Bārta Women's Folk CostumeFold-out, Latvian State Printing House, 1958

NATIONAL COSTUME OF THE BARTA DISTRICT

The Barta district festive dress was particularly spectacular.

The white �sagsha�, or shawl, was richly embroidered along the bottom and side edges in green, yellow and violet on a foundation worked in red wool, and finished of with short bright fringes. It was draped below the left arm and fastened on the right shoulder with several different-sized �saktas� (brooches) arranged on top of each other (in a �pile�, as it was called), with red yarn threaded in between.

The blouse was richly embroidered in black at the collar, the shoulders, the top and the lower part of the sleeves, and along the cut.

The skirt was black with a broad red hem into which green and yellow ornaments were woven.

The bodice was made of red wool decked with silver brocade ribbon. It reached to the waist with a lengthening at the front. It was tucked into the skirt and a thick trimming was attached to it to keep up the skirt.

The coronet worn by young girls in the Barta district was like that of the Nica district. It was made of cardboard covered with red cloth that was adorned with silver brocade ribbon and spangled with glass beads. The top of the coronet was set with large crystal-shaped beads.

Married women donned white linen coronet-shaped hats, the turned up brim of which was embroidered in square ornaments worked in red, green and yellow on a background of solid dark blue embroidery.