Polish Costumes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Polish Costumes - Essay Example This paper will look at the different Polish costumes which emerged in different regions of the country. The first part will look at most popular Polish costume, the Krakow costume which became the representation of Polish traditional dress in the world. As Poland is generally subdivided in two regions namely, Eastern and Western Krakowians, this paper will also explore the similarities and differences of the costumes wore in these geographic areas. Each country is often identified with its own national costume, which is also true with Poland. Among the regions, the strj krakowski (Krakw costume) is the favourite among the various regional costumes of Poland and has come to symbolize the traditional costume of Poland in general, especially abroad. From the time of their late nineteenth and early twentieth century boom, the Krakow costumes have gained wide popularity and acceptance among the Polish. With this, the Krakow costumes have been commonly worn among all the levels of social strata. They were described by folklorists, portrayed in paintings, prints and photographs. In the Krakow costumes, the women wear white shirts with broad sleeves and collars decorated with lace and paired with colorful vests with sequins and rich embroidery. Women's necks are adorned with strings of coral beads. The Krakow costume is also recognized with its flowery skirts in bold patterns which partly covered with white lace aprons plus multiple petticoats underneath. Girls wear wreaths of flowers with multi-colored ribbons in their braided hair while matured women prefer colorful, flowery kerchiefs. Matching these colorful costumes are high-laced red boots have heels with metal tips to emphasize each stamp, click, or jump. On the other hand, the men wear long, dark and embroidered coats over white shirts and embroidered vests. These are complemented with striped pants which are often in red and white in color and are tucked in high-laced boots. Their characteristic accessories include a special belt with decorative strings of small, jingling metal plates, as well as a square hat, topped with peacock feathers. The Krakow costumes, worn by both men and women, can be seen to be lavishly ornamented. The effect of multicolored skirts, together with the elaborate designs of vests, and exquisite embroidery, can be compared to the extravagant colorfulness of the peacock. As time progresses, the basic form of the Krakow costumes have been modified to take into account the different traditions and culture which emerged. During the peak of their development, the Krakow costumes can be widely grouped into two variations-the Western and Eastern Krakowians. Western Krakowians is the region from the rural farmland and industrial areas of the western part of the genre's range while the Eastern Krakowians is the area from the farmlands to the eastern part. Even though the boundary between the two could not be clearly determined, it is said to run approximately along a line marked out by the villages of Jdrzew, Miechw, Proszowice, Koszyce, and further out, between Bochnia and Brzesko. It is very crucial to identify the various differences between the two costumes as they often tell the village or region that a person came from. Costumes of the Western Krakowians