Levkas / Lefkáda :: Comparisson reports

“In terms of clothing, we must say that people in the city have been wearing the same style of clothing for a long time. People in the country, however, still wear curious clothing. The cappa is a long woolen overcoat, though its sleeves are not used because they are sewn closed. The flocata (or fiocco as in “fringes” or “tassels”) is another type of pure wool overcoat. It is smooth on the outside with tufts of wool hanging on the inside. It is very narrow, long and sleeveless. The vest used by people in the country is wide, with double diagonal rows, and made from blue cotton fabric. It normally features silver, bowl-shaped buttons. The shirt is made of thick cotton fabric. They wear unworked leather sandals tied to the ankle with a string. There is no typical hat.

Women wear a blue headscarf, though newlyweds use one with numerous colors. The way they wear it is reminiscent of the Byzantine custom. We should also point out the well-known dress worn by city women. Until fifteen years ago, it was what the old aristocratic dames wore. Today, only newlyweds, country girls and working class women in the city wear them. It comes from the typical Albanian Vlach garb, though, in terms of the head decorations and chest, they were modified by Venetian customs. Crinoline petticoats from the last century are still used with these dresses.”