frisian costume with gold ear iron and bonnet, around 1860

This is a Frisian costume, but not the Frisian costume. Like all everyday clothing, this regional dress was subject to fashion and changed with the times: skirts, for example, became tighter or wider, and there were differences which depended on the wearer’s personal taste.

Fries kostuum met gouden oorijzer en floddermuts, circa 1860

Frisian costume with gold ear iron and bonnet, around 1860. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Yet there are a number of fixed elements, such as the ear iron and the lace cap which did change with fashion. The same goes for the floddermuts, a kind of soft bonnet made of Belgian lace. Other basic elements of the costume in those days are the waisted jacket or bodice, the apron and the skirt. All in all the costume was a precious and impressive set of expensive, heavy fabrics.

After the agricultural crisis around 1880, many farmers could no longer afford these expensive clothes, and the traditional attire slowly disappeared from the scene. Fortunately, we can still admire it here.