Bornholm Island
The Bornholm folk costume is famous for its two distinctive types of headgear:
a.Nølle: Derived from a hairstyle for upper-class French women, this headgear features flowers and stiffened white fabric (see images below). The nølle featured red silk flowers for celebrations and bIack ones for mourning. In some respects, the nølle is similar to the Fanø wedding dress headgear.​​​
b. "Tied on Itself" (På Sig Bundet): quite distinctive as it goes quite far down the forehead. Many pins were used to secure the bonnet to the head, and it was a rather complicated matter to put it on.
Bornholm Island Party Costume
from "Danske Folke Dragter" by Nanna Gandil, 1972
The Bornholm party costume above has the following characteristics:
a. the dress has short puffed sleeves and could be made of muslin, cotton or silk,
b. the black gloves were home knitted from silk yarn,
c. the headgear, or nølle, was white and stiffened, standing out from the head like a fan (not unlike Thy's headgear). It was decorated with silk flowers (red for celebration, black for mourning). Some literature (i.e., Nanna Gandil, Ellen Andersen) suggests that the "flowers" were homemade from silk ribbons. If a woman was unable to make one for herself, a nølle headdress could be purchased from a skilled seamstress. Reportedly, a nølle was quite expensive and only worn by wealthier women. Local women could borrow or rent them in the 1800s if they were to sit for a photograph. A simpler hat was used on a daily basis (see below).
d. a silk robe/cape: A well-dressed Bornholm wife had to have as many as three silk robes/capes:
i. red for parties,
ii. blue for Sunday use, and
iii. black for mourning.​
Bornholm Costume 1850-1855
from "Danske Folke Dragter" by Nanna Gandil, 1972
This costume is more urban and unlike most other Danish folk costumes. Reportely, that is because many Bornholm farms were located within the limits of Bornholm's market towns.
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The dress pattern is printed. The dress sleeves end at the elbow and is continued with a loose, white undersleeve containing embroidery. The shoulder scarf is made of white tulle and is single-layered. The apron is plum-colored or black.
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The bonnet was called "Tied on Itself" (På Sig Bundet), and is quite distinctive as it goes quite far down the forehead. Many pins were used to secure the bonnet to the head, and it was a rather complicated matter to put it on.
Bornholm church costume
from "Danske Nationaldragter," 3rd Ed. (1915)
by F.C. Lund with illustrations by Luplau Janssen
Bornholm Kirkedragt (Church Costume) 1850-1860
from "Folkedragter i Danmark" by Ellen Andersen, 1952
Married woman from Bornholm
from "Danske Nationaldragter," 3rd Ed. (1915)
by F.C. Lund with illustrations by Luplau Janssen
The woman on the far left's bonnet is called "Tied on Itself" (På Sig Bundet), and is quite distinctive as it goes quite far down the forehead. Many pins were used to secure the bonnet to the head, and it was a rather complicated matter to put it on.
