The beauty of folk costume. Just like in other parts of the world, in the old days the folk clothing was one of the main elements of Polish rural culture inscribed into the rich patterns of festivities and rituals. These costumes were considered elegant, and were worn only for special occasions: religious celebrations, seasonal festivities, important life events like weddings. They were a cultural manifest of the origins in a small regional level. People could tell each other apart on the basis on small differences in the clothing. Clothing of some regions might be similar to an unskilled eye, but the tiny details like patterns of embroidery or colors and width of the striped fabrics were telling precisely from which town or village did the piece of clothing come. They differed in details important to the locals, and the details of patterns were often passed down from generation to generation. This way the locals in some regions were even able to tell a family from which a person wearing a costume came from.
Some of you who follow me for a long time might already know that I run a side project polishcostumes.tumblr.com. It’s an educational gallery where I collect modern photos and archival materials about traditional clothing from all regions of Poland found around the Internet. I invite you to visit the link later (it’s linked also at the bottom of this article) in case you want to browse through more images and discover more examples Polish folk clothing, or to see old photographs and drawings or details like closeups of embroidery. I prepared there also a list of regions where all the names of the places are organized in an alphabetical order. So far I gathered there photographs and drawings of over 80 regional types of Polish folk clothing.
Here in this article I want to present some of the regions as a simple list with photographs, in order to show you a great variety of the folk costumes in Poland. All the names are linked to proper tags in my gallery of Polish folk costumes where you can see more examples from the region.
Short side notes to keep in your mind: most of the types of costumes shown below have many subtypes, especially those that are defined by larger geographical regions. The pictures show only the most ‘typical’ examples. The regions have many also many types characteristic for different age groups or worn during different seasons of the year. I made myself a limit of maximum 2 pictures per type, and it’s often hard to show everything on them. The list doesn’t show also all the regions / types of the Polish costumes yet. I plan to keep updating it over time to add other regions and hopefully create a complete list of the clothing one day. I prepared the list below in an alphabetical order, the best way for me to check and update it in the future.
(picture-heavy gallery ahead!)
Augustów
town in north-eastern Poland.
Pol. stroje augustowskie:
Babiogórcy
highlanders from northern slopes of Babia Góra (Babia Mountain), southern Poland.
Pol. stroje babiogórskie:
Bambrzy
minority of ‘Polonized’ Germans from the Bamberg region who centuries ago settled in the city of Poznań, west-central Poland.
Pol. stroje bamberskie, stroje Bambrów poznańskich:
Beskid Śląski (Silesian Beskids)
highlanders from Beskid Śląski (Silesian Beskids) mountain range, southern Poland.
Pol. stroje Górali z Beskidu Śląskiego, stroje istebniańskie:
Beskid Żywiecki (Żywiec Beskids)
highlanders from Beskid Żywiecki (Żywiec Beskids) mountain range, southern Poland.
Pol. stroje Górali z Beskidu Żywieckiego:
Biłgoraj
town of Biłgoraj in south-eastern Poland, with the region around it.
Pol. stroje biłgorajskie:
Biskupizna
cultural region in the administrative district of Greater Poland, west-central Poland.
Pol. stroje biskupiańskie, stroje dzierżackie:
Borowiacy
Bory Tucholskie forests in southern part of the Kaszuby region, northern Poland.
Pol. stroje borowiackie, stroje z Borów Tucholskich:
Bytom (or more precisely: Rozbark)
city and its surroundings in Upper Silesia, southern Poland.
Side note: Rozbark is a district of the city of Bytom. It used to be the city’s neigbouring village in the past. They are probably the most well-known costumes from Silesia, nowadays often known under the vague term of ‘Silesian costumes’ and are recreated in many other Silesian districts.
Pol. stroje rozbarskie, stroje bytomskie, stroje rozbarsko-bytomskie:
Chełm
town in eastern Poland, and the region around it.
Pol. stroje chełmskie:
Cieszyn
town in Upper Silesia, southern Poland, located on the border with Czechia.
Pol. stroje cieszyńskie:
Częstochowa
city in southern Poland and its surroundings.
Pol. stroje częstochowskie:
Dobrzyń
costumes from region of Ziemia Dobrzyńska (Dobrzyń Land) in north-central Poland.
Pol. stroje dobrzyńskie, stroje Ziemi Dobrzyńskiej:
Dolny Śląsk
region of Lower Silesia, south-western Poland.
Side note: what I’m showing below is a generalized ‘Lower Silesian’ costume, however there are a few suregional types which I’m not including separately on the list due to sparsity of resources. The main types of Lower Silesian costumes documented by Polish ethnographers came from vicinity of cities and towns of: Wrocław, Kłodzko, Wałbrzych, Jelenia Góra, and another type from Karkonosze mountain range. Folk costumes in Lower Silesia started disappearing quite early in 19th century, and the type from vicitnity of Jelenia Góra survived the longest – it is now considered the best example of costume from this region.
Pol. stroje dolnośląskie:
Górale Czadeccy (Czadecki Highlanders)
Polish minority from Bucovina (Romania).
Side note: the Polish Czadecki Highlanders came originally from Żywiec and Cieszyn regions (nowadays in southern Poland, specifically south-western parts of the Upper Silesia region). In 16th century they moved to Kysuce and Pohorela regions (nowadays northern Slovakia) – their main cultural centre there was Czadec (Slovakian: Čadca) which gave this cultural group the name. In the early 19th century most of them moved to the region of Bucovina. They established dozens of settlements, most notably in the Bucovinian region of Kaczyka (Romanian: Cacica). In 1930s there were around 80.000 of Czadecki Highlanders living in Bucovina. After World War 2 they were offered to move to Poland, to the so-called Recovered Territories. Some of them are living now in the region of Lubuskie in western Poland, but a lot of them stayed in Romania where they are one of Romania’s official national minority groups. Pictures below show the Czadecki Higlanders who are living in Poland and who preserved their culture and clothes.
Pol. stroje Górali Czadeckich:
Górale Nadpopradcy (Poprad River Gorge Highlanders)
highlanders from the Polish side of the Poprad River Gorge in southern Poland, which stretches across the Polish-Slovakian border.
Pol. stroje Górali Nadpopradzkich, stroje nadpopradzkie:
Grodzisk Wielkopolski
town in west-central Poland, in the administrative district of Greater Poland.
Pol. stroje grodziskie, stroje Ziemi Grodziskiej, stroje z Grodziska Wielkopolskiego:
Hrubieszów
town in eastern Poland, located right next to the border with Ukraine. The costume was worn in the region stretching from the surroundings of Hrubieszów to the surroundings of Tomaszów Lubelski, and in the professional Polish ethnography literature is therefore called ‘strój hrubieszowsko-tomaszowski’ (Hrubieszów-Tomaszów costume). The region used to multicultural: inhabitated by both Polish and Ukrainian, and mixed communities. The costume bears resemblance to the Ukrainian costume from Sokal region (western Ukraine). The Hrubieszów and Sokal costumes differ in details, for example the Polish one was less richly embroidered, used different textile finishes and accessories.
Pol. stroje hrubieszowskie, stroje hrubieszowsko-tomaszowskie:
Jamno
town in region of Pomerania, northern Poland, located by the Baltic Sea.
Pol. stroje jamneńskie:
Jurgów
village in the region of Spisz which borders Slovakia. Southern Poland.
Pol. stroje jurgowskie:
Kalisz
city in the region of Greater Poland, west-central Poland, and its surroundings.
Pol. stroje kaliskie:
Kaszuby
region in northern Poland (also spelled Kashubia in English).
Side note: Kashubians are a minority group in Poland, and they have their own language. They speak a branch of Lechitic languages closely related to Polish Czech, Slovak and Sorbian languages (read: Kashubian language).
Pol. stroje kaszubskie:
Kielce
city in south-central Poland and its surroundings.
pol. stroje kieleckie:
Kociewiacy
ethnocultural group living in eastern pats of Tuchola Forest, northern Poland.
Pol. stroje kociewskie:
Kołbiel
region around the town of Kołbiel in east-central Poland.
Pol. stroje kołbielskie:
Krajna
region in north-eastern Poland, forested historical region situated in the border area between the Greater Poland, Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Pomeranian administrative districts.
Pol. stroje krajeńskie, stroje Ziemi Krajeńskiej:
Kraków
city in southern Poland and its surroundings.
Side note: the influence of the Kraków clothing reaches far beyond the villages surrounding the city, to the western and, partially, northern borders of the Lesser Poland administrative district. The clothing is well-known abroad due to Kraków’s history. In 19th century the inhabitants of Krakovian villages participated actively in fights for Poland’s independence, and therefore their clothing became an important symbol of rural patriotism. Later their costumes were chosen to represent Poland as the ‘official national clothing’ (more about it here). There are many subtypes of folk clothing of the Krakovian ethnographic group of people, with decorations characteristic for different villages around the city. The most ‘typical’ subtype is costume from the village of Bronowice (nowadays a district of the city) with rows of beaded embroidery and tassels on female bodices.
Pol. stroje Krakowskie:
Kraków-East / Eastern Krakovians
areas located east from Kraków.
Side note: like I mentioned above about the clothing of Kraków, there are many subtypes of the clothing all falling under the umbrella term of the ‘Kraków folk costume’ (costume of Krakovians as ethnographic group) – but with the one exception below. Villages east from the city created their own unique type of folk clothing that got classified as ‘Eastern Kraków costume’. This clothing reaches towns like Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Pińczów, Proszowice and Brzesko, and appears also in Zalipie, the well-known village where the cottages are painted in colorful flower decorations.
Pol. stroje Krakowiaków Wschodnich:
Krosno
town in south-eastern Poland and its surroundings.
Pol. stroje krośnieńskie:
Kujawy
region in north-central Poland.
Pol. stroje kujawskie:
Kurpie Białe / White Kurpie
areas of so-called White Forest in the region of Kurpie.
Pol. stroje Kurpiów Białych, stroje kurpiowskie z Puszczy Białej:
Kurpie Zielone / Green Kurpie
areas of so-called White Forest in the region of Kurpie.
Pol. stroje Kurpiów Zielonych, stroje kurpiowskie z Puszczy Zielonej:
Lachy Limanowskie
cultural group from region around the town of Limanowa, southern Poland.
Pol. stroje limanowskie, stroje Lachów Limanowskich:
Lachy Sądeckie
cultural group around village of Podegrodzie in Nowy Sącz region.
Pol. stroje Lachów Sądeckich, stroje podegrodzkie:
Lachy Szczyrzyckie
cultural group around village of Szczyrzyc.
Pol. stroje Lachów Szczyrzyckich, stroje szczyrzyckie:
Lasowiacy
cultural group in south-eastern Poland, between Wisła and San rivers
Pol. stroje lasowiackie:
Lubaczów
region around town of Lubaczów in south-eastern Poland.
Pol. stroje lubaczowskie:
Lubartów
region around the town of Lubartów in eastern Poland.
Pol. stroje lubartowskie:
Lublin
known as Lublin costumes, they originated precisely in a village of Krzczonów near the city of Lublin, eastern Poland
Pol. stroje krzczonowskie, stroje lubelskie:
Lubuskie
region in western Poland. The costume originates particularly from a villages of Dąbrówka Wielkopolska, Babimost and a few others in the eastern part of the region.
Pol. stroje lubuskie, stroje międzyrzecko-bambiojskie, stroje z Dąbrówki Wielkopolskiej:
Łańcut
town in south-eastern Poland and its surroundings.
Pol. stroje łańcuckie:
Łącko
highlanders living between villages of Łącko and Kamienica, southern Poland, in a region where three mountain ranges meet (Beskid Wyspowy, Beskid Sądecki and Gorce).
Pol. stroje łąckie, stroje Górali łącko-kamienickich:
Łęczyca
region around the town of Łęczyca in central Poland, located in Łódź administrative district.
Pol. strój łęczycki:
Łowicz
town in central Poland and the region around it.
Pol. stroje łowickie:
Opoczno
town in central Poland and its surroundings.
Pol. stroje opoczyńskie:
Opole
surroundings of the city of Opole located in the region of Lower Silesia, south-western Poland.
Pol. stroje opolskie:
Orawa
highlanders from the region of Orawa in southern Poland.
Pol. stroje orawskie:
Pałuki
cultural subregion in the region of Greater Poland, west- central Poland.
Pol. stroje pałuckie:
Pieniny
highlanders from the region of Pieniny in southern Poland, with main cultural centre being the town of Szczawnica.
Pol. stroje szczawnickie, stroje pienińskie:
Piotrków
cultural region in central Poland roughly between the towns of Piotrków Trybunalski and Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
Pol. stroje piotrkowskie:
Podhale
highlanders from the region of Podhale in southern Poland, with main cultural centre being the town of Zakopane.
Pol. stroje podhalańskie, stroje zakopiańskie:
Podlasie
region in eastern Poland, particularly its parts along the Bug river. The region borders Belarus.
Pol. stroje podlaskie, stroje nadbużańskie, stroje podlaskie-nadbużańskie:
Pogórzanie
cultural group living in geographical region of Central Beskidian Piedmont, with main cultural centre around the town of Gorlice, southern Poland.
Pol. stroje pogórzańskie, stroje Pogórzan, stroje gorlickie:
Powiśle
geographical region in northern Poland, along the northern stretch of the Vistula river.
Pol. stroje powiślańskie:
Powiśle Lubelskie
region of Powiśle Lubelskie located along the easter bank of the central part of the Vistula River, east-central Poland.
Pol. stroje Powiśla Lubelskiego, stroje powiślańskie-lubelskie:
Przeworsk
region around the town of Przeworsk in south-eastern Poland.
Pol. stroje przeworskie:
Pszczyna
region around the town of Pszczyna, located in southern parto of Upper Silesia, southern Poland.
Pol. stroje pszczyńskie:
Pyrzyce
region around town of Pyrzyce in north-western Poland.
Pol. stroje pyrzyckie:
Racibórz
region around the town of Racibórz in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland.
Pol. stroje raciborskie:
Radom
region around the town of Radom, east-central Poland. It originates in village of Iłża close to Radom.
Pol. stroje radomskie, stroje mirecko-iłżeckie:
Rawa Mazowiecka
region around the city of Rawa Mazowiecka in central Poland.
Pol. stroje rawskie, stroje regionu rawskiego, stroje regionu rawsko-opoczyńskiego:
Rzeszów
city in south-eastern Poland and the region around it.
Pol. stroje rzeszowskie:
Sandomierz
town in south-eastern Poland and its surroundings
pol. stroje sandomierskie:
Sanniki
town in central Poland and the region around it.
Pol. stroje sannickie:
Sieradz
town in central Poland and the region around it.
Pol. stroje sieradzkie:
Spisz
highlanders from the region of Spisz in southern Poland. The region stretches across the Polish-Slovakian border, and similar costumes are worn by Slovakian highlanders on the other side of the border.
Pol. stroje spiskie:
Szamotuły
town of Szamotuły located in the region of Greater Poland, west-central Poland, and the areas around it.
Pol. stroje szamotulskie:
Świętokrzyskie
region of Świętokrzyskie (transl. Holy Cross), particularly the areas close to the Holy Cross Mountains, south-central Poland.
Pol. stroje świętokrzyskie:
Warmia
region in north-central Poland.
Pol. stroje warmińskie:
Wieluń
Wieluń Land in central Poland.
Pol. stroje wieluńskie:
Wilamowice
village in southern Poland, near the city of Bielsko-Biała.
Pol. stroje wilamowickie:
Wilanów
formerly a village, nowadays a district of Warsaw, Poland’s capital city, central Poland.
Pol. stroje wilanowskie:
Włodawa
town in eastern Poland, located right on the Polish-Belarusian border, close to a point where the borders of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine meet together.
Pol. stroje włodawskie, stroje podlaskie-włodawskie:
Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (Dąbrowa Basin)
historical and cultural region in southern Poland.
Side note: The region has a few main types of clothing (one of them is a ‘Mazovian type of clothing similar to the Częstochowa costume presented around the top of this list, another is a slightly modified Silesian costume). The costume presented below is described as the most characteristic costume for the region of Dąbrowa Basin, and was reconstructed on the basis of historical materials from the towns of Siewierz and Będzin. In professional literature the costume is often called a Siewierz type of Dąbrowa Basin clothing (Pol. typ siewierski stroju zagłębiowskiego).
Pol. stroje zagłębiowskie, stroje siewierskie, stroje siewiersko-będzińskie, stroje będzińskie, typ siewierski stroju zagłębiowskiego:
Zagórzanie
highlanders from the region around town of Mszana Dolna, southern Poland.
Pol. stroje zagórzańskie:
Zamość
region around the city of Zamość in south-eastern Poland.
Pol. stroje zamojskie:
Zielona Góra
region around the city of Zielona Góra in western Poland. The name of the city could be translated literally as a ‘Green Mountain’. The costumes are a branch of the Lubuskie region costumes presented above.
Pol. stroje zielonogórskie, stroje lubuskie z okolic Zielonej Góry:
Żywiec
town in southern Poland, located in the administrative district of Upper Silesia close to its border with district of Lesser Poland.
Pol. stroje żywieckie:
Hope you enjoyed the gallery and discovered something new about the Polish folk clothing! :)
More pictures to browse through: http://polishcostumes.tumblr.com and the under the list of tags: http://polishcostumes.tumblr.com/regions
Lamus Dworski 
So interesting and beautifully presented. Never realized there were so many regional costumes.
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This gallery of photographs is beautifully researched and presented. Thank you for an eye opening vision of diversity in dress.
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