The Folk Costume of Lefkada

In a record from 1750 (village of Platystoma, No. 176), we read: “A woman’s vrakí embroidered only on the hem.” In a dowry agreement by the notary Mr. Stavrakas from 1827, in the village of Poros, we find: “...and three syntrofia, one of them embroidered with gold and silk.”

The term syntrofi was used to refer to women’s underwear, likely to avoid the more common term, vrakí, which was considered somewhat indecent. The syntrofi was white, extended down to the knees, and was often decorated with rich and beautiful embroidery. Around the lower edges of both legs—referred to as the patiki—a wide, pure white lace, known as kanaloto kammoufo, was sewn on.

In a record from 1718, we read: “...seven women’s shirts. One embroidered with large pomegranate designs, another with hollow apples, another with feathers, two more embroidered with gold, one with writing, and another with scales.” To make a shirt, 8-9 *piches* (a traditional Greek unit of measurement) of white fabric were needed, usually linen, which was assembled using two main pieces: the *mana* and the *anangioli*. The *mana* was the central piece, where the neckline was made, and the *anangiolia*—two side pieces—were attached on the right and left, wide at the bottom and narrower at the top, allowing the hem to flare out and reach up to the armpits. Beneath the arms, two square patches called *maskalidia* were sewn in. All parts were made from finely woven linen fabric from the loom, often so delicate that one could marvel at the skill of the weaver.

The shirts were either everyday wear or festive attire, depending on their design, and were worn directly on the skin. They were long, reaching just above the ankles. Most had long sleeves, although short-sleeved and sleeveless versions were worn in the summer. The shirt was open at the chest and fully embroidered, with the embroidered section called the *trachilia* or *xeilia*. There were three methods to make the *trachilia*: embroidering directly on the shirt fabric, sewing on a square patch of very fine fabric by removing the original and embroidering it, or, most commonly, embroidering on a separate piece of fine fabric that was then attached to the thicker base fabric. The *trachilia* embroidery varied in design, following the symmetry of the neckline’s opening. Both married and unmarried women wore embroidered shirts, but unmarried women typically wore simpler embroidered styles. The most beautiful shirts were, of course, reserved for brides. The wedding shirt was the finest they could make, often gifted by the groom’s mother to the bride for the wedding night. On the morning after the wedding, the shirt was triumphantly displayed, held up high like a banner for the entire village to see, marked with the bride’s honor. However, after this ceremonial display, it was never worn again. It was placed in the chest, unwashed, to be worn for the second time only upon her departure from this life.

Given its shape (with very wide sleeves and a high neckline), it would have been impossible to wear it under the narrow sleeves of a dress or the *V* of the *spaleta* (a type of traditional garment). My grandmother, born in the early 1900s, never wore such a shirt, nor did the other women! It was evidently more of a nightgown than an everyday shirt.

Only married women wore the geleki (from the French gillet). It was made from linen or cotton fabric and served to support and symmetrically enhance the chest, functioning as a type of corset. The front featured a square neckline (décolleté) and was vertically split below, fastening with buttons. Stiffened reeds (boning) were inserted on the right and left sides, giving the garment a stable slant. The space between the geleki and the shirt was filled with fabric pieces or scarves, allowing the bust to take the desired shape. Some gelekia were embroidered, while others were plain. The embroidery was done with colored or white silk thread. Finally, the geleki was always white.

The kamizeto or kampzeto (from the Italian camiciotto) is another type of corset, made from linen or cotton fabric. Unlike the geleki, it has no back and is worn over the shoulders with two straps, tying at the back with narrow ribbons. It has a rectangular shape and is worn over the geleki or on its own. The kampzeta has reeds inserted into a series of vertical slots inside. These reeds, approximately 10 cm long, are made from common reed or small lamb bones. Other names for it are stekes and boustines. Some pieces are beautifully embroidered, while others feature lace at the top (called merlo), designed to be visible through the triangular opening of the spaleta (outer garment).

In a dowry agreement from 1852 by notary Katiforis in Chora, we read: “... we also give her twelve kotola...”

The kotolo is a type of underskirt made from wool, linen, or cotton fabric, also known as a petticoat. Like the kamizeto, it is a remnant of Italian influence. Both married and unmarried women wear the kotolo. Brides wear several kotola at once—four or five—to create a full, flared shape for the dress. These layered kotola are not all the same length; each layer is slightly shorter than the one below. The first is the shortest, while the outermost one is the longest. In some cases, a wire is threaded into the hem to help keep the kotolo fully spread and rounded under the dress.

Aside from its role in shaping the dress, the kotolo has practical value. When working, village women would hike up their long dresses to create a tail, known as the kouda, leaving them in the shorter petticoat that allowed for easier movement during tasks and while walking.

The dress is fitted, narrow from the middle and above and wide from below the waist. The upper part is called kapzela. The bottom is poured rich with well-ironed infinite pleats. On the right side, it has a hidden pocket.

The most well-made part of the dress is the kapzela, which is joined to the skirt in the middle and the seam there is quite visible when they are not wearing an apron. The kapzela must be completely fitted to their body. In the unmarried women's dress, the curve is closed up to the neck and vertically torn to the waist. The neckline, which never reaches the limits of bold, is round and gives grace without hiding femininity.

The sleeves are fitted along the entire length of the hand and are quite feminine over the wrist, with buckles or buttons that are all the only decoration on the unmarried women's dresses.

The colours in the everyday dress are strictly four: blue, burgundy, cypress and brown. Blue and cypress are considered the colours of modesty and nobility. The burgundy shows grandeur and is festive colour as opposed to the brown, which is worn daily.

The dress fabric was usually bought from the shops of Lefkada, and it was silk, cotton or wool depending on the season or the occasion. The merchants brought these fabrics from Italy and France, and they were monochrome with internal weaving of shapes, flowers, branches, and vines. The women preferred happy colours for the festive and bridal dresses.

The apron was an essential accessory and a true ornament of the traditional attire. All women wore it—married and unmarried, for everyday wear and on festive occasions. Only the bride did not wear an apron. The apron is narrow at the top, wide and gathered at the bottom, and always thin and lightweight. From the waist belt, multiple pleats cascade down, fading toward the lower edge. Sometimes the apron is plain, sometimes embroidered, and usually has a small outer pocket on the right side where women would keep their handkerchiefs.

Plain aprons often have a decorative strip sewn along the hem, known as kamoufo, which forms broad, puffy folds and adds simple beauty with woven bands featuring floral and leaf motifs. The kamoufo is often skillfully embroidered, as is the pocket. Embroidered aprons are more ornate, made from finer quality fabric, and decorated with tasteful, intricate designs—sometimes raised or cut-out embroidery on the same fabric, always matching the color of the apron exactly. This technique creates a broad hem with hanging scallops, continuous rosettes, daisies, and other patterns known as azouria, with the edge of the embroidered hem forming a scalloped design called festoni. The color of the apron always matches the color of the dress.

The berta is a back covering, sleeveless, and was likely worn from the latter half of the 19th century, replacing the kondesi and flokata of earlier attire. Circular in shape, it is worn by both married and unmarried women, made from wool and dyed to match the color of the dress. There are single-layer versions for spring and summer and double-layered ones for winter. The berta crosses at the front and ties at the back at the waist. It is knitted with a crochet hook, featuring patterns such as the kathisto podarouli (seated foot), psaragatho (fishbone), koumpakia (buttons), sfelagoto, and roumpalia. The surface of the berta is divided into two sections: the upper part, called the kampos, and the lower part, known as the fratseta, meaning border decoration (from the French frange).

The headscarf is an essential accessory of the traditional Lefkadian costume, always square in shape. It can be made of silk, cotton, linen, or wool, depending on the occasion and season. Brown was the color for festive scarves, while white was reserved for bridal ones. The famous gemenia scarves, likely originating from the Bosporus region of Yemen, were silk, sheer, and beautifully embroidered along the edges. A popular folk couplet says: "As many stitches and threads as in your gemenia, that's how many Venetian gold coins your body is worth." These exquisite scarves were embroidered with gold and silver thread. The finest scarves were the kefalopania—luxurious, large, and finely woven from delicate cotton or silk fabric. They were bordered with merlo (lace) up to three fingers wide, and were brown or white. White kefalopania were worn by brides.

The spaleta is the impressive front scarf worn by married women and brides. It is also known as krepi. Made of silk with lattice-like fringes all around, the krepi in everyday wear strictly matches the color of the dress, while brides wear it in white or sometimes in light pink or pale yellow. The spaleta is adorned with beautiful woven designs, with the most common motifs being flowers framed by wide leaves on slender, graceful stems. It is worn folded diagonally in a triangular shape, with the right angle placed at the back, between the braids. The other two ends come together at the front, over the kamizeto or geleki, forming a striking triangular bust area, adorned with chains, brooches, pins, small crosses, and the spila (decorative brooch).

The bridal costume follows the same general style as the traditional dress but includes the tsoumpes, fez, and gloves, which create a unique ensemble of beauty and grace. Everything mentioned previously about the various pieces applies here, except for the apron. The bridal dress is made of silk (taffeta, brocade, or shantung), with a dense and glossy weave. Unlike other dresses, it does not feature pleats but instead flares widely, forming broad, voluminous folds that can accommodate the four kotola (underskirts) worn underneath. It is long, trailing behind and sweeping the streets. The hem is decorated with a wide, gleaming gold border. The kampzeta (bodice) of the dress and the sleeve edges are also adorned with gold trim and embroidery. The preferred colors for bridal dresses include peacock blue, aubergine, sky blue, brick red, burgundy, blue, red, turquoise, olive green, sea blue, and more.

The elegance and aristocratic flair of the bridal gown come from the tsoumpes, an overgarment that covers the shoulders and back, reaching down to the feet and almost sweeping the floor with crisp pleats. It is open vertically and does not fasten. The sleeves of the tsoumpes are short and distinctive, reaching just above the elbows. At the shoulder joint, they are puffed and fitted below. The narrower sections of the sleeves feature beautiful decorations with gold trim, silk braids, and golden lace, while golden floral patterns adorn the puffed areas. The back of the tsoumpes is intricately embroidered from the shoulders to the waist with silk and gold thread, usually featuring bouquets, branch compositions, birds, or even double-headed eagles. The entire hem of the tsoumpes is bordered with beautiful golden trim. The color and fabric of the tsoumpes match the dress, although there is also a black silk tsoumpes, which complements all colors and is often “borrowed” from one bride to another when making a new one is not financially possible. Notable are the tsoumpes made of damask silk; in a dowry agreement by the notary K. Stavrakas in 1825 from the village of Poros, we find: “...a damask tsoumpes, sky blue with golden braids...”

An impressive and beautiful addition to the bridal attire is the spaleta (discussed earlier). The bridal spaleta is made of pure silk, rich and radiant, with abundant, lattice-like fringe. The kampzeto beneath enhances the chest, and on the distinctive bridal spaleta glimmer jewelry: clasps, brooches, pins, chains, hearts, and small crosses.

The bridal fez crowns the ensemble. This small fez, about 15 cm in diameter, resembles an inverted plate. Brides wear it tilted to the left, covering part of the hairline and slightly shading the forehead. Its purpose is decorative and is worn exclusively by the bride on her wedding day. The fez is made of black velvet fabric, embroidered with gold and silver threads, golden braids, and adorned with flowers, leaves, and linear designs. Many fezzes also feature gold embroidery interspersed with pearls. Over the fez, two braids cross over to secure it in place, topped by the bridal, finely woven, embroidered headscarf, which falls over the shoulders and back and is bordered with gold or white lace. Above the headscarf, at an angle over the fez, is the most beautiful and distinctive accessory: the tremoula. This is a metal rod up to 10 cm long, called the kotzi, with 4-5 springs (spirals) ending in golden flowers adorned with pearls and various precious stones. Elegant long gold earrings with precious stones decorate the ears, while a gold chain with a heart or small cross adorns the neck. Finally, the bride wears white gloves on her hands.

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The Mourning Attire

Nothing particularly different—dresses, aprons, spaleta, headscarves, and berta capes are all dyed black.