Townsman with vraka

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.