Mediterranean Folk Costumes
Folk costumes are different from one country, a region or tribe to another. From costumes we can learn the history and about the people of a country. Costumes could have a meaning or tradition. Certain costumes were made especially for dancing movements. Material like cotton and gabardine and more expensive fabric like silk and wool are used in many costumes.
Many of the Mediterranean costumes have similar clothing and accessories such as colourful materials, embroidery, sashes, ribbons, buttons, designs and patterns. Dresses, skirts, tops, shoes and hats are also similar.
Maltese Costumes
In the olden days Maltese women use to wear skirts known as ghonnella which later be came the name for the head covering. The culqana which was a head covering from head to the hip, a head scarf, gezwira which was a type of skirt with one side open tied with ribbons at the side which was worn on an other skirt. The apron was worn on top of the gezwira.
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| A Maltese Peasant By Sebastiano Ittar |
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| A Woman of Gozo by Sebastiano Ittar |
The men wore cotton shirts with a vest, loose fitting trousers and a coloured sash around the waist.The milsa was worn on the hair made out of a long tube of knitted different coloured dyed wool or cotton with tassle on either end.The tube is folded from the middle and one of the two ends was inserted into the other thus forming a double walled cap.The cap is worn either at the front or hanging down behind reaching to the shoulder. Terha was worn on the waistline instead of a belt. It is made from a long narrow rectangular-shaped fabric bordered with fringes along both the narrow edges. Terha has a weave structure from a tabby weave woven with cotton yarn. There are two types terha it is made out of cotton and bushakka is made out of silk.
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| Male Country Costume |
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| Male Country Costume |
The Ghonnella or Faldetta was a type of head covering or hooded shawl used only by women from Malta and Gozo . It was made from cotton or silk usually black. Coloured and white Ghonnella were also used by the noble or wealthier women. The Ghonnella covered the head and did not cover the face. The top part was starched and had a rounded shape by means of a whalebone or cane. Once worn, it was left to hang by the sides or held with the right hand when walking. These costumes are not worn nowadays. They are only worn during folk activities.
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| Faldetta worn during Folklore event |
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| Painting of Faldetta of Ghonnella by Edward Carauna Dingli |
Sicilian Costumes
The Sicilians wear the costumes during festivals. There are two types of costumes. The truly Sicilian and the ones coming from Albania.
The women wear full skirts of red blue, pink yellow or black with bands of coloured ribbons on the bottom part in some places aprons are worn. bodices are worn over the blouse with a around neck and full sleeves.
The men wear breeches of black or dark blue fastened at the knee with buttons or red braid. There is a long sleeve black jacket or coloured sleeveless waistcoat which is worn over a white long-sleeved shirt which is tied to the neck with a red bow. A red sash is worn around the waist and white socks and black shoes.
These two have a striking and colourful costume found in Sicily. It is from Piana degli Albanesi, near Palermo.The Albanians came from their country to escape the Turks.The women in the picture is wearing a full skirt made of heavy silk taffeta and decorated three broad band of gold embroidery. The skirt is embroidered with a gold floral design. The red sleeveless top is decorated with gold embroidery.
The men is wearing a thick white trousers narrowed at the bottom of the ankles and there is a black or braided stripe bottom of the seams. The waistcoat and jacket sleeves are both covered in a fine gold braid or embroidery.
Morocco
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| Enrique Iglesias inspiration of the Djellaba for his video |
Clothes vary from one region to the other. The material, design, ornaments and accessories mark the different clothes from one tribe to an other. Headdresses range from simple straw hats to long white or black fringed scarves knotted at the back.
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| Hood clothing |
Algeria
The most popular form of dress in Algeria is a long hooded, Djellaba could be blue, white or grey the costumes away form the capital city known as the mellia a long piece of materiel is draped around the body and fasten on the shoulders with two fibula pins. These pins are very decorative and even have decorative chains joined across the chest. A belt or sash is worn around the waist . Head dresses vary from region to region and also among the tribes.
Tunisia
Tunisian ladies drape over their head a loose cotton type of cloth around the body known as the safsari or sifsari. White is for a younger women and black for the older. In winter it is made from wool. In the villages the safsari could be bright colours. It is worn to protect the clothes under it from dirt and dust.
The Sifsari is similar to the Maltese Culqana the Maltese women do not cover their face.
Men wear the burnous. It is a type of cloak or cape made from dark wool or camel hair. A hood is attached to the burnous.
This costume is similar to the Maltese one. The sash over the shoulder and round the waist. The trousers are narrow not as wide as Tunisian.
Harvard system
Harrold R and legg p (1978). Folk costume of the world. 2nd ed. Uk: Blandford press
De Piro ,N & Ann Cremona, V (1998). Costume in Malta - A History of Fabric, Form & Fashion. 2nd ed. Malta: Patrimonju Publishing Ltd.
Bonavia,C (2012). Country Folk Costumes In Malta And Gozo Description and Patterns. Malta: Heritage Malta.
Gambin K(2012). Peasant Costumes Insights Into Rural Life and Society . Malta: Heritage Malta.
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