Little is known about the early stages of the Käkisalmi national costume, but already after the mid-18th century, old estate inventories contain mentions of bodice skirts used by the common people, which are called *hartuushame* skirts. For example, the Finnish-language term *hartuushame* appears in the 1782 estate inventory of Maria Juhontytär Tiira from Käkisalmi. In the collections of the National Museum, there are *hartuushame* skirts from Pyhäjärvi, Käkisalmi, Rautu, Sakkola and Metsäpirtti. In terms of their colouring and materials, they correspond to earlier estate inventory records. Researchers consider it probable that the bodice skirt was adopted on the Karelian Isthmus in a fully developed form at an early stage.

Bodice skirts changed even then, because in those parishes where the bodice skirt remained in use well into the 19th century, the bodice section shrank and began to resemble shoulder straps. The bodice skirts of Pyhäjärvi and Käkisalmi also changed to have narrow straps.

The national costume also includes a shirt (national costume blouse), apron, veil, *kostuli* or *kostoli* (a half-long linen or cotton outer tunic), stockings, shoes and a tablet-woven band. These documented parts of the costume are in the collections of the National Museum. The costume also includes a brooch with spangles, which in the 19th century was made of either tin or brass. From the latter part of the century onwards, almost exclusively large silver spangle brooches have been in use.

19 different 19th-century parts of national costumes from Käkisalmi rural municipality were once brought to the National Museum and have been dressed on a mannequin.

The Kekäskisalmi national costume was already being diligently made before the wars at the craft school maintained by the Kexholm Women's Association (Käkisalmen Kaupungin Rouvasväen Yhdistys). For example, it is known that at least 14 costumes were completed in 1926. In 1936, the craft school became a homecraft school, where the making of national costumes continued until the war.

Käkisalmi church choir dressed in Käkisalmi national costumes.

Due to the territorial losses caused by the war, the Women's Home Craft School was relocated to Mikkeli in the summer of 1940. The school was still owned by the Käkisalmi Women's Association, and its supervision was the responsibility of the Mikkeli Province Home Craft Association. Along with the relocation of the school, the skilled teacher and principal Vivi Savander moved to Mikkeli, as did Ida Autio, who had been working as a teacher since 1917.

Due to delays concerning war reparations and the like, the handover of the school took place at the end of 1948, at which point the Women's Domestic Industry School, together with its property, was transferred to the ownership of the Mikkeli Domestic Industry Association. Toini-Inkeri Kaukonen acted as the representative of the National Board of Agriculture in the handover negotiations. Today, the school is part of the South Savo Vocational College.

It was known that over the decades there were slightly differing variations of the Käkisalmi national costume. The desire to have the Käkisalmi national costume reviewed and to preserve the heritage of Käkisalmi for future generations was strong, so in the early 1970s the Women's Association turned to home industries inspector Toini-Inkeri Kaukonen regarding the matter, since the responsibility for national costumes and the preservation of the traditional culture associated with them had, since the 1890s, rested with the officials of the National Museum of Finland and the Finnish Heritage Agency, as well as parties using and making national costumes.

On the left, the Käkisalmi national costume from 1978 located in the South Karelia Museum in Lappeenranta, the national costumes of Martta Lindström and Leena Kemppinen from Heinola, and a photograph taken by Leena Kärävä-Lindgren at the Käkisalmi Festival in 2024.

Since the 1960s, the Women's Association had been investigating traditional information regarding the Käkisalmi national costume, and a complete costume ensemble for the Käkisalmi national costume had been assembled by that time. Confirmation for this costume was sought from the National Museum, as there was a desire to have more costumes made. At the request of the association, Kaukonen compared the aforementioned completed costume with the original materials from the Käkisalmi region held in the National Museum and concluded that the costume was correct in its main features, but still required correction and refinement in certain details. Kaukonen produced a corrected costume description, piece by piece, complete with drawings, in 1971. The guidelines were apparently reviewed again in November 1980, at which point she made a few minor corrections and refinements by hand.

The Mikkeli Province Home Industry Association was asked to be the costume manufacturer and was granted the rights to make the costume. From the Craft Centre sewing advisory service, it was possible for those wanting the costume to order a ready-made costume, a part of the costume, fabrics or other supplies. For decades, Airi Ruhanen was the most important advisor in the Mikkeli sewing advisory service and an expert on the Käkisalmi national costume. After 2015, the manufacture of the Käkisalmi national costume, the sewing advisory service, and the sale of supplies and material packs came to an end, and Piikkopuoti, which served customers, ceased operations. In practice, this means that the Käkisalmi national costume is not currently being manufactured, nor are its supplies available. To remedy the situation, the Women's Association, together with the Käkisalmi Foundation, submitted a request to the Finnish National Costume Centre in December 2020 for the revision of the Käkisalmi national costume, which would enable the commercial production of the costume as well as the purchase of material packs.

After the war, a large number of evacuees from Käkisalmi moved to Heinola. Among them were active individuals and skilled artisans who ordered craft kits from Mikkeli and made Käkisalmi national costumes and/or ancient Finnish national costumes. The people of Heinola have also showcased their craft skills at public events. National costumes were also made in the national costume course at the Jyränkölä adult education centre.

The picture shows an Ancient Karelian costume made by Leena Kemppinen. Leena has said that the design of the costume is based on grave finds from Kekomäki in Kaukola, and dates from the 13th century. Making the costume requires a huge number of working hours. Kemppinen has in her time travelled around Finland giving advice on how to make the Ancient Karelian costume. She has also given demonstrations of the craft, including at the Finnish National Costume Centre.