The Latvian word for the national folk costume, tautastērps, both vividly and literally reveals the essence of the word – tauta (nation/folk) and tērps (costume). On the one hand, folk costumes serve as formal wear outside of Latvia – they are worn at celebrations and important occasions (Midsummer, Independence Day, school graduations, etc.), and thousands of the colourful costumes are worn at song festivals and cultural festivals organised by Latvians abroad. On the other hand, the national folk costume has become the most expressive symbol of Latvian identity in the world, confirming not only the wearer’s ethnic heritage and distinctiveness in the multicultural conditions of their place of residence, but also revealing the values and unique features of Latvia’s cultural heritage.

The Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre’s exhibition “Wearing Latvia” features 40 Latvian national costumes from abroad and the stories of their wearers and makers. The objects and photographs on display show both the symbolic significance of the folk costumes and the history of their wearing and making – life in refugee camps, later on in Latvian communities in exile, and in today’s emigrant centres. The history of folk costumes made by Latvians living abroad – the particularly unique methods and creative ingenuity employed – reveals the diversity of Latvian craftsmanship in the diaspora, where emotional and social aspects prevailed over ethnographic precision.