Volendam is in the province of North Holland, on the west coast of Lake IJssel (the former Zuidersee). Nowadays, Volendam is a popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands, well known for its old fishing boats and the traditional clothing still worn by some residents.
Interestingly, Volendam has its own customs which set it apart from the rest of the Netherlands. The people living there also have their own dialect, called Volendams. During the Reformation (16th century), the village remained Catholic unlike the people living in the rest of the area, so this costume showed that the women were of the Catholic faith.
Women’s clothing
The women’s costume of Volendam, with its high, pointed bonnet, is one of the most recognisable of the Dutch traditional costumes as it has been used to advertise Dutch produce for a long time. It is often featured on tourist postcards and posters (although there are believed to be fewer than 50 women now wearing the costume as part of their daily lives, most of them elderly). Indeed, the Volendam traditional dress is nowadays the basis for the Dutch national costume as the black skirt, striped apron and jacket, shawl and the ladies’ lace cap are famous all over the world and immediately associated with the Netherlands.
The white starched lace cap was not used for everyday wear instead the head was covered by a small black cap. The exaggerated peaked style of this lace cap was first seen in the 20th century. Before this, the black undercaps and the white overcaps were less peaked in shape, though the wings did still extend out to the side.
The silhouette of the costume of the women of Volendam dates back to the 17th century when padded hip rolls were worn. This shape may also be formed by several layers of underskirts. Nowadays, women wear one or two petticoats and do not wear the padded hip roll. The skirt maybe striped, but the day-to-day version although having a similar cut is black or navy blue, while the apron is striped.
Above the skirt, the women wear a white sleeveless underbodice ornamented with a bib (kraplap). The bib is similar to the ones used in Germany and reflect the German influence. The kraplap is made of two squares of fabric with floral designs that are joined at the shoulder. It was fastened at the neck and then secured to the costume at the bottom with ribbons. A solid short standing collar was attached at the neckline. The kraplap extended to just above the bust line and was covered with a dark wool jacket or overbodice (kletje). For daily wear, the kraplap and white underbodice were replaced by a printed bodice.
The kletje may have a short skirt or peplum attached to it. It fastens at the centre front and has a trimmed square neckline, front and back, to display the kraplap underneath. A white fichu or neckerchief is worn with the ends tucked into the kletje. This can be replaced by a knitted shawl or scarf. Usually, women wear white stockings and leather buckle shoes.
Men’s clothing
The men of Volendam and the other villages with this style of costume were fishermen, who needed warm and water- and windproof clothing that left their legs and feet free, because they had to work on small boats in a cold climate.’ The traditional male costume includes wide woollen trousers (broek) with silver buttons on the front square fall-front, as well as wooden clogs (klompen), a white shirt, a striped or red waistcoat, a jacket and a hat.
Source(s) of information
http://folkcostume.blogspot.de/2011/11/costume-of-volendam-north-holland.html
http://www.godutch.com/newspaper/index.php?id=188
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volendam
Picture source
Voledam costume – http://folkcostume.blogspot.de/2011/11/costume-of-volendam-north-holland.html
(1.3.0c)
National costume dolls 
What does the museum contain please?