Fustanella

Fustanella (; ; ; ; ) is a pleated, or folded, skirt like a Scottish kilt. It is worn by men from different countries in Southeast Europe.

History

Some researchers think that the fustanella comes from ancient Greek clothing like the chiton (or tunic) and the chitonium (or short military tunic).; . An ancient Greek statue in Attica shows a stonecutter named Archedemus wearing a folded skirt like the fustanella.. However, no ancient Greek clothing has been found that helps show that the fustanella come from the pleated garments or chitons worn by men in Classical Athens.. The ancient Roman toga may have also impacted the development of the fustanella..

In the Byzantine Empire, the fustanella was worn and called the podea ()... It was commonly used in Greek lands as early as the 12th century AD.. In Byzantine art and music, the wearer of the podea was either a hero or a Greek warrior defending the empire's borders.; . The fustanella was part of a military outfit consisting of bows, swords, battle-axes and armor (corselet or chain mail). In the Ottoman Empire, the fustanella was worn by Greek guerillas like the klephts and the armatoloi.; ; . In Albania, the fustanella is first mentioned in 1335 in a list of items taken from a sailor at the port of the Drin River.. 

The Albanian fustanella is based on the Greek fustanella.. But the difference is in the number of pleats. The "Bridegroom's coat" is a Greek fustanella with two-hundred pleats that a bride would buy as a wedding gift for her groom.; . The Albanian fustanella has around sixty pleats or usually a moderate amount of folds..

Gallery

Related pages
Kilt

References
Citations

Sources

Further reading

Other websites
 The New Hellenic State (1833 - our days): Fustanella

Category:Bottoms (clothing)