Comeback of Lace Traditions in Brittany

Hello again. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted here. Got busy with my day job and life in general. Even so, my passion for wearable art is still alive and well.

I want to share a fascinating article from the April issue of National Geographic about the lace traditions of small villages located in the northwest corner of Brittany, France. Young women are connecting with their cultural traditions by wearing outfits dating back to the 1800s at some Breton rituals and social groups called Celtic circles.

Here are a few of my favorite headdresses and costumes from the article.

Each ensemble is specific to an individual village and sometimes the surrounding area.

These tall headdresses are from Brittany’s Finistère area. Notice the embroidery on the dresses.

There are even ensembles for mourning. The outfit pictured here would only be worn in the later stages of mourning due to the use of embroidery on the shawl.

Notice the delicate collar, as well as the intricate head covering.

Check out more of these creations on National Geographic. If you’re in Brittany, visit the Breton Museum in Quimper to learn more about the Breton artistic and ethnographic heritage.