The folk costumes worn in the parishes of Saaremaa are divided into three groups: East Saaremaa, West Saaremaa and Sõrve. Mustjala (German Mustel ) , which belonged to the West Saaremaa group, was a seaside parish in the northwestern part of Saaremaa, bordered by the parishes of Kihelkonna and Kärla.
The Mustjala folk costumes stood out from the Lääne-Saaremaa group with their fashion and colorfulness.
The ceremonial clothing of the Mustjala woman had similar features to those of several other parishes. Thus, the tanu was similar in height and colors to the western tanus, while the shirt was similar in its decoration to the eastern ones. The open collar and sleeves, more common in the eastern parishes, were also used in Mustjala.
The transverse stripes of the older skirt were wide like those of the Sõrve skirts, but it was quite exceptional among other Saaremaa skirts as it was one of the shortest. The rust-red skirt had white transverse stripes, which is why the skirt was also called the white skirt. What made the older set special was that skirt fabric was used as the abu fabric. This method of use is not found elsewhere in Saaremaa.
The latest fashion for a long-striped skirt was popular in Mustjala in the 1870s and 1880s. It was made of black abu fabric.
The woman's traditional costume was also made special by stockings knitted with colorful patterns. These are also not found in other parishes.
