Cap

Women's covering hair has a centuries-old tradition. This requirement has functioned as a customary, moral or religious norm in many places worldwide. For centuries, women in Europe covered their heads with headscarves, caps, veils and hats. These head coverings were made of different materials, had various forms and decorations. Married women needed to wear them in all public places. The brides would often wear their heads uncovered, with their hair braided into one or two pigtails, sometimes their hair would be loose, and they would weave ribbons and flowers into it. In some regions, as in Pyrzyce, all women, even girls, had their hair covered. The caps of older women were black, while those of younger women and girls were blue. In summer, they all wore booth-shaped straw hats. The Pyrzyce cap had a shallow head exposing the forehead and hair, and it was rounded at the ears. The bottom was small, similar in shape to a square. Inside it was lined with a white linen cloth. There was another (invisible) layer between the outer and inner layers, usually made of thin leather (or cardboard), which acted as a stiffener. The cap comes from the Pyrzyce region but differs slightly from the typical form. Its uniqueness comes from the shape of its head, which is cut in the middle into a small tooth. The cap's outer layer is made of factory-made silk ribbons with a floral pattern. The ribbons used to tie it under the chin have been preserved, as well as, unusually, a large bow attached to the back, with very long ends falling almost to the waistline.

Iwona Karwowska