Ruhnu Folk Costumes 
From left: a) maiden's costume and b) woman's costume, both mid-19th century.
Ruhnu Island had a population of basically Swedish origin. The women and maidens on Ruhnu Island wore a long-sleeved shirt and a striped bodice. The pleated skirt was made of black woollen or dark-grey half-woollen (white linen warp and black woollen weft) material. The festive costume was completed by a big-patterned print apron and a print shawl. The whitestriped front of the everyday skirt substituted the apron on ordinary days. Both the girls and women wore coifs and quilted caps over them, the married women's caps were taller than those of the girls. Kerchiefs were tied over the caps when going out of doors. The brooches were small, but many strings of beads were worn. The footwear consisted of dark-blue patterned stockings and light-yellow peasant-shoes with white woollen laces.
Further reading
- C. Russwurm. Eibofolke oder die Sweden an den Küsten Ehstlands und auf Runö. Reval, 1855
- M. Kaarma, A. Voolmaa. Eesti rahvarõivad. Tallinn, 1981 (in Estonian, English, German and Russian)
- Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia tudengite uurimistööd (in Estonian):
- Maris Rosenthal. 1860-1940 aastate Ruhnu silmkoeliste kinnaste kogum Eesti muuseumides: mustrid ja värvikombinatsioonid
- Gerly Karu. Ruhnu triibulise rõivakanga mustrid ja funktsioon
- Külli Vähi. Ruhnu poolkindad, nende tehnoloogia ja kasutustraditsioonid 20. sajandil
- Grete Ojamaa. Ruhnu naiste peakatted ja rätikud
- Astri Kaljus. Kihnu ja Ruhnu hülgeküttide rõivastus
Created in 2013
