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Rhine boat trip
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> Regional culture > Regional identity
Costumes
A wide variety of traditional costumes
A traditional symbol of the region, the famous Alsatian headdress was abandoned after 1945. Today, this can only be admired during certain cultural and tourist events. Varying widely from one part of Alsace to another, the traditional costumes reflected the social standing and faith of their wearers. Consequently, Protestant women in the North would wear the colours of their choosing, where as Catholics from Kochersberg (to the north-west of Strasbourg) wore only ruby red. Some women would decorate the hems of their skirts with velvet ribbons. Others, particularly in the south, would wear printed cotton clothing, often made of silk for special occasions with paisley patterned designs. The aprons, worn everywhere throughout Alsace, were plain white. However, on Sundays it was not uncommon to see silk or satin aprons decorated with embroidery, and worn over skirts or dresses. Headdresses were extremely diverse, with an increasing trend towards the use of ribbons from 1840 onwards. Always black for Protestants, the headdresses were often colourful and decorated with patterns for the Catholics. These features may come as a surprise, as illustrators often portrayed an inaccurate image of traditional Alsatian costumes. When Alsace once again became part of France, the "illustrator's costume" was adopted by the whole region, replacing the vast variety of traditional clothing which once existed.
