravia, the eastern part of the country. Folk costumes are still worn by members of folklore ensembles during various traditional celebrations or festivals. In some families, costumes are handed down from generation to generation as they wish to preserve the tradition. Likewise, many stay protected in museums and private collections.
The Blata folk costume is worn in the region of České Budějovice, Tábor, Jindřichův Hradec and Vodňany. Previously it extended as far as Moravia and into some villages in Austria. Even if we can recognise common features, there are some differences stemming from various regions, primarily in embroidery patterns.
A Bohemian costume, especially the women’s costume, is decorated with embroidery using sequins, which is typical for south-bohemian region (comes from the tradition of keeping carps in ponds). Chemises used to be richly embroidered in the first half of the 19th century and in the second half of the 19th century the embroideries were enriched by beads. There was an embroidered collar round the neck above the embroidered shirtfront. Women's shirt was richly embroidered and decorated with beads.
The variety of worn colours was wide – most often it was red, but also green (for weddings), dark pink or violet (for funerals and Lent). Aprons were made of silk, usually striped or with floral patterns.
Czech traditional costumes
Traditional costumes in our region