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Nowadays, in the Tyrol and Austria, the miners’ uniform essentially corresponds to the ‘Regulations issued by the Ministry of Agriculture of Vienna, in agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, of June 14 1890, regarding uniforms for Imperial forestry workers and miners.’
The costume consists of hat, jacket, waistcoat, tie, trousers, and backward-facing apron.
The stiff black hat, 14 cm high, can be with or without visor. On the front is the miners’ emblem (pick and hammer), encircled by a ribbon and surrounded by laurel branches. Above is a golden rosette with a small central shield which, before 1919, was decorated with the two-headed imperial eagle. Now there is a movable badge which, on the occasion of a miner’s funeral, is turned downwards, like the rosette. Above the rosette is a black plume of feathers, 15 cm high. The upper border of this hat may be decorated, according to its wearer’s rank, with golden trimmings of various width.
The miner’s jacket, of black cloth, is buttoned in front with nine gilt buttons with eagles on them (often also with the miner’s emblem). The high, stiff collar has badges showing the wearer’s service rank. From the collar departs a nine-pointed cape 18 cm long, recalling its original function of protecting miners from falling stones.
On the upper sleeve is the miner’s emblem between two strips of velvet, finishing with a semi-circular piece of cloth, to which are applied fringes in twisted silk, 8 cm long. On the velvet strips above the cuffs and on the breast are 5 buttons, slightly smaller than those fastening the jacket, making a total of 29 buttons. It is presumed that they symbolize the life of St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners, who only lived to the age of 29. In the same way, the black symbolizes the darkness of the mine shafts and the gilt buttons sunlight.
The waistcoat, also in black cloth, has 7 gilt buttons.
The trousers, in dark grey or black cloth, have outer seams decorated with a strip of black velvet. The only garment typical of the miners’ original working clothes is the backward-facing leather apron, now only worn for ceremonial purposes. Badges of honour are the pick and hammer.