Ochipok

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The Ochipok (Ukrainian: Очіпок) was a married woman's headdress as part of traditional Ukrainian folk dress.

Ochipok were loose-fitting and handmade of usually linen, wool, silk, brocade or chintz. They were sometimes embroidered. They were mainly worn by women in the middle Dnieper River region, including the Left-Bank and steppe areas, however the ochipok was also used in other regions of Ukraine. It is thought to have originated during the Hetmanate period. The specific characteristics of the ochipok varied from region to region.

Generally, the girl first began to wear the ochipok during the Ukrainian wedding ceremony. At one point during the wedding the brides hair would be covered, and this had great symbolic meaning. Covering her hair was considered very important, so after a girl was married she would wear it her entire life, usually without taking it off in public. It was considered offensive for anyone to remove a woman's ochipok.