Photo courtesy of Robert Tyszek If you see a number of pictures together, you can see that the traditional costumes of countries defined by a region exhibit the same kind of features. The traditional dress of Poland as above, for example is similar to those of the neighboring Baltic States.

Source: couturemillinery.com Some costumes have specific significance. In Russia the kokoshnik (headdress) is an important part of traditional dress (sarafan). It is worn by married women. Unmarried women wear a povyashka, which is open at the back.

Source: Costume of Mongolian ethnic group ... The traditional headdress of the Ordos people - an ethnic group from Inner Mongolia (around Hohhot.)

Source: Hmong-Inspired + Giveaway! The Hmong are one of the sub groups of the Miao ethnicity. They live in Southern China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Source: #87654321... The traditional Balinese dress is similar to the Indian sari but has more of a sarong feel and is usually of heavier fabric.

Source: Dance Extravaganza at the Turkish ... So many ethnic costumes include an elaborate headdress usually containing some traditional craft work.

Source: All sizes | Untitled | ... And many traditional costumes are associated with dance because they were originally worn for feast days, festivals and holidays.

Source: Christina, a Khanty women with ... The Khanty people of Western Siberia know how to dress for the cold.

Source: Debrobhbleishbp.tumblr.com Kurdish women dressed for a traditional dance.

Source: asian-costumes.com A gorgeous Chinese wedding gown - red of course - topped by a gold phoenix crown.

Source: Okinawan The traditional dance costume of Okinawa.

Source: Ethnic The fur is needed to keep warm in the winter in the mountains.

Source: Trip!!! The bright colors of the Andean Indians.

Source: Euroheritage.net The traditional costumes of the Low Countries are pretty similar. I hope she's wearing her wooden clogs!

Source: URPLE: my favorite ever Miao women adorned (well, dripping actually) in stunning silver jewelry.

Source: Adorned | Near East Stunning gold thread embroidery on the kaftan-style gown is echoed in the headdress.

Source: Alsace-Lorraine 004 Embroidery and lace are the main features of traditional dress in Alsace-Lorraine.

Source: Traditional dress of Albania | ... There are regional variations in the Albanian national dress due to the divisional principalities that existed from the Middle Ages. (Am really loving that they have very modern manicures!)

Source: ـــــــــــــ طفله يخجل منها القمر ... Silver adorns traditional costumes all around the world.

Source: Nawzad Shekhany | Facebook The Amazigh are a sub group of the Berbers, a semi-nomadic people of Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and other areas of North West Africa.

Source: Kalash The Kalashi are a pagan tribe from Chital in North Pakistan.

Source: Blogger Although following a similar theme, there are many variations of the traditional Norwegian wedding dress, some specific to small villages.

Source: Traditional Dress Vietnam The áo dai is usually a tight fitting four or five-paneled tunic, worn over a flowing skirt or very loose pants.

Source: Women of the Lovely Planet-3 ... As with many other countries, the traditional dress of Macedonia is an expression of folk art.

Source: Laila Tobiassen in traditional beaded ... Beads and heavy wool are a big part of the traditional dress of Greenland.

Source: Jewel incrusted traditional ceremonial costume ... The significance of this costume is quite incredible. The Kampa people were mostly nomadic and they had to carry their wealth around with them, so it was usually worn. And as such, the more ornaments and jewelry worn, the greater the wealth. Common materials are gold, silver, coral, amber and turquoise.

Source: Women strolling Can you see the Spanish influence? This costume is more common to the Intramuros area of Manila which was the seat of government when Spain ruled the country.

Source: Bigoudène The tall lace headdress signifies the traditional costume of Bretagne (Brittany)

Source: muirgil's dream : Photo I understand that in some Swedish villages the bridal costume (an example of Folkdräkt) was so expensive that it was owned by the parish and loaned out on wedding days. This one is from Rättvik.

Source: Traditional, Sumur The gorgeous stones on the headdresses of the Ladakhi women are naturally occurring turquoise.

Source: ⟰ Greece-Folk Costumes, Jewelry & ... With so many islands (more than 1,400) traditional costumes around Greece are variations on a theme.

Source: P4012802 From simple white with intricate embroidery to something like a French courtesan would wear!

Source: Traditional costume: Gabes- Tunisia The lavish outfit of a Berber bride.

Source: something clever The national dress of central Eurasian countries (usually ending in stan!) have been subject to Russian and Asian influences.

Source: Panameña en Pollera. The South American country's traditional dress is called the Pollera.

Source: folkthings.tumblr.com Typical dirndl skirted pinafores for the women and lederhosen for the men.

Source: Gunnar og Maria Owned by Denmark, the islands' national costume has a definite Scandinavian influence.

Source: Traditional Dress Lace is an important component in the traditional costumes of Spain.

Source: Traditional Dress Finland A colorful costume of the Sami people of Northern Scandinavia - also known as Lapps.

Source: Customs of Sardinia Many villages in Sardinia have their own traditional costumes, usually exhibiting special handicrafts of the villagers.

Source: Travel Photography Portfolio - https://www.coolephotography.co.uk The Dard people are reclusive and there are only two villages in the Brokpa region of North India that are open to visitors.

Source: Estilo Mexicano~Mexican Style The traditional "China Poblana" style dress from the state of Puebla.

Source: nostalgerie Like so many other countries, each region of Algeria has its version of the traditional costume.

Source: National Geographic Creative | Stock ... For Western brides, it is a matter of choice as to whether to wear a veil or not. For many cultures and peoples, it's a given. This stunning example is worn by a Yemeni Jew in Israel.

Source: Traje de vistas This costume from La Alberca seems a far cry from the "usual" vision of a Spanish national dress. The heavy beading and ornamentation is more African tribal than traditional Spanish.

Source: Traditional dress of Turkmenistan | ... The red is glorious!

Source: Antropología So many colors in one costume. A traditional look of the Uyghur people of East and Central Asia.

Source: hot.omtimo.org Such a rich color palette.

Source: Traditional Costume of Sabah These gorgeous women are from Sabah, one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo.

Source: Muslim Woman Wearing Traditional Clothes ... Muslims make up a significant proportion of the population of Kyrgyzstan.

Source: Village phousath nord du pays No matter how traditional and detailed your costume is, there’s nothing quite so comfy as a pair of flip flops!

Source: Switzerland traditional dress PC Dressing in layers for winter warmth.

Source: Fαshιση-I-zing C♄Ìℂ It's important that we continue to appreciate traditional costumes as it keeps some handicrafts alive.

Source: People Ndebele woman dressed in ... The style of costume indicates she is a married Ndebele woman who make their home in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

Source: india - zanskar The minority ethnic groups of India rarely have saris as their major form of dress. These are women from Zanskar. Their costume is practical to allow them to clamber over the hills of Kashmir as they tend to their livestock.

Source: World Cultures Grass skirts are reserved mainly to show tourists these days.

Source: Crafty Jemima: St. David's Day The Welsh national costume - distinguished by the tall black hat and white apron - is generally only seen at festivals and fairs these days.

Source: Travel & Adventures: Tonga. A ... Tongan men and women wear toga-come-sarong style dresses in traditional print - called tapa cloth.

Source: Kikuyu woman "traditional" dress/costume Cowrie shells - once a form of money in Africa - are an important part of the traditional Kikuyu costume.

Source: Nicaragua - Wikipedia, the free ... This bright costume is worn for the Mestizaje dance.

Source: Panoramio - Photo of Traditional ... Lace, headdresses and pinafores make up the national dress of Austria.

Source: TRADITIONAL SAMOAN CLOTHES PATTERN | ... This is the costume of a Taupou - a ceremonial hostess selected by a high chief of a Samoan village from the young girls of his household, elevated to a high rank, and charged with the formal reception and entertainment of visitors. They will usually perform a dance as a greeting ceremony.

Source: Stock Photography by Aurora Photos: ... The Zulu are one of the peoples of Africa who make fabulous use of beads for their traditional clothes.

Source: lindaclifford.com Scottish families generally have a "clan" tartan.

Source: culture Red and gold is such a prevalent color combination in the traditional costumes of Asia.

Source: elegant dressed,Rajasthan,India Hennaed hands, diaphanous veil, richly embellished sari, tons of bangles, exquisite jewelry - everything we'd expect from a Rajasthani woman.

Source: World of Ethno, Woman in ... A wonderful mix of African and Spanish influences for this beauty from Salvador da Bahia.

Source: Hot Moon Collection | Venice, ... The women from the Afar tribe practice facial scarification which serves as a means of establishing tribal identity and a way to enhance physical beauty.

Source: EL HIEROGLYPH The Bonda tribe is one of the oldest and most primitive in mainland India. There is only about 12,000 of them and their culture has changed little for more than a thousand years.

Source: フルコーデ/美しいきものの世界 - 豊富な品揃えとハイセンスな小物のコーディネートで振袖人気NO1の店 The kimono must be one of the most recognizable national costumes but to the skilled eye there are nuances between the styles for marital status and occasion.

Source: KOREA traditional Korean clothes_한복4 The traditional dress worn by Koreans is called a hanbok.

Source: Massai girl adorning colourful and ... The stunning beadwork of the Maasai women makes up a bit part of their traditional costume.

Source: Exposicion Raíces Palestinas - Bogotá The headdress/adornment here is usually worn with a robe called a thawb - as seen in the next picture.

Source: Guide to traditional Arab Woman ... The robe is known as a thawb.

Source: غزل الصوف بالطريقة التقليدية فتيات ... Seriously - can you imagine having to dress like this for work every day? Kudos!

Source: MAKING YOU HAPPY - charcoalfeather: ... The Itelmen are the original settlers of the Kamchatka Peninsula which is opposite Alaska. You may therefore notice similar ethnicity to the First Nation peoples.

Source: System Error And from Russian natives and First Nation people to the Native Americans. This gorgeous dress dates back to the late19th century.

Source: ذهنت را باز کن And to end, I'm sure this is what most of us imagine when we think of the costumes of India - saris in jewel colors. We’ve come to the end of the global fashion show. We’d love to hear from readers of their own experiences of national dress. Please tell!