The pille of Pincehely

A 20th Century Attire in the 21st Century

Abstract

The pille attire, characteristic of Pincehely and the surrounding villages, is remarkable from several perspectives. The history of the pille illustrates the continuous change and evolution of traditional peasant clothing elements, as the pille developed from earlier clothing elements into the form we know today only in the first decades of the 20th century. This organic development, however, was interrupted in the 1950s when communities abandoned their traditional clothing elements, and the pille, like other traditional garments, disappeared from everyday use. Subsequently, a new process of dressing up began, which, although differing from the original functions, ensured that this unique attire would not completely vanish and would be preserved for future
generations.

In our research, we used local history and ethnographic sources and conducted interviews with leaders of the Association for Pincehely. A significant result of the Association's work is that the pille attire has become a noteworthy cultural symbol
today, connecting the community with their traditions and attracting increasing attention both locally and internationally.