Slovenian national costumes

DESCRIPTION OF COSTUMES 

Slovene cultular heritage is presented, among others, through national costumes, which evoleved in varios periods of time and under the influence of various factors. The development of national or folk costumes differs from that of fashion, which was affected by global trends. Thus, nationality, which can hardly be discerned from the general clothing styles of the past, is clearly expressed through national dress and folklore group costumes. Along with the remaining closing heritage, Slovene national costumes preserve and promote Slovene national identety and, as such should be preserved. In the past centuries, Slovene peasantry did not adopt one single, uniform style of clothing; rather, the latter varied by rigion. It was further affected by economic, social and political circumstances, all of which resultet in different cuts, patterns, embroidery, accessories, colours, etc. The way one dressed also reflected their social position within a certain area, village or town.

KRAKOVO AND TRNOVO COSTUMES

By the Ljubljanica River in Ljubljana lies Krakovo, the former district of shrewd and wealthy merchants,who transported various goods from the Trnovo port into the city centre. Though the Krakovo people were not accepted as burghers, they wanted to be their equals. And the profitable trade business allowed them to dress  much  like the townspeople.

With regard to Goldstein's 1838 portrayal and later with cylindrical crowns and large buckles. They also wore white shirts with voluminous sleeves, with silver buttons. The vest was made from silk and adorned wit silver buttons. A silk cloth was tied around the man's neck and in some cases a silk belt was girded around his waist. Over this, men put woollen jackets wit fur trms at the sleeves and collar.

With reference to the same to sources and comparative materials, women wore the headpiece avba or krchief  (peče) on their heads. The velvet band on the avba was embroidered with a gold thread and trimmed with white lace. The avba also had a wide and long ribbon attached to the back, with ends extending to he women's loins and lower. The lace trimmed kercief was folded into a triangle and put on the head with its ends crossed at the back and tied at the top of the head. Women wore white gloves trimmed with lace, nd pu a waist.length cardigan (špencer) with puffed sleeves over their blouse. The skirt was wide, made from printed lien or other fabric and bordered with green silk ribbon. On their feet, women had flat-eeled shoes decorated with a silk bow and cut stone. They tied a black silk apron with  black lace trim ove their skirt, and a metal belt (sklepanec) around their waist. Their necks were adorned with cross pendants, and they had broohes attached to the collars. Some also wore earrings.

PREKMURJE COSTUMES

Until the end of the 19th century, outfits frome homemade linen were rather common among the Prekmurje peasantry. Before WWI, most men and women already turned to garmens styled under the influance of the then simple fashion and simular to what people wore in the largest part of the Slovene ethinc area. Early 20th century adhernce to tradition and preference for white and light -colured  clothes are reflected in the great popularity of light – coloured blouses. In the 19th century, men were rather short and white linen trousers and knee high boots. They put west from bought fabric over their skirts and narrow – brimed hats on their heads. A special feature in the boys' clothing style were bougquets pinned to their hats, with colourful ribbons extending all the way to the waist. The ribbons were given to boys by their girlfriends. The more strips a boy wore, the more he was loved by girls.

PRIMORSKA (LITTORAL) COSTUMES - TRIESTE WITH HINTERLAND

In the second half of the 19th century, the women from Trieste and its surroundings were dressed rather lavishly in comparison to other Slovenes due to their high living standard and the proximity of Trieste.   Soon after the middle of the 19th century, the Trieste natinal costume, which was marked  by exquiste materials, abundance, various ornaments, jewellery etc., began to develop intensely.

Man's costumes representing the clothing style f the Trieste locals consist of dark blue and black suits bordered with red. Some feature long trousers, a vest and a jacket, while others come with knee-length trousers, coloured socks and no jacket. Furthermore, costumes inclide a staw hat adorned with flowers, a regular hat, no hat or a fur hat referred to as frkindiš. Women's costumes consist of white socks heavily scrunched at the ankle; the   more a woman's stlckings were scrunched, zhe wealthier she was considered to be. Wealth was also evident in the skirt hiding several petticoats and a ballerina (folded strip used to enlarge a woman's backside). Aprons are made from silk and comee in variouss colours. At the left side of the apron, women tie its long strips into a bow. They wear a lot of jwellery (earrings,rings, brooches etc.), which is not the case with other costumes. On their heads, married women used to wear kerchief (peče) decorated with handmade embroidery and lace, while maidens wore braaids. Some wwomen alsso wore fringed scarved (karpon) about the shoulders, pinning a bouquet of coastal flowers to theirnbust on special occasions.

GORENJSKA (UPPER CARNIOLAN) COSTUMES

the Gorenjska style of clothing in the first half of the 19th century was the foundation for the development of the Gorenjska region costume, which was soon adopted as Pan-Slovene. It is, without a doubt, the best known of the Slovene varieties, and has beenused by numerous folklore grups and folpop bands. It can also be found in suvenirs, miniature models etc.

Men's variety of the Gorenjska region costume includes knee-length suede trousers  (irhrice), high boots and a velvet vest (lajbč) worn over he shirt. A silk scarf folded into a triangle is placed ovr the shirt, but it is mainly concealed by the overlying vest and only shows its brigt colours at the shoulders and neck. A carnation, one of te symbols of Gorenjska and Slovenia, is pinned to te left side of the vest, near the heart.

Women's Gorenjska region costume consists of a silk dress that my come in vaious colours         (blue, green, red, brown, grey), silk scarf worn around the shoulders, a black silk apron  and   a blouse with a short body and puffed sleeves that spread in movement. The ends of a silk scarf are pinned together just above the waist and decorated with a fresh red carnation. At the right side of the waist, right at the hip, women wear a folded handkerchief trimmed with lace. Underneath the dress,  they wear two long ruffled petticoats (untara) to make them look bigger and hence wealthier. the more petticoats a young men. The stockings  with small knots tht made the legs look thicker also served this purpose. Around the hips, women wore a metal belt (sklepanec) decorated with a ribbon, and their heads were covered with either zavijačka, i.e. a headpiece for maidens, avba or peča (kerchief).

BELA KRAJINA (WIHTE CARNIOLAN) COSTUMES

Theough not oficially confirmed, Bela krajina is supposed to have been named after the 'white' Carniolan people, who were set apart from the northeren, 'black Carniolan people' by their clothing, marked by the whitness of bleached linen. The famous Bela krajina character Zeleni Jurij (Green George), who chases away winter and announces spring, is also dressed in white, though his attire is complemented by a cluster of birch branches. Another one of region's typlical features is the traidional dance kolanje. In the 19th century, Bela krajina men were linen trousers (bregeše) and along linen shirt (robača) gurded with a leather belt wich was decorated with geometrical imprints. The trauser were usually fringed at the bottom. One special occasion, men tied a red sloth around the neck and adorned their hats with greens – often with birch, another symbol of Bela krajina apart from the white linen. On their feet were black or brown shoes. In 19th century women wore a white scirt with a bodice, and a white linen or cotton blouse. In some warieties and one special occosions, the aprom was starched and pleated. The belt (tkanica) was  a different colour, often red with black strips. Red socks were also a popular item. On festivals and formal occasions woman wore necklases and black or brown shoes. In the 2nd, half of the 19th century, the women of metlika began tying their kerchiefs (peča) in the 'flower' style, a variety of the 'comb' style. Maidens wore wreaths on their heads, in sprinh made of fresh greens. 

ŠTAJERSKA (STYRIAN) COSTUMES

Some of the c worn by the Rožmarin folklore group were preforming dances from Štajerska testify that certain old features in cuts and styled retained popularity for a fairly long time. But, above it was the blue apron that made its way into traditional garmend representations from Štajerska. While such aprons were, indeed, worn by the Štajerska people, they were neither part of their everyday nor formal apparel .

The  man in the photograps wear white shirts and dark wool trousers, boots, west and hats as well as blue aproms. With regard to the fact that carnival costumes live on among the Štajerska people, dancers also wear carnival masks in their dance preformances.

DOLENJSKA (LOWER CARNIOLAN) COSTUMES 

Dolenjska is the land of cviček, where boys and girls like to dance at grape harvests.The clothing heritage of Dolenjsska had nt received propeer attention among folklore groups   for a long time. When first reconsructions of Dolenjska clothing styles appeareed, they referrd to the late 18h aand early 19th centuries.

At the beginning of the 19th cenury, men from Dolenjska wore suede or wool trousers, linen shirts and, most frequently,  red wool vest wwith  large silver buttons. Their feet were dressed in hight boots, and their wide-brimmed hats were often decorated with buckles. In that time, women wore wwhite gloves and skirts with attached bodices in various colours (the popular blue, dark red, orange, green etc.). The bodice was usually laced at the front. An apron, usually white, was put on over the skirt, and a kerrchief (peča) was folded into a triangle and simply placed on the woman's head. On their feet, women usually wore black shoes adorned with buckles. 

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Ubald Trnkoczy