Theodorou and Elekgo Pieridou family

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. P.B.K10.23