We value traditional costume ...
Styrian women’s costume
| Even though traditional costume varies in appearance from region to region and even from town to town, the roughly 70 different types of Styrian women’s costume all have their basic elements in common. They consist of a pinafore, an apron and a blouse.
The pinafore is an overdress consisting of a sleeveless „Leibl“ (bodice) and a patterned „Kittel“ (skirt). The two parts are sewn together to form a dress.
The pinafore is worn with a white blouse and an apron which is slightly shorter than the dress. The cut and colour of the bodice are usually specific to a particular region.
For example, in Upper Styria the bright red, finely patterned bodice is laced with a white cord at the back. The skirt, in contrast, has the same cut everywhere and usually – with the exception of festive costume – extends to mid-thigh. Although the cut is uniform, the colours and patterns of the skirts vary from region to region.
The blouse is always made of plain white material but may have ornamental embroidery. The sleeves may be long or short. The apron is a compulsory part of every dirndl. In Styria, it is usually made of black or blue fabric. The only exception is the Bad Aussee region, where the dirndls have a purple apron. Hats are not a fixed component of traditional costume everywhere. However, the black „Reindl“ hat of the Murtal region is frequently worn, especially in the winter months. In Upper Styria, women sometimes wear a black headscarf which is elaborately wrapped and tied.
Styrian men’s costume
Styrian men’s costume exhibits considerably fewer regional variations than women’s costume. In recent decades, a single element of traditional costume, the grey-green jacket, has spread throughout Styria. And even in Austria as a whole, the „Styrian suit“ is regarded the epitome of men’s traditional costume.
However, Styria does have a variety of different forms of men’s costume. The colour palette ranges from grey to brown – not all brown traditional jackets belong to Carinthian costume.
Whether the jacket is long or short, whether it has a stand-up collar or green lapels, the same thing that applies to trousers is also true of all traditional jackets: natural fabrics should take precedence over man-made materials. Woollen „Loden“ cloth, leather and textiles are used as the basic materials, with buttons being made of stag horn.
Picture: Volkskundemuseum Graz