KASHUBIAN COSTUMES

Costumes from Poland vary from region to region. What is considered a "typical" Polish costume is most often the typical Polish Krakowian costume from the south of Poland.

The Kashubian costume is quite unique and very colourful - distinguished by its beautiful and intricate Kashubian style embroidery on shirts and blouses as well as the vests and aprons.  While the Kashubian costume shown below [left] is the most well-known, there are also Kashubian costumes for the fishing people and for the townspeople.

These costumes are mainly used in their respective dances and for celebratory occasions.

Dancers at 150th Celebration, August 2 & 3, 2008, wearing Kashubian costumes from the collection of the Polish Kashub Heritage Museum.
(Photo compliments of G. Pachulski)
From left: Joanna Pachulski, Marta Janczarski, Sarah Chippior, Mary Bloskie; back from left: Mathew Sasseville, Adam Pachulski and Paul and Joe Platt.

The Museum's costume collection was greatly enhanced by the addition of four costumes as gifts on August 2, 2008. One male and one female costume came from Mr. Franciszek Kwidzinski, Dance Director and Founder of the Dance Group Kaszuby of Kartuzy, and the other male and female costumes came from Ms. Miloslawa Lehman and Mr. Jerzy Poblocki, mayor and vice mayor, of the town of Kartuzy, Poland.

The photo above is from the formal presentation of the costumes on August 2, 2008, and shows Mr. Thad Kay at the microphone doing translations (several years ago, Mr. Kay also donated a male costume to the museum) and from left: Mr. Kwidzinski, Mr. Poblock and Ms. Lehman all wearing Kashubian costumes; and  Wilno Heritage Executive Directors holding costumes that were given as gifts- from left: Larry Serran, Teenie Mask, Ed Chippior and Ursula Jeffrey.

For more information on the Wilno Heritage Society e-mail:
heritage@wilno.org