Men wear a peaked cap, a brimmed felt hat, a kairalakki cap or a knitted woollen cap. Vanha Korpilahti costume. A variety of white tanu caps are worn with western Finnish costumes. It is suitable for any special occasion, and can be worn as wedding attire, at graduation balls, or as stage costume by folk musicians, folk dancing groups and choirs. I t should be borne in mind that every national costume forms an ensemble in its own right, complete with all the standard accessories, including headgear, socks, shoes and jewellery.
National costumes preserve a valuable part of our folk heritage.
They also add a distinctly Finnish element to our modern dress culture. I n the 1890s the National Museum of Finland Suomen kansallismuseo and the National Board of Antiquities Museovirasto were made responsible for preserving the national costume and related folk heritage. This responsibility also rested in the hands of the communities who made and wore them. T he task was later entrusted to the National Costume Council of Finland Suomen kansallispukuneuvosto . The Council was founded in 1979 to coordinate research, documentation, education, publishing and information on and about Finnish national costume.