Figure 1.--Some of the folk costumes look very similar to Greek traditional costumes. Southern Albania bordrs Greece and Macedonia. Costumes such as these can be seen throughout southern Albania, where the Tosk dialect of the language originates. The boys here wear white fez-like headwear and the fustanella, the pleated white skirt often employed in folk costumes throughout the southern Balkans.

Albanians are very proud of their folk costumes. One sources points to the authenticity and originality in the costumes and traditional clothing. An Albanian source does not like to use the term costumes as they are far more than simple outfits, but rather a kind of art form, "... expressing our identity and heritage to the World." None other Lord Byron was imopressed, visting Albania during his Greek odessey. He wrote that the Albanians "struck me forcibly by their resemblance of the Highlanders of Scotland, in dress, figure and manner of living. Their very mountains seemed Caledonian, with a kinder climate. The kilt, though white; the spare, active form; their dialect, Celtic in its sound..." [Byron] Albania was cloed to the workd for nearly a century as a result of reclusive and very repressive Communist regimes. Thus relatively little was know about folk costumes and other folk traditions. Since the fall of Communism, this had begun to change. Folk costuimes are still part of daily life in many mountainous regions. Most commonly we see women and girls wearing beautiful, hand embroidered outfit. There are also elaborate outfits worn by men and boys. These include some destinctive garments. Headwear includes the fez and qeleshe, a kind of scull cap. They are often white. A xhaqete or xhamadan is a traditional vest. Albanians often wear pants or fustanella, often white. The fustanella is a traditional skirt-like garment worn by men througout the Balkans. We believe that this is an Ottoman influence. It is a pleated garment similar to the kilt. The fustanella is especially important in the southern Balkans where the Ottoman influence was greatest (Albania, Greece, and Macedonia). The fustanella was adopted by the Royal Guard of Albania (1924–1939).

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Crerated: 7:25 PM 11/26/2007
Last updated: 7:01 PM 10/29/2012