Habit of a Lady of Livonia in 1577

by Thomas Jefferys

The unique engraving from the 18th century, which was produced by Thomas Jefferys, provides one of the few ethnographic looks at the Baltic area during the late Renaissance period. The image shows what a lady of Livonia might have looked like in 1577, presenting the special combination of clothing styles from Northern Europe and Slavic countries that was peculiar to the Livonian Confederacy.

The depicted woman wears historical clothes, including heavy, structured garments, decorations along the edges, and traditional headdresses that signified the social status of its wearer in the 16th-century Baltic states. This particular engraving, drawn with the help of Jefferys' renowned linear style, is a primary source of immense value for researchers studying the history of fashion in Northern Europe.