GalleryWOMEN'S NATIONAL COSTUME OF CENTRAL LATGALE
The most decorative article of the festive costume in Central Latgale was the «sagsha» — a woollen shawl — similar to that worn in the Krustpils district. It was bordered with embroidery in red, blue, green and yellow wool, and its side edges finished with white fringes. The more ornate «sagša» had coloured fringes made on flat little sticks on top of the white ones while the hems were trimmed in a decorative way («celu apauds»). The «sagsha» was draped about the shoulders and fastened in front with a small silver «sakta» (brooch).
A different kind of shawl — the «snahtene», — made of fine figured linen with red ornaments woven in along the edges, and trimmed with lace, was more popular in the Central region than elsewhere in Latgale.
The blouse had either a narrow stand-up collar, or a turndown collar, a narrow embroidered yoke, and cuffed sleeves. It was fastened at the neck with a little silver «sakta» (brooch).
The colour and design of the skirt was very variegated. The older type of skirt was chequered. Striped skirts appeared at a later period.
An important accessory of the festive dress was a decorative coloured sash. In the western part of Latgale it was woven in ornaments, in the eastern part — in stripes.
Bodices and jackets were not worn in Latgale.
Young girls would don coronets made of red cloth and spangled with coloured glass beads. Married women would wear a towel-like figured linen scarf, hemmed with lace that was sometimes crocheted, sometimes made on little sticks. Another type of head-dress was the «pahr-pieris» (forehead cover), i. e., an embroidered length of linen material, about a hand's breadth, that covered the forehead and was knotted at the back of the head. A kerchief or scarf was tied on top of it. In the western parts of Latgale we also find the tower-shaped tall hat of the Krustpils district.
