ALSATIAN COSTUMS

Seebach near Wissembourg

A traditional symbol of the region, the famous Alsatian headdress was abandoned after 1945. Today, this can only be admired during certain cultural and tourist events.
Varying widely from one part of Alsace to another, the traditional costumes reflected the social standing and faith of their wearers. Consequently, Protestant women in the North would wear the colours of their choosing, where as Catholics from Kochersberg (to the north-west of Strasbourg) wore only ruby red. Some women would decorate the hems of their skirts with velvet ribbons. Others, particularly in the south, would wear printed cotton clothing, often made of silk for special occasions with paisley patterned designs. The aprons, worn everywhere throughout Alsace, were plain white. However, on Sundays it was not uncommon to see silk or satin aprons decorated with embroidery, and worn over skirts or dresses. Headdresses were extremely diverse, with an increasing trend towards the use of ribbons from 1840 onwards.

Always black for Protestants, the headdresses were often colourful and decorated with patterns for the Catholics. These features may come as a surprise, as illustrators often portrayed an inaccurate image of traditional Alsatian costumes. When Alsace once again became part of France, the "illustrator's costume" was adopted by the whole region, replacing the vast variety of traditional clothing which once existed.

The Alsatian costume is very diverse as parts and can change from one village to another.

The pieces of costumes passed on from generation to generation.
They were manufactured to last a lifetime.

From left to right: Torque Wissembourg, the Sundgau girl, daughter of Oberseebach, maiden Geispolsheim, Kochersberg married man, girl of Alteckendorf, girl of Engwiller, girl of Ettendorf and young man Kochersberg From left to right: Children in the canton of Wissembourg, elderly couple around Haguenau, girl on the outskirts of Strasbourg, girl of Oberseebach. From left to right: Young woman Pfulgrisheim, maiden Truchtersheim, Seebach young man, young girl Sundgau held in the fields, Sélestat married man, a young woman of Haut, Geispolsheim young woman, young woman Sondernach, a village in the valley Munster, child around Weissenburg.

From left to right: young woman Mietesheim young woman and girl Krautergersheim, Seebach young man, young woman Schleitahl, young woman of Oberroedern,
(note: there is error on the shade of cap it must be tulle no bright blue and white) girl of Obernai, Bischofsheim kid, a young woman Soultz-sous-Forêt, young woman of Ettendorf.