The Church of theHoly Cross     Lace trimmed cap   1)THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS Lace is a fashion item   A few of the votive tablets of the Church of the Holy Cross display early examples of Finnish lace fashion. While the high society fashion of Southern and Central Europe required wide and impressive lace, the local style here was more modest. Lace trimmings were attached to the collars and the cuffs of linen shirts worn underneath thick woollen clothes. The era of lace trimmed caps – the great era of Rauma lace   The great era of Finnish lace-making was the late 18th century and the early 19th century, when lace trimmed caps were in fashion. They were women’s silk covered caps with lace trimmings. All women in the countryside as well as in towns wanted to possess an impressive lace trimmed cap.   The lace trimmed cap was a grown-up woman’s headdress. The cap with its precious lace trimming was first worn to confirmation and after that to social functions and to church, for example. Many women owned several caps. Even though new caps and lace trimmings were no longer purchased as actively in the late 19th century, many women wore their caps to church all their lives. Therefore, lace trimmed caps were still seen in the churches of Rauma region in the early 20th century.