Black and white

Maria Varlaam Pascotini with her daughter Laura and her granddaughters Maro and Peppa (late 1910s). Maria, seated in the middle, is wearing an all-black outfit and a black headscarf. Her daughter Laura is wearing a high-waisted skirt with buttons and a blouse of plaid fabric, with a square neckline. The two girls are dressed in sailor outfits with the characteristic collar.

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Maria Joseph Pascotini with Yangos Stinis and their two daughters, in 1915. Doctor Stinis is dressed in military-style attire, with shoes and gaiters, and an armband with the emblem of the Red Cross. The photograph may be related to his service in World War I. The women of the families are wearing winter clothing, hats, and heavy fur coats. The slightly higher skirts, especially in the second decade of the 20th century, reveal women's shoes, always worn in combination with socks. During this period, short boots with a row of buttons on the side are still being worn.

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The Stavrinidi sisters and Laura Pascotini in the centre (1910s). The sisters are dressed almost alike, with European-style dresses in different colour combinations. A young girl sitting on a stool in the foreground, is also wearing a dark-coloured dress with long sleeves; however, it is shorter, with its skirt reaching just below the knees, and is provided with a white collar around the neck.  She also wears black socks. The men at the back are all similarly dressed in dark-coloured three-piece suits, white shirts and ties. They all have a moustache.

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The Giuseppe Pascotini family (mid-1900s). The photograph was taken in a studio. From left to right, we can distinguish: Giuseppe Pascotini the younger, Giuseppe Pascotini with a long white beard, Maria Varlaam Pascotini, and Laura Pascotini. Laura's attire, with the short bolero, reflects the trends of European fashion in the early 20th century. The dress of the older lady is dark-coloured and more conservative. Both men appear in European-style suits.

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Maria Joseph Pascotini with Yangos Stinis and their two daughters (first decade of the 20th century).  The mother is standing behind her husband, with her young daughters one on either side. She wears an elegant black dress with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a long skirt.  She is nice-looking with her rich hair gathered at the back.  The two girls wear white dresses with ruffles. The older girl has long hair falling on her shoulders. The father is seated with his legs crossed. He wears a three-piece suit (jacket, trousers, waistcoat), a white shirt and a bow tie.

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The Theodorou and Elekgo Pieridou family photo (late 19th century).

The adoption of European designs in local garments made from native fabrics is a distinctive feature of the attire of the young girls, seen at the back. During the era of late Victorian fashion, the long jacket with a skirt was also worn in Cyprus. This style is considered an early attempt to blend women's and men's clothing and a precursor to women's skirt suits. This particular clothing style is noticeable in photographs of young women, with the jacket worn over a shirt or another inner garment. Usually, however, the combination of a jacket with a skirt appears in dark colours and a simple line, without decorative elements. The elderly woman wears the traditional headscarf, which is also retained by those of the lower class. Of the three young girls standing at the back, one wears a long-sleeved dress with a round neckline made of thick plaid fabric. The second wears a white dress with a narrow black collar and a black belt, while the third wears a dress made of plaid fabric with small checks, and a double wavy collar covering the shoulders. The plaid woven fabrics must have been locally made, and the dress designs are adapted as much as possible to European fashion. The elderly woman in the photograph, representing the third generation, is shown seated with her hands together. She wears a black buttoned jacket with a long plaid skirt, revealing white socks and flat closed shoes. Her head is covered with an inner headscarf and a second striped headscarf on top, with it edges tied on the chest. The elderly lady of the photograph follows the Cypriot women’s tradition of wearing two headscarves, one on top of the other. In the centre, the dominant figure is the mother, seated next to her husband. She wears a black double-breasted jacket with wide double lapels and puffed shoulder sleeves over a blouse with a round neckline, leaving the necklace visible. A large oval Victorian-type brooch is prominently displayed at the base of her neck, on her black blouse. Her European-style clothing is combined with the traditional Cypriot headscarf covering the hair, which is parted in the middle and gathered. These individuals are Theodorou and Elekgo Pieridou, close relatives of Hieronymos Varlaam.

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Family photo from the late 19th century featuring a couple with a child. The little girl is seated on a chair between her parents. Her dress has rich ruffles on the upper part. The mother wears a wide skirt made of light-coloured fabric and a jacket with puffed sleeves over a blouse.

Following the late Victorian fashion, the long jacket with a skirt was also worn in Cyprus. This style is considered an early attempt to blend women's and men's clothing and a precursor to women's skirt suits. This particular clothing style is noticeable in photographs of young women, with the jacket worn over a shirt or another inner garment. In one photograph, the jacket stands out for its pronounced decoration of fabric strips sewn on the front side, similar to the decoration style of the skirt. Usually, however, the combination of a jacket with a skirt is characterised by dark colours and a simple line, without decorative elements. This style is generally observed in photographs of elderly women who also wear the traditional headscarf, which is also retained by those of the lower class.

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Family photo from the 1880s. The seated father is wearing a three-piece suit (jacket, waistcoat, trousers) and a white shirt with a tie. The mother's Victorian-style attire consists of a tight bodice and a double skirt. The young boy is dressed in a suit and a shirt with a bow tie. The young girl is wearing a skirt and blouse with a ribbon tied at the neck, and a dark belt around the waist. In her right hand she holds a parasol.

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Family photo from the 1880s. The youngest woman in the photo wears an elegant dress with a tight bodice and a double skirt.

The dresses maintain their closed character with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a long skirt. Despite emphasising the female silhouette in an S shape, retaining the corset, they are now more comfortable. At least for younger women, the appearance is principally characterised by soft, light colours and an abundance of lace. The costumes are either one-piece or two-piece, with a combination of a skirt and a blouse. There is often an additional piece of fabric of the same material as the dress at the neck and shoulders, in a circular or V shape, emphasising the upper part of the body.

The young woman holds the hand of a small boy, who wears a short dress with a white collar around the neck and white trousers that protrude at the bottom.

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A woman with a child, standing on a chair (1880s-1890s). The child wears a light-coloured dress, socks and boots. The woman's dark-coloured dress is very elegant; the lower part of its long skirt is decorated with ruffles and forms a train.

The dresses of this period maintain their closed character with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a long skirt. Despite emphasizing the female silhouette in an S shape, retaining the corset, they are now more comfortable. At least for younger women, the appearance is principally characterised by soft, light colours and an abundance of lace. The costumes are either one-piece or two-piece, with a combination of a skirt and a blouse. There is often an additional piece of fabric of the same material as the dress at the neck and shoulders, in a circular or V shape, emphasising the upper part of the body.

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