Holidays in Brittany

Rostrenen

Pont-Aven

Pontivy

Bigouden

BRETON COSTUMES

		Lace plays an integral part in Breton national dress, particularly in that most immediately-recognisable item, the varied and striking lace coiffe, or ladies' head-dress. One of the most attractive styles is that of Pont-Aven, which has a great starched lace collar. The Bigouden head-dress, which used to be quite small, has, since 1930, curiously become very tall! In Quimper it is small and worn on the crown of the head, while in Plougastel it has a traditional medieval appearance with ribbons tied on the side. In Douarnenez it is small and fits tightly round a bun on the back of the head. In Auray it shades the forehead. In Huelgoat it is a lace hair net.
Traditional head-dress


These days, of course, the traditional costume is seen only at festivals and pardons, which means the demand for locally-made lace is not what it was. However, the tourist boom has given a great boost to lace-makers, and Breton women sell hand-made lace in towns and villages. Important schools of lace-making were originally established in Normandy during the 17th and 18th centuries when the fashion for lace was introduced from Venice. Both needlepoint and bobbin lace are found, and each school has developed its own techniques and stitches. Examples of early lace can be seen in museums, particularly Breton lace in Quimper, Guérande, Nantes, Pont l'Abbé, Dinan and Rennes.
		Breton dancers wearing their traditional local costume for a local fête. Dancing is generally slow and stately, but can involve leaps and high kicking •



Brittany possesses costumes of surprising richness and variety. The fine clothes are much prized and cared for, and are passed on from one generation to another. It was once customary for a girl at her marriage to acquire a costly and magnificent outfit, which would have been worn on Sundays and all public occasions. Nowadays the costumes are worn only for feast days and pardons. After the head-dress, the most striking feature of the women's traditional dress is the aprons, which revealed how well-off the family were by the richness of their decoration. The aprons, of every size and shape, are made of velvet or satin and are brocaded, embroidered or trimmed with lace. The men's traditional costume includes a felt hat with ribbons and an embroidered waistcoat. In the Cornouaille region the men wear baggy knee-breeches, while in Carhaix and Rostrenen they have a buttonless jacket of black cloth over a waistcoat with a double row of buttons. In Pontivy, colour was strictly limited to pockets and buttons on the "mouton blanc" (white sheep) men's jackets made of pale imported wool that appeared in the 19th century. The most popular embroidery motifs were the peacock feather (symbol of pride) and the ram's horn, which represented courage. Also seen are the fish and the chain of life. In the Baud area, women could choose between several styles – the capot, the raie and the kornek.