Skirt

The skirt for the festive costume was made by hand in 1959 in Roztoka, in the Chełm poviat. The striped fabric, woollen and linen, with a plain weave, was woven in a weaving workshop. The skirt is cut from four shelves, i.e. strips of fabric of such width as can be obtained on a loom. In the upper part it is finely crinkled and sewn into a narrow strip of linen canvas. It has a slit at the side to make it easier to put on, with two purple strings sewn on at the upper part to tie it and keep it at the waist. At the bottom, for protection against fraying and damage, the hem is trimmed with a navy-blue band which is also visible from the outside. The fabric has a red background, interspersed with rhythmic vertical stripes of green, white, yellow and navy blue.

The striped fabrics in the Chełm costume testify to the infiltration of the fashion for this type of material from the Mazovia region, where they were commonly used; they had different stripes, widths and were characterised by a variety of colours. The skirt is long, measuring 88 cm, and reached almost to the ankles, because at that time women were not allowed to show their legs. This type of woollen skirt was worn on colder days, and when it was very cold, women would put on two or three to keep warm.