Folk Costume From Malax Finland

Laura Jensen in Malax Costume

This from Folk Costume on Wikipedia:   Following the outbreak of romantic nationalism, the peasantry of Europe came to serve as models for all that appeared genuine and desirable. Their dress crystallised into so-called "typical" forms, and enthusiasts adopted that attire as part of their symbolism.

Linnea Gord Jensen in cosutme
with Leonard Svedberg

Each village has a different folk costume.  By crystallised I believe is intended a gradual accumulation of a village costume that matched everyone else in the village, and this happened in the nineteenth century at a time when historians accumulated songs and dance patterns, gathered and published them together.  The published music books were an opportunity for immigrants to the United States to perform songs they knew well from their childhoods together as a part of communicating together.  
Long-ago Peasants of course did not have music books.  The folk costumes were a way of remembering a time in the past.   My mother brought a folk costume back from Finland with her in 1938.  I have a photo of her with Leonard Svedberg at a gathering.  I tried the costume on over ten years ago and took my photo in the costume.  I have the folk costume that belonged to my mother.