Old Romanian folk costume from Transylvania, Arad

Superb traditional Romanian costume from Transylvania, specifically the Sicula/Arad region. This Romanian folk costume is hand-embroidered with floral patterns and also hand-crocheted lace. The fabric is a combination of hand-woven linen and hemp. The Romanian folk attire consists of two pieces: the traditional "shouldered" blouse, specific to the Romanian attire of Arad, and a high-waisted skirt. Both are richly embroidered with similar, but not identical, designs.

The tightly embroidered and beautifully adorned cuffs are fastened with laces or ribbons passed through the lace. The sleeves are wide and feature a row of hand embroidery and a row of hand-crocheted lace. The fabric is homemade and made from the thickest material, similar to modern-day denim. Only the chest area is made of thin cotton fabric, presumably for comfort.

Size M-L, very rarely do you find an old Transylvanian costume with this size.

Shoulders: 46 cm (18.11 inches)

Shoulder + sleeve + cuffs: 64 cm or 25.2 inches

Shirt length: 52 cm (20.47 inches)

Chest circumference: 136 cm or 53.54 inches

Circumference of sleeve opening around the shoulder: 50 cm (19.7 inches)

The Romanian blouse has no defects even though it is very old.

The skirt is gathered at the high waist and tied at the back with cords. The waist circumference is 80 cm (31.5 inches) as is, but it is usually worn slightly overlapping. The skirt length measured from the waist (excluding the high waist) is 76 cm or 30 inches. The high waist is 6 cm (2.36 inches) in height.

The Romanian traditional costume is in good condition with minimal signs of wear. The skirt is slightly whiter because it seems to have more cotton in the fabric. The Romanian blouse, having more linen in the fabric, has a butter-like color. A superb folk costume for museums, collectors, and in such good condition that it can still be worn for another 50 years. Most likely dated from the 1940s-1950s.