Marken

Of all national costumes, those of Marken are the most remarkable and singular, therewith very complicated.  Where we see that the island is quite near Amsterdam, it is very noteworthy that the costume is still unchanged.

The boys and girls are dressed the same till their sixth year.  They wear coloured petticoats with caps of flowered red material.  The only difference is the form of the cap.  After their sixth birthday, the boys get the complete mans dress; the girls after their sixteenth year - a woman's dress.

The upper part of the body is clad with a bodice with long striped sleeves, the bodice has a rich ornament of geometric flowers in strong colours.  Around the hips are fastened a kind of long cushions, which make the petticoats fall wider.  The blue apron is of woven, checkered cotton.  Over the sleeves another pair of half sleeves till the elbows, made of violet satinet with yellow.  Around the neck is a little shawl, pleated in a special way and at the ends decorated with little tassels of silver and coral.

The covering of the head is a white cap, over which a stiff ribbon and two bands and a ribbon with ornaments in cross stitch.

The mostly straw yellow hairs are cut off in the neck, the rest twisted to long curls, coming from under the cap on both sides of the head.  The hair in front is cut short and slightly curled upwards.

The men wear wide trousers till just under the knees, so that the blue stockings can be seen.  They wear a round, felt hat.

Information wanted please

I don't have any information on this costume. It requires further research on my part. If anybody can help me with the origins of this costumer, please get in touch, either here or ny email :

stella.jones4@ntlworld.com

Walcheren

As beautiful as the island is, so beautiful that the women and girls also are there with their wonderful build, their fine-cut faces, their dark eyes, beautiful arms and necks.

Women's dress is the same for children and grown ups and consists of a a number of petticoats, the upper of black material.  The arms are bare till over the elbow.  The marvelous cap with gold decoration is white, sometimes with lace and pleats.  The hair is curled in a special way.  Around the neck is a red coral chain with gold clasp.  The shoes are slippers, even in winter the healthy woman defies the cold, although her arms are bare.  There is nothing more remarkable than a market day at Middelburg, in front of the picturesque town hall, a show of a great number of dresses, unique in that part of Europe.

Scheveningen

It is very remarkable how it is possible, that in a fisherman's village just near a large city.  The Hague and direct near an international high-life bathing place population, the inhabitants wear their own costume as if the bathing place was not there.

The women of Scheveningen wear 5 petticoats over each other, all of different colour and material.  Over them is worn a black apron.  On Sundays it is made of silk.  The upper part of the body is clad with a bodice of grey, brown or blue cotton and a square shawl, folded to a big triangle, fastened at the waist.  On the head a cap with ear ornament, fixed with two upright pearl-pins.

The shawl is fastened around the neck with a gold brooch with chain and gold clasp.  Roman Catholic women wear a cross instead of a brooch.

The man's dress is a blue woollen jersey, wide trousers and a cap.  As remembrance of former times, on several occasions he wears a top hat.

Nunspeet

The national costume of the Zuyder-Seacoast is principally worn along the border of the Veluwe.  Noteworthy is that the kerchief is not pinned at the waist, but under the armpits.  The cap has another shape than those of Staphorst, forming itself more behind than above the head with a white undercap, scalloped at the temples, spanning around the whole head and furnished with a fine pleated strip.

Over the cape comes the party-coloured cap, which shows a little part of the white one.  Here-over the silver casque, fastened with a ribbon and a golden curl at the temples. The hair is all hidden under the cap.  At funerals you can often see peculiar costumes, the men in long jackets and top hat.

Spakenburg

This costume is very brightly coloured for the women.  The first thing which strikes you is the covering of the shoulders, which is made of white material with bright-coloured red flowers.  Close around the neck they wear a red-striped muffler, which is pinned at the waist.

The muffler, which a bride wears, is white.  The half length over-sleeves and the upper part of the apron are also of striped white material.  The hair is put up and held together with a black ribbon, on it comes a black under-cap and then a cap of white lace.

Very special is the wedding costume, which all young girls seem to have in stock, even before they get engaged.  They wear it when they go to church.

The children's dress is more simple, though it is strong red coloured.

Staphorst

The costume of this village distinguishes itself from many other by its completeness, as well for men, women and children.  The woollen material, people need for the dress comes from the sheep, which are reared by the inhabitants.  The women spin the woollen thread, which is coloured by them in special colours and is woven by hand to material.  The red checkered kerchief strikes very much against the blue of the bodice, the ribbons of the apron are always light blue. The bow hangs in front of the body with long ends.  The petticoats are held up by little cushions so that they make the hips broader than they are.  Under the singular cap an ear ornament is worn, fastened by a black ribbon.  Children wear the same dress, though it is more simple.

On Sundays the Staphorst woman goes to church with a beautiful, silver-decorated bible with chains, clasp etc.  She is very clean on her dress.

Men's dress is simple; closed waistcoat and short jacket with two rows of silver buttons.  The shirt with the two famous Staphorst buttons is to be seen at the neck.

Huizen

The costumes in this protestant fisherman's village on the Zuyder Sea are very peculiar. The cap is of quite another form than those of all other Dutch forms of caps.  The bodice is also different with its fine pleats at the waist, very wide balloon sleeves, plain-coloured black or brown material in which little flowers have been woven.

Over the dark petticoat, which closes on the left side, a blue apron is worn, on Sundays this is purple or another colour.  Over the apron comes a belt with loose ribbons.  On the feet low, lacquered shoes are worn on Sundays.

On week days the sleeves are rolled up, not on Sundays.  Around the neck are 5 rows of garnet corals with clasp, sometimes also a coloured silk muffler.

The cap is the most curious thing in the costume.  The hair is worn with a parting in the middle.  The cover for the head is first a black undercap and a white over or ear-ornament cap.  This one is of white tulle with edges and long tails of lace, on the left and right side hanging over the shoulders.

A bride wears a gown of brown material with a light blue wide apron of fine wool with a ribbon of blue silk.  This gown is worn only one time, when the girl goes into betrothment.  At the wedding the bride is wholly in black, the apron is also black.  The blue apron is changed into a christening gown for the first child.

West-Friesland

Here the cap and ear decoration only has remained with further some typifying body decorations.  The cap is worn over the hair, which is held together by a small ribbon.  First a black and then a white undercap, the latter of lace and set off with a black ribbon.  Over this cap comes the ear decoration, a gold band of about 2 inches breadth, ending in square, filigree worked side pieces.  Over this comes the over-cap, often made of real lace with wings.  The ear decoration and the undercap shines through the cap of tulle, which makes a very rich effect.  The ear decoration also has curved gold needles, near them are often fixed false black curls of hair.  On the forehead the older women often wear a gold needle with diamonds.  Around the neck a chain of very big red corals with gold clasp, gold brooch and gold chain, on which hangs a little gold cross.  Besides many people wear a gold watch chain, reaching the middle.  The whole hairdress is a very fine and complicated construction of lace, needles and feathers, richly set with diamonds; gold ear-drops in the ears.  This costume is very expensive.

Urk

On this most interesting fishermen's island, now belonging to the continent by the partial reclaiming of the Zuyder Sea, still live people of race, beautiful and healthy of build with beautiful types of women and strong men.

The men's dress with the short, wide trousers and the close fitting jackets are the easiest dress for their work, the fishing trade.

Of course the women wear the usual number of petticoats of different material, mostly of dark flowered silk, dark wool or cloth with here and there a little decoration.

The covering of the head is very close-fitting so that the often very beautiful face comes out clearly.  Over the hair comes the black under-cap, there-over the silver ear decoration then the over-cap of lace.  Around the neck a chain of corals with a gold clasp behind.  The front of the kerchief is mostly decorated with an ornament which sometimes shows the initials of the bearer.  The shawl is of dark coloured flowered silk, often dark red or purple with fringe.  The apron is of flowered silk.  Over the bare underarms women wear black knitted woollen muffetees.  Remarkable is that the costume for widows, brides and children does not change in form, but in colour.  For a widow it is black for a bride more coloured, for the children more simple.

Brabant

Like in many other districts of Holland the cap is here the main part of the costume, though the costume itself is also interesting.  Therefore all ingeniousness is concentrated and nearly every village has its own form and the differences are sometimes very particular.  Usually the cap is made of lace and is of a large size, therefore very expensive.  Often it is decorated with corals and a big brim of flowers, which is laid around the head like a wreath as thick as an arm and fastened by a small ribbon.  On the brim often are broad ribbons of white silk, hanging over the back nearly till the waist.  Children often wear in their caps little bells of black glass, which jingle when they are walking.  With the cap often special god decorations are worn.

Twente

In Twente principally the pleated cap with gold ear decoration and coral neck chain is characteristic for the costume.  This cap is also worn in other districts of the province Overijssel and has a band of heavy pleats behind and is washed and ironed by the bearer herself.

Friesland

Friesland

It is remarkable that the usual national costume here is worn only on special festivities and is put away the rest of the time in cupboards and boxes.

Nevertheless the Frisian costume is of a special refinement.  The big golden ear decoration with fine cap of lace signs to a great richness.  The costume consists principally of a somewhat wide bodice (reaching to the knees) and petticoats of silk in different colours, over which a kerchief, crossed on the breast, is worn.  Kerchief and apron often are, as well as the fine cap, of very expensive graceful and fine lace, the latter with the big golden buttons at the temples.

The men's costume with the three cornered hat and knee-breeches makes a real aesthetic impression.

Next time: Twente

Dutch National Costumes - Introduction

'The Dutch national costumes are very interesting, both to the inhabitants of the Netherlands and those people further afield. Anybody who has only seen pictures of people in national costume from, for example, Volemdam or Marken, would think that all the Dutch wear wide knickerbockers and wooden shoes, but that would be wrong.  I think it is important to know that there are many different Dutch national costumes and I aim to show you some of the prettiest here in this blog. In times gone by, just as now, people like to wear fashionable clothing.  However, these costumes are not fashion. The shape of the costumes is also connected with the geology and geography of the local area. They are meant to show the individuality of a country, town or district.

The form is also influenced by religious opinions and national and political causes.

The costumes show the personalities of the Dutch people who live in those towns and districts. They are the monuments of our ancestors.

It is a shame that over the years some of the national costumes have disappeared and made room for the less picturesque but perhaps more practical 'common fashion'.  The districts where the dress is still completely worn have become smaller and smaller; principally Walcheren, Zuid-Beveland and a part of Flemish-Zealand in the province of Zeeland; along the coast of the Ijssel-Lake (once the Zuider Zee) in the towns Huizen, Bunschoten, Spakenburg, Nunspeet and Staphorst as well as the islands Urk and Marken (now no longer an island). Further up, Scheveningen on the north sea and the province of Friesland where the costumes are mainly worn at festival times.

In many districts of Brabant you only find the bonnet, which has remained of the whole costume.'

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The above description is copied from the Dutch and it is very old. I found it and the illustrations in my mother's belongings. She lived in Noordwijk aan zee. The only part of the costume I have from those days gone by are the garnets, which formed part of the choker worn by my grandmother.

If anyone would like to correct the above passage by bringing it up to date, please contact me by email. Thank you.

In the meantime, I shall offer you the illustrations that I have and I hope you have much fun looking at them.