Transylvanian Paper Shirt

This represents a linen shirt I bought from a Romanian dealer in the Naschmarkt in Vienna which is a street market where dealers come from all over central Europe to sell.

She told me that in the village where she came from, people would plant the flax, harvest it, turn the fibres into yarn, weave the cloth and make the shirt. All in one village.

The men wear shirts like this for special occasions like weddings. I loved the story and felt compelled to study this humble but wonderful piece.