Greek Magnificence on Tumblr

This April, the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation curates our Tumblr around the tradition of Greek women’s local dress from the 18th century until the early 20th century. The tradition is characterised by its splendid choice of fabrics, embroidery, colours and jewellery.

The dress of the skléta costume from Astypalaia, Dodecanese Early 20th century ©Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation, Nafplion, Greece

The garment forms of women’s costume of the 18th century have their origins in a period of which we have very little relevant information. Nevertheless, these forms constituted the basis of what was to follow in the middle of the 19th century when the Romantic Movement brought attention to local costume in Greece, Western Europe and elsewhere.

Pattern of a dress from Kassos, Dodecanese, Greece The dotted line on the pattern marks the position of the overfold. © Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation Archive, Nafplion, Greece

The basis is formed by two types of garments: the dress from Kassos (Greece, Dodecanesse) and Karpathos (Greece, Dodecanesse), a three metre long dress with a fold. The fold recalls the kolpos of the Ionic chiton and the loose pleated dress of Crete (Greece) which seems to have been taken its shape in Italy during the Renaissance. The two dresses constitute the foundation of the costumes of the Aegean.

Pattern of a dalmatic © Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation, Nafplion, Greece

A series of chemises introduced the dalmatic, a garment which constituted the foundation for other Greek costumes. The dalmatic’s simple line was supplemented all over the Balkans by a series of layered garments during the long period of Ottoman rule. These layers often constituted various urban outer garments, such as the anderi, the kavadi, the kaftan, the doulamas (dolama), the sayas, the pirpiri and the tzoumbes (cübbe).

These costumes are of course best understood by seeing them, so have a look this wonderful curation our Tumblr.

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