▁selected ▁elements ▁of ▁it ▁became ▁adopted ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁Cost ume . ▁From ▁then ▁on ▁it ▁was ▁worn ▁by ▁women ▁at ▁events ▁such ▁as ▁Royal ▁vis its , ▁by ▁cho irs , ▁at ▁church ▁and ▁chap el , ▁for ▁photograph s ▁and ▁occasionally ▁at ▁e isted df od au . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁worn ▁by ▁girls ▁as ▁a ▁celebr ation ▁on ▁Saint ▁David ' s ▁Day ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War . ▁The ▁cost ume ▁is ▁now ▁recogn ised ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁dress ▁of ▁Wales . ▁▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁Very ▁little ▁evidence ▁for ▁traditional ▁Wel sh ▁cost ume ▁surv ives ▁before ▁about ▁ 1 7 7 0 ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁tour ists ▁came ▁to ▁Wales ▁and ▁recorded ▁in ▁words ▁and ▁pictures ▁the ▁cost umes ▁worn ▁by ▁women ▁in ▁Wales . ▁They ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁women ▁in ▁rural ▁parts ▁of ▁Wales ▁wore ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁cost ume ▁which ▁varied ▁from ▁place ▁to ▁place . ▁Women ▁in ▁towns ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁lived ▁near ▁the ▁Wel sh - English ▁border ▁or ▁near ▁busy ▁ports ▁were ▁already ▁we aring ▁English ▁f ash ions , ▁often ▁made ▁of ▁cot ton . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁certain ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁gent ry , ▁especially ▁August a ▁Hall ▁( l ater ▁Lady ▁L lan over ) ▁of ▁L lan over ▁near ▁A berg aven ny , ▁recorded ▁and ▁tried ▁to ▁preserve ▁some ▁Wel sh ▁trad itions , ▁including ▁cost ume . ▁The ▁prints ▁of ▁cost umes ▁of ▁parts ▁of ▁Wales ▁which ▁she ▁may