Ukraine is a comparatively large country, so its clothing traditions are diverse. Ukrainian folk costumes can vary so much that it seems like the outfits belong to different countries. Sure, every geographical area has its own peculiarities and typical features in traditional embroidered clothing, but some of them are more distinct than others. For instance, the central regions of Ukraine are characterized by a very special embroidery technique – the whitework. It doesn’t mean that all the authentic costumes are embroidered with white threads but the majority really are.
The samples are displayed in Reshetylivka museum, Poltava region, Central Ukraine
Here are some examples of vintage and modern folk outfits from Poltava region of Ukraine. Many of them are embellished with whitework.
Authentic folk women’s attire, full set. It consists of an embroidered shirt, a skirt, an apron, a vest called “kersetka”, and a kerchief. Also, at her feet, you can see different kinds of yarn prepared for spinning
Vintage female embroidered shirt. To the right from it, there is a coif worn by married women under the kerchief. The embroidery pattern depicts cute berries
Old Ukrainian female outfit. It includes an embroidered shirt, a skirt-like garment called “plakhta”, and an apron. You can see here how the skirt is belted. The plakhta is a rectangular piece of fabric without any fasteners or ties – it is just wrapped around the body, gathered at the waist and tied with a cord. The apron is tied on top of this cord and acts as the second belt
Vintage women’s costume and shirt + belt. On the right, you can see a full set – an embroidered shirt, a skirt-like garment called “plakhta”, a belt, a simple necklace, and a wreath. It is a traditional costume of an unmarried girl. On the left, there is just an embroidered shirt and a belt – of course, women didn’t dress like this in the past, though today, such a combination can be worn
Authentic embroidered shirt of a woman. It is made from home-spun cloth and adorned with whitework
Modern male embroidered shirt decorated with whitework. It is made from eco-friendly and natural linen fabric and is perfect for hot summer weather
Vintage women’s traditional attire of an unmarried girl. It includes a long embroidered shirt, a skirt-like garment called “plakhta”, a fabric sash, a simple necklace, and a wreath. This costume is typical for Poltava region of Ukraine – whitework on the shirt, checkered plakhta, and wide embroidered belt are characteristic features of this area
Modern embroidered dress adorned with whitework. This female clothing piece has beautiful whitework patterns
Very delicate modern women’s outfit embellished with peach-color embroidery
