Vyshyvanka is used as a talisman to protect the person wearing it and to tell a story. A geometric pattern woven in the past by adding red or black threads into the light thread was later imitated by embroidery, and believed to have the power to protect a person from all harm. There is a saying in Ukrainian "born in vyshyvanka" somebody was born wearing vyshyvanka. It is used to emphasize someone's luck and ability to survive in any situation.