Costume

The costume of the village woman with festive dress consists of: the fustani (dress), the ypokamison (chemise), the sarka (sleeved jacket) and the headdress comprising two scarves.

In the case of this costume, too, the basic garment is the long fustani (dress). It is made of beige silk brocade with bouquets of delicate flowers interwoven here and there in gold-yellow and mauve colours. Is has a sleeveless narrow bodice, a deep round opening at the breast, and a heavily pleated skirt gathered at the waist. The hem of the skirt is decorated with five parallel mauve velvet ribbons around the edge.

The short chemise is made of pure silk material woven on the loom, interwoven with stripes of natural colour. The openings on the chest and the sleeves are adorned with rich pipilla of the same colour, with delicate styled flowers.

The sarka, a short mauve velvet jacket is worn over the chemise. It has sleeves sewn vertically to the body, a small upright collar, and a vertical opening at the front. The decoration is confined to a thin band of gold braids sewn to it, forming harmonious floral patterns at the edges of the openings.

The headdress, which indicates the social status of the woman wearing it, consists of two printed kerchiefs. The inner one, which is folded carefully around the head, is made of thin mauve cotton material decorated with delicate flowers in dark colours. The outer one, which is folded into a triangle and worn loosely and casually above it, is made of kouroukla (white cotton material), with black (karakalemi) printed floral decoration consisting of continuous, narrow wreaths of printed patterns around the borders (kenarin) and branches with flowers in the corners. Around the edges it is decorated with needlework pipilla (lace) made of silk thread in its natural colour, with a row of sequins (poulia) on the finish of the pipilla.

The costume of the woman of Karpasia with routzetti comprises the following dress items: a skirt called routzetti, the ypokamison (chemise), the sarka (sleeved jacket), the headdress consisting of two scarves, the skaletta (necklace) and podines (boots).  

The heavily pleated skirt, called routzetti, is made of woven cotton material dyed a dark red colour, and of a crinkled texture. It consists of eleven panels sewn together with a large number of tucks at the waist. These are covered by a strip of the same material, forming the sash at the waist. One side stitch is connected by a routzela stitch of coloured cotton threads, ending in tassels at the top, unstitched part. Towards the bottom, just above the hem, there is a horizontal pleat hand-sewn with yellow cotton thread. The inside of the hem has a strip of white cotton material, held in place by hand-stitching in the form of a zig-zag line of coloured threads. All stitching is done by hand, with orange thread.

The chemise is made of striped silk material woven on the loom in a natural colour. The back and the front are made of a single piece of material, with no stitching at the shoulders. On each side there is a straight panel the full width of the material, which extends in a single piece along the entire lower part of the sleeve. The upper part of the sleeve consists of a separate straight panel. The edge of the neck, the opening on the front, and the sleeve hems are trimmed with silk pipilla (lace), forming an elaborate garland of flowers.

The sarka is made of black felt. Is fastens by means of four hooks and-eyes set vertically beneath the breast, leaving a deep opening. The narrow sleeves flare at the bottom. The hems of all the openings are trimmed with garland consisting of twisted gold braid threads worked into a floral motif, spirals, volutes, and plaits, with border of a continuous scroll. The scroll is a decorative feature found in many Cypriot sarkes, of which it is a characteristic finish. The sarka is lined with white cotton material, and the sleeves with red.

The headdress consists of two thin square cotton kerchiefs. The inner, which is wound to form a cap, has black printed floral decoration against a white ground and a border around the four edges of fine papilla (lace) and sequins. The outer kerchief has multi-coloured printed decoration on a light red ground.

The neck is adorned by a silver necklace, known on Cyprus as skaletta. It consists of three triangular meshes of filigree quatrefoil flowers linked together. The top sides of the triangles continue in the form of a chain of similar flowers that ends in a fastening hook. The three sides of the triangles are decorated by rows of small pendent balls.

The female black podines (boots) have a small heel and pointed toes. The heel, which consists of several layers of leather, is fastened on by small iron nails, and the sole is attached by iron and wooden nails. On the stitching at the sides there is an additional strip of leather of the same colour, and two leather loops are sewn to the tops with white cotton thread. The podines come up to the middle of the shins. Their only decorative feature is the white cotton stitching around the heel and three rows of fine stitching, two straight and one wavy, on the finish at the top.

The costume consists of a silk ypokamison (chemise), elaborately embroidered vrakia (pantaloons), a sayia made of alatzia, printed kerchiefs for headdress, several pieces of jewellery and leather shoes.

The chemise, made of taisto striped cotton-silk with single or double red stripes woven into it, has separately made striped cotton sleeves sewn vertically to the body. The back and front are made of a single piece, with no stitching at the shoulders. On the chest there is a vertical opening. All the stitching is by hand. The neck is trimmed with a handmade braid of red, yellow and green cotton thread.

The vrakia (pantaloons) are made of white calico. They are gathered at the waist, and the podinaria reach down the ankle, where they, too, are gathered. The povratzia are made of a separate piece of thick cotton material woven on the loom and embroidered with gold and silk threads of dark and light red, green and terracotta-red. The pattern is embroidered with different stitches (typical of the tsevres embroidery) and consists of large and small stylised flowers and leaves. The pattern is repeated in two bands extending the full width of the material, leaving very little of it undecorated.

Above the chemise and pantaloons was worn the main garment, the sayia, which is made of thick cotton material (alatzia), in which are woven stripes and checks of multi-coloured threads. A different pattern is woven into a single piece at the bottom of the back. The back and the front of the sayia are made of a single piece of material. There is a semi-circular opening on the chest. The sayia is open vertically at the front and both sides. The long narrow sleeves are sewn vertically to the body, are open from the elbows down, and are lined with red cotton material. On the right side, beneath the breast, there is a semi-circular opening forming a pocket. All openings of the sayia are adorned with small needlework loops of twisted red cotton and silk threads, a simple form of papilla (lace). The chest and side openings are trimmed with a band of bright red felt, which is sewn on and flanked by gold and wool embroideries in the form of flowers and crosses.

The headdress consists of two square kerchiefs, wound skilfully around the head. They are made of fine cotton material called kouroukla, one bright red and the other green. They are decorated with a row of printed floral motifs all around the edges, with a bouquet of flowers in each of the four corners. The outlines of the pattern are printed in black colour (karakalemi), and the flowers and leaves in red (tekkirin) and yellow colour. All around the edges, the kerchiefs are decorated with pipilla (lace) with the design of a cypress tree (kyparissoudi), worked in green and white silk thread. The slim waist is emphasised by a similar kerchief of a red colour.

The jewellery comprises the following:

A gold-plated splinga (pin), which might be worn either on the kerchief or on the chest to close its opening. It has a head in the shape of a cross with stepped arms, with a ring at the end, from which a gold coin (grossi, piaster) was suspended. One side of this coin has a bust of the Queen Victoria and the other a crown and the date 19… Around the circumference can be seen the inscription CYPRUS (at the top) and PIASTRES (below).

The breast is adorned with a myrmidi, a pectoral ornament consisting of interlinked thin gold chains. From the neck hangs a gilt filigree cross with toutounia , small hollow filigree balls, which alternate with coral-coloured beads. The cross itself consists of a central rosette with an inlaid glass stone at the centre and four teardrop-shaped arms with the pointed end outwards. Tiny totouunia are suspended from the ends of the three arms of the cross, and the spaces between them are adorned with red beads attached to calyx-shaped settings.

The costume is completed by black leather shoes. They have a low curved heel and pointed toes. The sole is nailed around the edges with wooden nails and the heel has little iron nails. The front part of the shoe ends in a row of delicate decorative tongues. On the inside there is a tongue with its left side sewn to the top of the shoe, where side pieces join and are fastened with a black lace. At the stitching and the openings there are hand-sewn stitches in straight and wavy lines.

The costume consists of ypokamison (chemise), vraka (breeches), yileko (waistcoat) and zibouni (short sleeved jacket), zostra (sash), kerchief and fez, and podines (boots).

The chemise is made of thick, white cotton material with long, wide sleeves sewn vertically to the body, and an upright collar. Both sides have a small opening towards the bottom. The vertical opening on the chest is fastened by four buttons. The collar has a slight gathering around it, and there are free pleats at the join between the back and the shoulder.

The breeches are made of white cloth woven on the loom and have different cut from the typical Cypriot black vraka. Much less material is used to makes them, and they are shorter and narrow, with no gatherings or pleats.

Around the waist of the breeches is tied a zostra, a white woollen sash with vertical stripes of different colours woven into it at intervals, singly, in pairs, or in larger groups, and with fringes at the ends.

The yileko and zibouni are made of similar alatzia, cotton material, with blue and red stripes.

The sleeveless yileko, the front and back of which are made of a single piece of material, has a vertical opening on the breast, slits at the sides, and a small upright collar. It is lined with white cotton material, and the collar and vertical opening are decorated with white, blue and red cotton threads. At the collar, these coloured threads are braided into a gaitani. They are also used to form a braided strip at the vertical opening, with ten loops on the left side to receive the ten knitted buttons on the right.

The zibouni is made from a single piece cut straight, with no stitching on the shoulders, and with a low crossed opening. The two sides are formed of single pieces, with a small opening at the bottom. A large opening on the left side, beneath the neck opening, serves as a pocket. The zibouni is fastened to the upright collar by two round, knitted buttons, identical with those of the yileko. The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body, with a small upward slit at the wrist and a circular opening on the outside. The inside of the zibouni is lined with white cotton material. The edges around the neck, and the opening down the waist, are trimmed with blue cotton gaitani that hangs free and is fastened at the waist, where it crosses the zibouni. The edges of the sleeves and the pocket are trimmed with the same gaitani.

The head is covered with a white kerchief and a bright red fez made of felt, with a black tassel. A red label with gold lettering is attached to the inside of the fez, at the bottom: SULTANIE EXTRA.

The high, black leather podines (boots), have thick soles made of several layers of leather. The soles have podinorizes, flat-headed nails, 30 in each sole. This accounts for the name podines exintarizouses (boots with sixty nails). The ends of the nails are worked into a corkscrew shape (tzinoma), visible at the top edge of the sole, which is decorated with twisted red and white wool threads secured in position by means of round-headed nails. Stiches on the heels form a pattern of zig-zag lines and spirals. The front of the boot is decorated with incised lines. On the vertical stitching at the sides is a piece of red leather forming a thin decorative strip. To the front of the top edge is sewn an extra piece, a tongue, made of red leather with two rows of sequins.

The costume consists of ypokamison (chemise), foustani (dress), two headscarves and a kerchief for the waist, a necklace and podines (boots).

The chemise is short and made of taiston cotton fabric (woven material with crinkled stripes running lengthwise). The back and front are made of a single piece, with no stitching on the shoulders. A straight piece of the full width of the fabric is used for each side, and extends to form the lower part of the sleeve, while another straight piece is used for the upper part. The V-shaped opening, and the hems of the sleeves are adorned with pipilla (lace) made of thick white cotton thread, and have a red finish.

The fustani is made of striped cotton alatzia, with green, white and red stripes in the warp and a blue cotton weft. It is entirely hand-sewn and has a body with a large semi-circular opening, passing beneath the breast, which is covered by the chemise. The long sleeves are attached to the body by sleeve-seams, as in modern garments. The long skirt is made of five pieces of material sewn together, with a thick gathering at the waist. The body and sleeves are lined with fine cotton fabric. The edges of the breast opening, the sleeves and the hem are decorated with a thin band consisting of two wool gaitania, one straight and the other wavy.

A kerchief of printed cotton fabric is tied around the waist. Around the edge of this is a coloured band of flowers against a white background. The rest of the kerchief is decorated with blue and red lahuri pattern, amongst which are branches with white flowers set against a red back ground.

The head is covered by two square kerchiefs, one tied like a cap and the other worn loosely over it. The former is made of red cotton cloth with white floral decoration, and the latter is made of white cotton fabric with black printed decoration consisting of wreaths of flowers and branches.

A necklace is worn at the neck consisting of pieces of unworked coral strung on braid of thick cotton thread.

The podines (boots) come up to the middle of the thighs and are made of black leather with thick soles made of several pieces of leather. Each sole has 20 broad-headed rizes (iron nails), the ends of which are bent up at the edge of the sole, and secure a white and red decorative gaitani. The leather at the top of the front is folded back, ending in three points. A red gaitani is sewn to the finish of the boot and extends to these points, where it forms tassels. In the side stitching a white strip of the leather inside can be seen, and somewhat lower down, on the same line, there is a decorative element of red and white cotton thread. The heel is adorned with white stitches.

The costume worn by men in the Cypriot countryside consists of ypokamison (chemise), vraka, zostra (sash), yileko (waistcoat), kondogouni (sleeved jacket), kapottos (thick woollen overgarment), fez and kerchief, as well as podines (shoes).

The chemise, which is made of thick, white, woven cotton fabric, has long sleeves sewn vertically to the body and an upright collar. The back consists of two pieces of cloth joined together vertically, and sewn to the shoulder, and forming pleats. The front also consists of two joined pieces of cloth, leaving an opening on the breast fastened by four buttons. The only adornment consists of small openings on both sides and a small gathering around the collar at the neck.

The vraka is made of thick cotton textile dyed in blue colour (veneto) by the traditional poyiatzides (dyers). The vertical opening at the front and the leg openings are decorated with blue gaitania.

The sash, which is tied around the waist, is made of black woollen cloth with fringes at the ends.

The crossed yileko is made of cotton cloth with white, red, green, yellow and black stripes. The back and sides are made of a single straight piece of material. The two pieces used for the front are crossed, leaving a low opening high on the neck. The yileko can be crossed either side and fastens by means of five buttons placed obliquely. The buttons are round and made of twisted silk braid, and the loops, which are also set obliquely, pass through a piece of white cotton braid, to the inside edge of which they are sewn. On the right side there is a vase-shaped pocket made of two pieces of black and red felt. The openings and the pocket are adorned with black gaitania and braid. The vertical slit in the middle of the back has a series of loops formed of a gaitani and set opposite each other, through which a lilac cotton ribbon is laced to adjust the fit of the waistcoat. The waistcoat is lined with white cotton fabric, and a strip of green woollen material is added to the inside of the openings at the front.

The kondogouni, a short overgarment worn by men, is made of thin waterproof cotton cloth in dark brown colour. It has a small up-right collar, a deep triangular opening on the breast, and long narrow sleeves sewn vertically to the body.

On cold winter days, the Cypriot peasant wore a kapottos over his kondogouni. This was a heavy overcoat made of thick dark-brown wool, tufted on the inside, with long sleeves, an upright collar, and a hood (koukkoularia). The back and front of this garment is made of a single piece material. The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body, and at the join between the side and the front there is an opening for the arms, so that the kapottos could also be worn as a loose cape. A separate hood is sewn around the collar. The inside of the opening at the front and the collar are lined with a separate strip of woollen cloth decorated with a twisted braid of red, black and white woollen threads. Some way above the hem a separate strip of red felt, decorated with the same twisted braid, is sewn to this strip, giving the impression of a pocket. The outside of the hem is covered with a thick gaitani of sheep’s wool, and all the finishes are adorned with thin brown woollen gaitani.

A black kerchief and a fez made of bright red felt with a black tassel are worn on the head.

The costume is completed by high boots made of black dyed leather with thick soles made of several layers of leather. Each sole has 28 iron nails with flat heads (podinorizes) around the edge, the ends of which are bent up on to the top part of the sole, forming a kind of protective corkscrew (tzinoma). The upper part of the sole is decorated with red and white braided woollen threads, which are attached partly by tzinoma and partly by means of extra round-headed nails. The ornament at the side of the lower part of the leg is formed of similar woollen threads braided into gaitani, and of stitching. At the top, the unlined leather is turned out and, since it is not dyed, forms a decorative contrast with the black leather of the outside of the boots. At the level of this turned-out piece of leather the boots are tied with leather laces fastened with buckles.

The costume of the “village woman with sayies”, comprises the following items: vrakia (pantaloons), ypokamison (chemise), sayia (long, sleeved garment, open all the way down at the front), sarka (sleeved jacket), two kerchiefs and jewellery.

The vrakia, the basic item in the costume, are made of white cotton material gathered at the waist. The povratzia, the separately-made bottoms of the podinaria (the lower part of the pantaloons), are made of linen material loom-embroidered with coloured silk and cotton patterns arranged vertically.

The long, austere chemise is made of striped linen-cotton material woven on the loom. It is formed of a single piece of material with no stitching at the shoulders, and has a vertical opening for the trachilia (piece of fabric covering the chest). On either side, a straight panel extends the full width of the material and forms the bottom part of the sleeve, the upper part of which is made of a separate piece.

The sayia is made of striped silk fabric in natural white, bright red and light pink. The back and front are made of a single piece, with no stitching at the shoulders. As usual with sayia, there is a vertical opening at the front for the full length of the garment, and a semi-circular opening, which leaves part of the breast exposed. There is an upright collar at the back of the neck. A separate oblique panel starts at the base of the semi-circular opening and broadens out towards the bottom. This added loxa, as it is called, is used to cross-fasten the sayia at the front. The opening is fastened beneath the breast by five knitted buttons, made of bright red silk, and five loops. Slits at either side give the wearer of the sayia some freedom of movement. There is an inner pocket on the right side, below the waist. The long narrow sleeves are open at the bottom and lined for a short distance with silk material, in which coloured designs are woven against an olive-green background. This lining is visible when the sleeves are turned back.  The sayia itself is completely lined with fine cotton fabric made on the loom. The openings of the sayia are trimmed with coloured silk braids and gaitania, and there is a small cross embroidered at the left side below the breast.

The sarka is made of silk material, woven with alternating dark red and gold stripes, separated by stripes of white and blue. Is has slits at the sides and a semi-circular opening on the breast, and is fastened by a small cross-piece at the bottom of the front. The long, narrow sleeves are sewn vertically to the body, and have a small opening at the end, from the wrist up. This part is lined with red cotton material. The opening and hem at the breast, and the finish at the bottom, are decorated with twisted dark-red silk threads. The sleeve openings are trimmed with a thin light-green seiriti around the edges. The sarka is lined with thick cotton material woven on the loom, sewn to it by green and blue threads that are visible on the outside.

The headdress consists of two square kerchiefs, one tied around the head and the other thrown loosely over it. The inner kerchief is made of fine white cotton material and has a coloured printed floral pattern. The outer kerchief is made of dark red material called bouchasi, which is the same as the lining of the sleeve openings of the sarka. The kerchief has a border of delicate pipilla (lace), needlework made of coloured silk threads and gold sequins at intervals. There is an undulating cross made of similar sequins on the corner.The jewellery, worn for ostentation and to indicate superiority, stamped the woman’s identity and was the main means of marking her social and marital status.The belt and the buckle is also found in rural costumes with sayies. The red, lined-silk belt, enlivened at intervals by gold, blue, yellow and mauve silk threads, is fastened at the waist by means of a silver buckle with an apparently triple front piece, known in Cyprus as poukla.

The buckle has a variety of decorative techniques. All three parts have metal border, are covered with twisted filigree work forming spiral patterns, and are adorned with appliques in the form of rosettes and flower calyxes. The entire buckle is adorned with small squares, and at the middle of the centre piece, which resembles a pomegranate or a crown, is a granulated six-point star enclosing a rosette. Three chains start from one side of the buckle and end at a pin which is in turn fastened to the other side. At the back are pieces of metal by which the linen-silk belt is secured.

In addition to thin, gold, interlocking chains, the breast is adorned by a pin called splinga. The pin has a filigree toutouni (small hollow filigree ball) at the top, which is crowned with a glass stone held in position by wire. Nine silver chains threaded with red beads at the end and thin circular metal plaques, or hanging Turkish coins, called paraouthkia, hang from rings attached to the toutouni. The jewel is completed by four leaf-shaped objects of a decorative and apotropaic character, which are suspended from four of the chains. The piece of jewellery could also be worn as a kerchief pin.

The costume is completed by a pair of leather podines (boots) with heels and rounded toes. The heel consists of several layers of leather, with round-headed nails in them, and has an iron horseshoe attached with thick nails. The sole has two rows of wooden and iron nails; there are small nails around the edges and larger ones with conical heads decorated with engraved rays set along the front part of the underneath of the sole. There is an extra strip of leather at the junction between the front and back parts. A leather loop is sewn on top of the stitches on each side. The finish at the top has decorative stitching with straight and wavy lines, which continue in the form of a vertical stitch. There is also a row of decorative stitches in white thread around the heel. The podines come halfway up the shins, as was usually the case with women’s boots.

The costume of the Turkish Cypriot townsman consists of the following dress items: ypokamison (chemise), vraka (breeches), ttalapolouzi (sash), yileko (waistcoat), fez, and skarpinia (shoes).

The chemise is made of silk-cotton material with yellow, pink and black stripes. The back and front are made of a single piece of material, and the front has a vertical opening fastened by eight brown wooden buttons. There is a small pocket on the right side. The sleeves, which are sewn vertically to the body, end in cuffs fastened by two buttons. The upright collar, the cuffs, and the vertical opening at the front are strengthened by an additional piece of material, the stripes of which are set obliquely, and decorated with stiching forming curves and straight lines. The chemise is lined with white cotton fabric.

A wide heavily pleated vraka made of blue (veneto) felt is worn with the striped chemise. An additional strip of red cotton material is sewn to the waist for the belt (vrakozoni), which is decorated with a fine, twisted braid in three colours. The stitching and the edges of the leg openings are decorated with seiritia of black silk thread. The outside of the podinaria have decorative twisted silk threads sewn to them, forming a wickerwork pattern and solid curving motifs ending in spirals. Two lahuri motifs are filled with red velvet. At the top of the design is a bird, its outline worked in black twisted silk thread, filled with bright red and yellow silk thread. The podinaria are lined with white cotton material, and have a decorative white seiriti at the edges.

Around the waist is worn a wide, multi-coloured silk sash, the ttalapoulouzi, which has fringes at the ends. It is made of a fabric with checked stripes in different shades. The sash is made of two pieces of cloth sewn together with orange twisted silk thread.

The crossed yileko worn above the chemise is made of red and blue (veneto) felt, like that used for the vraka. The front is made of two pieces of blue felt of the same size, and can be cross-fastened on either side by means of eight knitted buttons made of black twisted silk thread with large loops. The back is made of red felt, with a vertical slit cross-fastened by two laces, one blue and one red. The sides consist of two pieces of red felt, sewn together horizontally, and have outer pockets made of red velvet with decorative twisted metal wire sewn to them, forming abstract curving patterns. The yileko is richly adorned with elegant patterns of Islamic inspiration, similar to those engraved on bronze utensils of the 18th and 19th centuries. Every part of the yileko has multi-coloured braids, silk threads or twisted metal wires sewn to it, forming spiralling floral motifs, wickerwork pattern lozenges, lahuri patterns, scrolls and spirals. The yileko is lined with white cotton material, with blue felt used at the edges of the crossed opening at the front. The inside of the neck opening has a striped woven seiriti, similar to that used in the vraka.

On the head is worn a tall bright red felt fez with a tassel made of black twisted silk thread.

The costume is completed with black leather skarpinia, which have sharp, turned up toes. The heel is formed of several pieces of thick leather, and an iron horseshoe is attached to the underside with komodromisima, blacksmith’s nails. Wooden nails are hammered into the sole, and can be seen around the edge of the underside. The upper part of the sole has a leather tongue, which is overlapped by the edge of the side pieces. These edges are not stitched, but are fastened by a separate piece of leather in the shape of a bow with a wavy outline, with metal buckles fastened to it.

The costume consists of ypokamison (chemise), vraka (baggy trousers), yileko (waistcoat), kontogouni (sleeved jacket), ttalapouzi (sash), fez and shoes.

The chemise is made of white cotton material and has an upright collar and cuffs. The front consists of a single piece of material with an opening down to the waist, which is closed by four buttons. It is decorated with five vertical pleats on either side of the opening. The back consists of two pieces of material sewn together, gathered slightly where they join the shoulder.

The sleeves are sewn vertically to the body and end in six free pleats to which are attached cuffs fastened by two buttons. There are slits on both sides.

The broad, heavily pleated vraka is made of fine black starched cotton material. The lower parts of the podinaria are lined with white cotton cloth. The inside of the hems is trimmed with a striped silk seiriti, and there are three rows of black silk gaitania on the outside.

A multi-coloured sash, called ttalapouzi, encircles the waist and hips. It consists of three pieces of cloth sewn together with twisted orange silk thread. The use of different colours for the warp and the weft creates check-patterns set in a series of horizontal stripes. The ends of the sash have long multi-coloured fringes.

A velvet yileko is worn above the chemise. It is made of dark blue velvet at the front and black at the back, with a vertical opening at the front. The back and sides are made of a single piece of black velvet. The vertical slit in the back is cross-fastened by two ribbons, of blue and green colour. The front consists of two equal pieces of dark-blue velvet. At the bottom are three button holes trimmed with gaitania, to which are attached two loops made of gaitania and buttons braided of silk threads and ending in tassels. There is a semi-circular opening at the neck, around the inside of which is a striped silk seiriti like the one on the starched vraka. On the right side is a vase-shaped pocket made of mauve velvet decorated with silk braid in the form of a stylised floral pattern. Gold gaitania, multi-coloured twisted silk braids, seiritia and silk threads are used to create a variety of decorative motifs, scrolls, spirals, lozenges and wickerwork embroidery, which fill every surface. The yileko is fully lined with white cotton material, and the opening at the front is lined with black velvet. On the inside of the right side is an old pencil marking: ‘‘D. Savides’’ and ‘‘12 Ellinikon’’ a little lower down.

On the head is worn a fez of bright red felt with a black silk tassel.

The costume is completed by black leather skarpinia with their long, rounded edges turned up. They have a low heel made of several pieces of thick leather. The heel is attached by iron mails, and the sole by means of wooden mails that can be seen on the edge of the underside. The upper part forms a tongue that is overlapped by the edges of the side pieces, which are covered by a silver bow. The inside of the back is lined with soft leather and the back half of the sole is covered by a thick piece of woollen cloth.

The costume of the townsman with vraka comprises the following dress items: ypokamison (chemise), vraka (breeches), the yileko (waistcoat), zostra (sash), kontogouni (sleeved jacket), fez and skarpinia (shoes).

The chemise is made of white cotton material. The back and front are formed of a single piece, with no stitching at the shoulders, and the sleeves are sewn vertically to the body, ending with a slight gathering in buttoned cuffs. The opening on the breast is fastened by three buttons and adorned on either side with fine pleats that end at a horizontal strip sewn just above the waist.

The long pleated vraka is made of European cotton cloth dyed black in the traditional manner. It is a typical example of the heavily pleated Cypriot vraka woven on the loom and then dyed by traditional poyatzides (dyers). The edges of the podinaria (the lower part of the vraka) are lined with white cotton material and the outside is decorated with four rows of black wool seiritia (braids), with a striped cotton seiriti on the inside. The waist is turned back to secure the white cotton belt, or vrakozoni.

To keep the vraka in place, a zostra (sash), made of black cotton-silk material, is tied around the waist.

A crossed yileko (waistcoat) is worn over the chemize. It is worn alone in summer and together with a zibouni (short, sleeved overgarment) in winter. The yileko is made of dark-red velvet at the front and light-red felt at the back. In the middle of the back is a vertical slit, which is fastened by two cotton seiritia (braids), one yellow and one blue. These are laced through pairs of holes on either side of the slit and tied at the bottom, thus adjusting the fit of the yileko. The front consists of two pieces of velvet of the same size that are crossed, leaving a horseshoe-shaped opening at the neck. On the right side there is a vase-shaped pocket made of two pieces of black and green felt. The yileko is cross-buttoned, with six obliquely set buttons that are secured on the inside by loops attached to a black wool braid. Both the buttons and the button-holes are made of black silk braid and seiritia, and are attached to the two front panels, thus making it possible to cross the yileko on either side. The inside is reinforced by white cotton material. The yileko has very elaborate, symbolic decoration. Multi-coloured twisted braids, silk gaitania and seiritia (braids) form a variety of patterns on the back: snakes, lozenges and birds, which are additionally adorned by silk wickerwork or filled embroideries.

The kondogouni, the short-sleeved overgarment, is made of black felt and has a small, upright collar. The sleeves are vertical and sewn to the body, and taper slightly towards the bottom, where there is an opening and a rounded finish.

There is a narrow strip of red felt around the inside of the neck and hem. On the left side, a vase-shaped pocket made of velvet and felt is sewn to the red strip. The outline of the pocket and all the openings are trimmed with silk gaitania, multi-coloured twisted braids. The ends of the sleeves are lined for a short distance with woven alatzia (cotton fabric) of a burgundy color.

The head is covered with a small, upright, bright red fez made of felt (turk. kece), which has a black tassel of twisted silk braid.

The costume is completed by black leather skarpinia (shoes) with broad toes and a heel. They are hand-stitched and have wooden nails around the edge of the sole. The front piece ends in a tongue which is over-lapped by the projecting side pieces. The shoes are fastened at the front with black laces.