Læsø Island's party costume (festdragt) is quite possibly the fanciest and most beautiful of all Danish folk costumes. It is certainly like none other!

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As legend has it, Queen Margaret I (1353-1412) was saved by Læsø islanders from a nearby shipwreck. In gratitude, she allowed the women of Læsø to wear a suit of the same cut as she herself wore.

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Regarding the costume, in 1934 there were only 4-5 complete costumes in existence. As of 2024, there are approximately 75, thanks to the tireless work of the Læsø Museum and the Læsø Folk Dance Association (Folkedanserforening).

 

The elegant Læsø party costume has the following elements:

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a. Blouse: The Læsø silk blouse is the outermost layer. It has stiffeners underneath it, and typically has between two and six round brass or silver-gilded plates. Wealthy women had more such jewelry to attach. The jewelry (bråserne) served only a decorative purpose. In an era before banks, the gilded metal represented a part of the family's saved capital, passed down through generations. The blouse comes to a point in front at the waist, which is rare among Danish folk costumes. Overall, the blouse bears a passing resemblance to the blouse of the black Amager "city suit."

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On Sundays, a black blouse would be worn that did not have any metal on it.

 

b. Headgear: One of most striking elements of this costume is the linen headgear (hvivklæde), looking like something out of "Lawrence of Arabia." The large white scarf (110cm x 110cm) has embroidery in the corner and Tønder lace at the edge. Silk "lashes" (17cm x 50cm) attached at the top of the head hung down in the back (see images below). The headgear could be used to almost completely covered the face in the event of blowing sand, which was not uncommon on Læsø Island.

 

c. Apron: Black silk was used for married women; a yellow-cream silk was used for unmarried women. The use of the color yellow (in this case, a yellow-cream color) is quite unusual among Danish folk costumes, seen only in the Fanø men's costume and rarely in Sønderjylland. Four silk ribbons hang down in the back.

 

d. Skirt: The skirt is typically made of wool or damask silk. It can best be seen from the rear, where it is pleated, as the apron wraps around 3/4 of the skirt. These days, the skirt is almost always blue. However, in the past, colors other than blue were used, such as red, green, light purple and apricot.

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e. Shirt: The bottom layer is a long linen shirt (særk).

 

f. Bodice: Above the shirt (særk) but underneath the silk blouse is a women's bodice with lace edges that are closed with a silver chain (see detailed image below).

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g. Cap: Underneath the headgear is a small, gold-embriodered cap, tied under the chin with a wide silk ribbon.

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h. Stockings: Black stockings.

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i. Silver Belt: Until 1890, a silver belt was worn by the most affluent women (see one pictured below). In 1890, a missionary revival on the island prompted many women to give their silver to the church. Thus, the silver belt fell out of use.