The Sarakatsani costume in its final stage of development is distinguished into two types: one worn by the Sarakatsani from Western Macedonia down to northern Peloponnese, and the other from Central Macedonia to Rodopi. The dominant colors that characterize it are black and white.
In general, the Sarakatsani costume consists of the katasarki (commonly worn in Central Greece, Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace), the cheirotia, the skirt with the bodice (Central Greece, Epirus), the shirt (Central Greece, Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace), the xotraxilia or the apron (Central Greece, Epirus, Macedonia) or the roucho (Thrace), the segouna or sigouni (worn in the Sarakatsani costumes of Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace) or the zostari (Central Greece) or the tsmandani (Thrace), the fustani, the everyday cape (Epirus, Macedonia) or short cape (Central Greece), the kozoki with hanging sleeves at the back (Epirus), the bride’s cape (Macedonia, Thrace) or the golden short cape (Central Greece), the belt, usually leather (Central Greece, Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace), the velentzoula, the tsourapia (knitted stockings), and the patounia or patounes (Thrace).
As everyday head coverings, women wore a headscarf (Macedonia, Epirus, Central Greece) or a cap and the bochos (Thrace). In earlier times, the bride wore a fez, tsipomantilo, the kouklos, and the ompolia as head adornments, secured with a karfovelono pin. Jewelry included the kompothelies, tsaprazi, double and single kiousteki, thilykari, silver belt, and bracelet.
The components of the costume and their description
The shirt in both types is similar. It is a long, cotton, hand-woven garment with embroidery on the sleeves, extending from the shoulder to the elbow. The patterns and colors are also similar in the knitted tsourapia (woolen stockings), the cheirotia (arm warmers), the leather belt, the tsarouchia (traditional shoes), the headscarf, as well as in many items of jewelry. The slit in the skirt is identical as well. Many elements of the women’s costume resemble the men’s attire, a fact attributed to the social isolation of the Sarakatsani.
Among the differences between the two types of women’s costume is the segouni. In Epirus it was worn as an inner garment, whereas among the Sarakatsani of the Peloponnese and Central Greece it evolved into the zostari, while in Thrace it was replaced by the tsamantani (closed at the front and shorter than the sigouni). Another difference is the giouziok of Epirus, which becomes the kontokapa in Central Greece and the Peloponnese and the kapi in Thrace. The richest zostaria are found in Central Greece and constitute the only garment decorated with embroidery made by a professional craftsman. In Thrace, the costume appears with further variations and heavier ornamentation.
The skirt is sewn onto the tsamantani and has fewer but wider pleats, while it is decorated with gold and silver braids. The apron was preserved in Thrace, whereas in other regions it had been abandoned in festive dress. The distinctive feature, however, is the belt (zona), with its rich decoration. In addition, we encounter the kaltsounia, which do not exist in other regions. The costume is often influenced by local dress traditions, incorporating lace, aprons, embroidery, and jewelry. In earlier times, instead of the trachilia there was the wide-sleeved shirt, which has since disappeared in Epirus and Central Greece. The adornment of the festive costume in all regions included the armata, the alysia, the silver belt with chains, and various buckles, clasps, and tsaprakia.
The festive costume was called armata and was the same for brides as well. Brides, however, wore a silk dress over the costume so as not to appear slim and fragile but broad. Its color could be white or red; it had a gathered skirt and lace decoration on the chest. Women who could not afford such garments made dresses of chasedeni fabric. With the red dress they usually wore a red silk apron with lace, while with the white dress they wore white lace aprons. Over the silk dress was worn the kozoki or the golden kontokapa.
The katasarki is a woolen undershirt that replaced the pkamso and the broumanika, the additional sleeves that covered the arms. The body of the katasarki was made of wool, while the sleeves were made of various fabrics. Everyday sleeves reach the elbow and then continue as knitted parts called cheirotia. In Central Greece the sleeves are decorated with a different woven fabric, two-colored in white and black.
The skirt is the misofori, worn by all Sarakatsani women except those of Thrace, and is made of second-quality wool. It comes in various colors and has gathers. The pkamso is a thick woven garment; in Thrace it is called sokaia and has lace at the hem. Festive examples had red or green embroidery. Today the pkamso is no longer worn.
The exotrachilia, or apron as it is called in Epirus and Central Greece, or roucho in Thrace, covers the chest and replaced the trachilia of the shirt. It fastens at the neck with a collar; in Epirus it is worn stretched tight, while in Central Greece it is gathered and called broumaniko. The segouna of Epirus and Thrace, known as zonari in Central Greece, is worn under the trachilia, has no sleeves, and fastens below the chest with a silver kombothilia. In the past the segouna was white, in Thrace dark blue, and for brides red. Today in Thrace, instead of the segouna, the tsamantani is worn.
The tsamantani is a sleeveless woolen garment, richly decorated, to which the skirt is attached. The zostari, worn in Thessaly, Central Greece, and the Peloponnese, resembles a vest; from the waist up it is woolen, and below it is cotton and embroidered.
The foustani or flora resembles the fustanella and is the most characteristic element of the Sarakatsani costume. It is worn over the segouna and is removed when women engage in hard labor, remaining only in the skirt. A distinctive feature of the foustani is the side opening, called langioli in Epirus. It is usually made of wool in dark colors. After its decoration is completed, the pleats are formed, creating a pleated effect; in Thrace the pleats number forty.
The kapa or kontokapi is made of dark-colored wool, reaches below the waist, and is open in front so that the embroidery of the trachilia and the segouna can be seen. It fastens below the kombothilia of the segouna with another kombothilia. Its sleeves have openings so that the embroidery of the cheirotia of the katasarki is visible. In recent times, in Roumeli and Attica, a tzako is worn instead of the kapa. In festive and bridal dress, corresponding to the everyday kapa, there are the gkouzioki, kapi, or kontokapa. In Thrace, instead of the kapi, brides wear the polka, which has no sleeves.
The zona is worn beneath the kimeri, that is, the belt of the skirt, and is decorated with cord; its craftsmanship is particularly complex. The leather zona replaced the woven belt and is made of red buffalo hide. The apron is worn only in Thrace. In Central Greece, a gathered apron is worn, while the festive one is decorated with lace. The bridal apron is velvet with multicolored embroidered flowers. In the past, in Epirus, woolen aprons were worn, and brides’ aprons had gold embroidery. Today, in Epirus and Central Greece, only brides wear an apron, which is white and made of lace and silk.
The velentzoula is the everyday outer garment and is a small, fully embroidered blanket-like covering. The tsourapia have no heels, as women walked barefoot, and they reach up to the knee. They are made of wool and feature various knitted patterns. The patounia are also knitted but are worn only in Thrace; they are multicolored, patterned, and reach down to the ankle.
Headwear and jewelry
The brides parted their hair down the middle, applied butter to make it shine, and braided it into two plaits. In earlier times the braids were fastened on the head, while later they were left hanging down. In Thrace there were various hairstyles, differing according to the woman’s age. On top they wore a red fez with a tassel on the side, and later a black woolen cap called glitsoula. Over this they wore the bochos or headscarf, known as the tsemberi. In Thrace, the everyday bochos was red cotton, while the festive one was silk for young women and black for older women.
In bridal headwear, the white tulle veil has now prevailed, whereas in the past brides wore the tsipomantilo, a white cloth with embroidery on the forehead. Over it they placed a red scarf instead of a veil, the so-called kouklos, which covered the face and was secured with the white obolia. At the back of the head they placed the karfovelono with two chains and earrings attached to the obolia, and slightly lower they wore the double and single kiousteki. Later, when the obolia was abandoned, they wore a small fez decorated with coins, a black floral scarf over it, earrings, and the single kiousteki. Instead of the kouklos, they placed in front of the face a red tulle with gold sequins, called tsipa. In more recent years they wore only the tsemberi, a headscarf adorned with a single gold cord.
All jewelry formed part of the dowry. Many pieces also had practical uses, such as the chains that secured the earrings and the silver belt that held the knife. The kombothilies were used to fasten the cape, the zostari, and other parts of the costume. The thilykari was also a piece of jewelry that adorned the waist while at the same time securing the belt. The kapakozounara resemble the belts of ancient warriors and were mainly worn in Epirus and Macedonia, with a silver belt worn over them that resembled snake scales. The beletziki was the bracelet worn over the broumanika on the right arm and later over the katasarki. The kioustekia that once adorned the headwear were, after its abandonment, worn as decoration on the chest. Finally, the jewelry also included earrings worn on festive occasions.
Sources
• Greek Folk Costume (Volumes One & Two), Angeliki Hatzimichali, Benaki Museum, “Melissa” Publications.
• Greek Costumes, Collection of the National Historical Museum, Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece, 2nd edition, Athens 2005.
words from tradition
