Today in the Flickr Favourites it's the turn of the traditional costume of Scheveningen in The Netherlands. The Flickr Favorites posts were so far all about the traditional costumes around the former inland sea Zuiderzee (now Lake IJsselmeer); now we go to the North Sea coast of Holland. Scheveningen developed from a small fishing village into a big seaside resort and part of the city of The Hague. The costume is a very solid one and mostly dark colored, except for the Sunday shirt and shawl which are often soft blue, lilac, beige or soft green. The cap (called "mop muts" in the Scheveningen dialect) is from lace and stands somewhat at the back of the head, so that it often seems as if it is coming down. It is fixed with two upright pearl-pins, there, where the silver head iron ends in the beautiful golden oval ornaments. The black cape has a very low neck
at the back to make room for the cap.
For more flickr favourites see ArtMind's blog.
1. Klederdracht, 2. Traditional Scheveningen Dress, 3. Scheveningse haven, einde van de staking, een gedeelte van de vloot vaart uit. Afscheid van moeder en zusje 12 juli 1938, 4. Traditional clothing
This Scheveningen costume is very dear to me because my grandma came from Scheveningen and I remember her and her friends all wearing traditional costume. I actually inherited her costume and I do wear it sometimes at special occasions :)
And two picture postcards from my own collection.
Finally the Schlei fjord is frozen; it's so gorgeous. It's white, silent and cold. I would love to go skating, but I have not seen a single skater on the fjord yet so I am afraid it is not safe enough. And I am not a young brave girl anymore that goes as the first one on the ice. I have to remember myself every time that this is actually salt water.....
But it looks nice, don't you think ?
Haida button blanket decorated with a human figure (ca. 1900); wool, dentalium shells, abalone shell, pearl buttons (from Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation)A few years ago I found one of the most spectacular button art creations I had ever seen by surfing on the internet. I am talking about the North American Button Blankets. I fell immediately in love with this kind of button art !
Haida button blanket with a double-headed Eagle (ca. 1900); wool, dentalium shells, abalone shell, pearl buttons (Photo from Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation)From around 1800, Pacific Northwest Coast Indian tribes (like the Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit, Nisga'a and others) often traded furs for woolen blankets from maritime european traders and later the Hudson's Bay company. Rather than sleeping equipment, the blankets were made into robes for ceremonial purposes; they were worn over the shoulders like capes.
First Nations people in button blankets at Quatsino Sound (Ben W. Leeson, 19--) from Vancouver Historical Society
Why were they decorated with buttons ? One legend tells that a member of the Kwagiutl tribe saw once a Pearly King and liked what he saw. Another legend tells it was inspired by the white pearl buttons on the uniform of a British sailor. Truth is that early pictures show that the blankets were first decorated with feathers and abalone shells. These were eventually replaced by mother of pearl buttons, obtained from traders and sailors' uniforms, and were much easier to use. Most blankets are made of dark blue duffle with red flannel appliqué outlined with pearl buttons. The central crest typically portrayed a symbol of the wearer's family heritage. Symbols found are the frog, raven, whale, thunderbird etc.
Tlingit button blanket with killer whale (1891-1898); wool, pearl buttons (from The Burke Museum of National History and Culture)Traditionally, these robes were worn during dance ceremonies. The dancer would move displaying the shiny patterns of the shell buttons to the audience. The community would know the dancer's family clan and its historial status just by the design on the robe. The robes were handed down from generation to generation. After 1880 the Indians were discouraged by the governments to hold their traditional ceremonies and not many button blankets were made anymore. Around 1950 a revival of the button blanket occurred. New button blankets are made, and classes in button work are offered. The button blanket has now become the most popular piece of contemporary feast attire. Today, buttons are sometimes used to fill entire zones of the design elements and even the whole field of the background.
Tlingit button blanket with frog (1920s); wool, pearl buttons (from The Burke Museum of National History and Culture)A modern re-invention of
the button blanket concept by
Coho Creations: 
Based on:
Wikipedia
Clarissa Hudson Studio
The Button Lover's Book (Creative Machine Arts Series) by Marilyn V. Green
Make a Button Blanket
New button blanket (from Shawl Lady dot Com)
This Friday I show you some stamps of The Netherlands that have some connection with traditional Dutch costumes. The stamps above are from the summer stamps of 1974 (of designer J. v.d. Toorn Vrijthoff) and they show the Dutch author Herman Heijermans and the actress Esther de Boer – van Rijk in her star role as Kniertje in the famous 1900 play "Op Hoop Van Zegen" (Dutch for "Trusting Our Fate in the Hands of God") of Herman Heijermans. The play is taking place in a North Sea fishing village, and Kniertje is wearing a typical North Sea traditional Dutch costume.
This stamp is from the local post service in North East Friesland for the winter season in 2000. It shows 3 couples in traditional Friesian costumes glide skating, a typical old Dutch way of skating. 
This stamp is of 1996 and commemorates 200 years of the province of Noord-Brabant. In 1796 Noord-Brabant became the ninth province of the Netherlands; this fact was celebrated with roll of drums and flag throwing in historical costumes.
This lovely milkmaid is a historic ornamental stone on a house in Alkmaar. She is in the 1975 Child Welfare Issue together with some other ornamental house-stones. She is wearing a typical 16th century farmer's wife costume of North-Holland. I found this picture of her on Flickr (Sierag):
This lovely set commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Child Welfare Issues in 1974 and shows early photographs. They are from an old photograph album of around 1900 of Gerardus van Bruggen and Cornelia van Nes with their ten children (living on a farm in Haarlemmerliede). The kids pose in their Sunday clothes looking like small adults: Gerrit with a hoop (30 ct), Dora holding hands with her little brother Jo on a chair (35 ct), Sjaan and Ans (6 and 5 years of age) standing beside a chair (45 ct), and Cornelia sitting beside a decorated travelling box (60 ct).
