▁tou red ▁Wales ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries . ▁It ▁is ▁very ▁likely ▁that ▁what ▁they ▁wore ▁was ▁a ▁surv ival ▁of ▁a ▁pan - Europe an ▁cost ume ▁worn ▁by ▁working ▁rural ▁women . ▁This ▁included ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁g own , ▁originally ▁worn ▁by ▁the ▁gent ry ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries , ▁an ▁item ▁of ▁cl othing ▁that ▁surv ived ▁in ▁Wales ▁for ▁longer ▁than ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁Britain . ▁The ▁unique ▁Wel sh ▁hat , ▁which ▁first ▁made ▁its ▁appearance ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁icon ▁of ▁Wales ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s .< ref > Christ ine ▁Stevens , ▁' Wel sh ▁Pe asant ▁D ress ▁– ▁Work we ar ▁or ▁National ▁Cost ume ', ▁Text ile ▁History ▁ 3 3 , ▁ 6 3 - 7 8 ▁( 2 0 0 2 ) </ ref > ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁the ▁Wel sh ▁cost ume ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁rural ▁cost ume ▁( with ▁regional ▁variations ▁within ▁Wales ) ▁and ▁became ▁recogn ised ▁as ▁a ▁traditional ▁cost ume ▁by ▁the ▁w ives ▁and ▁daughters ▁of ▁the ▁better - off ▁far mers , ▁who ▁wore ▁it ▁for ▁special ▁occasions ▁and ▁when ▁going ▁to ▁market ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁produce . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁when ▁the ▁traditional ▁cost ume ▁had ▁gone ▁out ▁of ▁general ▁use ,