Vintage Ukrainian women’s demi-season outerwear. The embellishments are charming!

Ukrainian ladies of all ages traditionally wore rather curious demi-season outer garments. These bodices and jackets are used in Ukraine since the 16th-17th century and are a very important part of the local traditional attire. In public, women didn’t walk around in just an embroidered shirt, they always covered their upper body with some kind of outerwear, like kersetka, yupka, tsurkanka, bunda, keptar, and so on. It’s a pity most vintage outer garments that survived to this day are from the 19th – early 20th century. Still, they look lovely and are cutely adorned. Here are a few samples.

These Ukrainian kersetka and yupka garments date back to the late 19th – mid 20th centuries. They’re museum exhibits. These items are made from wool, cotton, calico, satin, and other fabrics and embellished with pretty velvet applique and simple embroidery.

Here’s an image of a yupka from the front and back for you to understand the cut and design.

And this is how this outerwear looks on a person.