Cross dressing is a part of many rural holiday and polical upheaval traditions. I believe it was LeRoy Ladurie who wrote that it stemed from the belief among some men that women were not creatures of lodgic, so by dressing as a woman, it freed the man to act as a force of nature, it was especialy fearful to landlords when peasents dressed as women approached to due some act of redistibutive violence (after Monty Pythons Mrs Non Rabbit, I think the effect has been dulled however) But some in the Wren do cross dress, and wether a modern eliment or not, I dont know, but I have seen women dress as men, though I have not seen reference to that as traditional in writing, where men dressed as women is traditional. The other odd dress you speak of, may be straw boys - also seen during peasent uprisings, like the White boy movement, I understand. Straw boy costuems are made by plaiting barley first into a skirt, with some plaited into a belt holding long straws that cover down to the ankles from the waist - dence enough to be fully covering the figure. Then a cape made the same way. Then a hat, woven around wire form, in a trianle, with a spray of straw at the top, also thick enough that you cant see the face... If you send an email adress I can send a drawing... Im at InOBU@aol.com
All the best
Larry