A Folk Costume for the Brazilian Climate

Made by Liana Arais Pydd in Ijuí, Brazil, in the late 1990s.

Latvian-Brazilian Liana Arais Pydd used a thin and breathable striped fabric in shades of brown to make the dress. She wore pastalas (trad. leather footwear) on her feet and sometimes tied a woven belt around her head instead of wearing a crown or headdress. Liana says: “This is one of my folk costumes that I used to wear, and it reflects quite well the difficulties that people in Brazil have to go through. It’s hard to wear Latvian folk costumes from December to March because they are very warm.” Liana wore the folk costume to events at the Brazilian Latvian Centre, and once to a ball at the “Fenadi” ethnic community festival in Ijuí.

Donated by Liana Arais Pydd. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2023.22.1-2).

Liana Arais Pydd in one of her handmade stylised folk costumes at the ethnic community ball in Ijuí, Brazil, in 2015. From left: Armindo Pydd, Liana Arais Pydd, Maiga Arais, Eronita Arais. Donated by Liana Arais Pydd. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.