Traditional Albanian clothing

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A typical Gheg Albanian costume

A traditional Albanian costume from the region of Labëria

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v t e

Traditional Albanian clothing (Albanian: veshjet tradicionale shqiptare, veshjet kombëtare, veshjet popullore or kostumet kombëtare) includes more than 200 different kind of clothings in all Albania and Albanian inhabited lands. This is due to the division the Albanian principalities in the Middle Ages. To this day, some conservative old men and women mainly from the North wear traditional clothing in their daily lives. Instead, older women from the South usually wear all black outfits. Almost every region in Albania has its own traditional dress with women clothing being particularly colorful and rich in detail.

Parts

The Albanian Dress consist of the following elements:

Headgear

Men

The following headdresses are in use for men:^[1]

• Qeleshe [cɛˈlɛʃɛ] or Plisi: a type of hat worn by men of Northern Albanian and Kosova. In central Albania (Tirana, Durrës, Kavaja) it is cone-shaped, and in North Albania and Kosovo round.
• Albanian hat (French: Chapeau albanois)^[2] worn typically during the 15th to 18th centuries^[3] and immortalized in Onufri's paintings
• Fez [fɛz]: a Turkish felt hat where upper flat manner un meischt red manner.
• Qylafë [ˈcylaf]: a woolen high hat worn in southern Albania.

For Women

The following headdress are in use for women:^[4]

• Kapica [kaˈpitsa]: a headdress for women.
• Langi, other names include: peshqira, riza, marhamë, pashnik
• Lëvere [ləˈvɛɾɛ]: right shaped headdress.
• Kryqe [ˈkɾycɛ]: square shaped headdress.

Pants and upper body covers

• Fustanella [fustaˈnɛɫa]: traditional skirt-like garment worn by men.
• Tirq [tiɾc]: long pant worn by man.
• Brekusha [bɾɛˈkuʃa]: for man and women.
• Xhubleta [dʒuˈblɛta]: Only worn by women.
• Mbështjellëse- Only worn by women.

Shoes

Opingat

• Opingat [ɔˈpiŋɡat]: Art Sandals

Xhaqete

A Xhaqete is a traditional vest, which is worn by Albanian men throughout Albania, in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and in the Arbëresh villages in Italy.

Brez

Brez are traditional belts, which are worn by Albanian men throughout Albania, in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and in the Arbëresh villages in Italy.

Çorape

Çorape are traditional pants which are worn by Albanian men throughout Albania, in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and in the Arbëresh villages in Italy.

Opinga

Opinga are traditional shoes which are worn by Albanian men throughout Albania, in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and in the Arbëresh villages in Italy.

Style in different locations

South Albania

South Albania has many branches that come from many cities on the South.

Labëria

In the region of Labëria, the traditional costume for men is like the picture on the right. They use Qeleshe which is a type of hat worn on the head. Then they wear a short black jacket, followed by a white shirt with wide sleeves. They also have a kind of a belt which is red and black like the Albanian Flag. They have black pants with long white socks. For shoes, they wear Opinga which are worn in Albania, Romania and Serbia. The costumes are very colorful.

Gallery

• 

  Albanian Fustanella

• 

  Lord Byron in Albanian Dress

• 

  Women clothing

• 

  A woman and a man from North Albania

• 

  Accessories

• 

  Women Dress from Southern Albania

• 

  Women clothing

• 

  Men and women's costumes

• 

  Accessories

• 

  Woman's upper body vest detail

• 

  Accessory Details

• 

  Accessory Details

References

1. ^ Gjergji 2004: S. 191
2. ^ de La Curne de Sainte-Palaye, Jean-Baptiste (1875) (in French). Dictionnaire historique de l'ancien langage françois. Champion (T. 01-09). pp. 316–. http://books.google.com/books?id=1yZXAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA316. 
3. ^ Anamali, Skënder (2002) (in Albanian). Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime. I. Botimet Toena. p. 300. OCLC 52411919. 
4. ^ Gjergji 2004: S. 194

Further reading

• Andromaqi, Gjergj (2004). Albanian Costumes Through the Centuries: Origin, Types, Evolution. Mësonjëtorja. ISBN 978-99943-614-4-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=vc3fAAAAMAAJ. 
• Andromaqi, Gjergji (2010). Albanian Clothing: Fustanella, Albanian Traditional Clothing, Qeleshe. Books, LLC. ISBN 978-1-158-32861-1. http://books.google.ca/books?id=F1tRbwAACAAJ. 
• Andromaqi, Gjerjgi (1999). Albanian Folk Costumes. Instituti i Kulturës Popullore, Departamenti Etnologjisë. ISBN 99927-654-6-1, 9789992765463. http://books.google.ca/books/about/Albanian_folk_costumes.html?id=43-DSwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y. 

See also

• Arbëresh
• Fustanella
• Culture of Albania
• Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Clothing of Albania

• Albanian Costumes at Albanian-Folklore.com
• Albanian Folk Costumes in Early Postcards
• Traditional Albanian Costumes Group on Flickr.com
• Explorations in Folklore 3: My Albanian Journey
• Infoarkiv: Etnografia e rrezikuar (Albanian)

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