▁worn ▁by ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁young ▁women ▁including ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁cho ir . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁both ▁old ▁and ▁modern ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁cost ume ▁were ▁worn ▁by ▁perform ers ▁at ▁concert s ▁and ▁e isted df od au , ▁by ▁st all ▁hold ers ▁at ▁fund ▁raising ▁events ▁and ▁for ▁Royal ▁vis its . ▁The ▁numbers ▁of ▁women ▁who ▁wore ▁Wel sh ▁cost ume ▁in ▁this ▁way ▁was ▁always ▁small ▁but ▁its ▁use ▁was ▁remarkable ▁enough ▁to ▁mention ▁in ▁reports ▁of ▁such ▁events . ▁Some ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁wore ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁younger ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁middle - class ▁families ▁who ▁could ▁afford ▁the ▁money ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁cost umes ▁and ▁the ▁time ▁to ▁attend ▁such ▁events . ▁Although ▁there ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁little ▁encourag ement ▁to ▁wear ▁cost umes ▁at ▁these ▁events , ▁those ▁few ▁who ▁did ▁were ▁often ▁spoken ▁of ▁with ▁pride . ▁ ▁For ▁some , ▁we aring ▁Wel sh ▁cost ume ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁was ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁maintain ▁tradition ; ▁for ▁others ▁it ▁was ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁Wel sh ▁identity ▁and ▁national ity ▁and ▁possibly ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁distinguish ▁themselves ▁from ▁in com ers ▁both ▁in ▁what ▁they ▁sold ▁at ▁market ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁probably ▁spoke ▁Wel sh ; ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁it ▁was ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁market ing ▁traditional ▁business es , ▁especially ▁we aving . ▁There ▁is ▁little ▁evidence ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁suggestion ▁that ▁the ▁Wel