All 112 Styles of Folk Costumes of Romania

RomanianMuseum.com
A Virtual Gallery of Folk Costumes of Romania
    romania@RomanianMuseum.com
Telephone in Chicago 1-773-545-8423 or FAX 1-773-509-1287

1. General Description
2. Main Characteristics
3. Elements of the Romanian Folk Costumes (Men, Women)
4. Specific characteristics of Romanian FolkCostumes, by Ethnographic Regions.
5. Tables, Lists

1.1. In the good old days, one could tell, just by looking at someone's clothes, the place he was from and his race (nationality.) In a single city as Sibiu (Central Transylvania) one could easily tell apart Romanians from Saxons or Hungarians.

1.2. On the other hand, because all Romanian folk costumes have certain common elements, until about one hundred years ago, one could recognize the Romanians living in Albania, or Bulgaria, or Greece, or Serbia. As a curiosity Ukrainan and NE Romanian folk costumes are similar. In Romania itself, people living in different regions have slightly different costumes each with its specific elements. Depending on who is counting, what is counting, and how the counting is done, in Romania could be between 40 and over 120 ethnographic zones.

1.3. Also, it is accepted that between 1000 AD and mid 1800, the folk (peasant) dress in Europe changed very little, if at all. The economic development of the mid 1800's made easy for the peasants to acquire more fabrics, embroidery threads, etc. thus women spent less time weaving and more time embroidering. Also ease of travel and more communication erased some of the differences between the ethnographic zones. In Romania, after the 1950 the traditional folk dress is worn only at festive events. Thus, it is interesting to present folk outfits before and after 1900's.

1.4. The Romanian Old Fashioned Folk Costumes were entirely made at home: home spun wool, cotton, hemp, silk (from home grown silk worms) and flex (in Romanian "in"). Quality and degree of ornamentation depended on one's skills and possibilities. As a curiosity "camasa iobageasca" didn't have any ornamentation. In Romanian "camasa" means shirt and "iobag" means serf.

1.5. The costume itself or some ornamentation or accessories indicated if the person wearing it was married (less or more than a year;) single and not interested in marriage; single, but looking for a partner; engaged to be married; widow/er (less or more than a year.) Also there were special accessories for different holidays, events, or occasions: weddings, funerals, etc.

2.1. One main characteristic of the Romanian folk costumes is the predilection for white. Women have white blouses, white skirts, white scarves, even white coats. Aprons and vests are black or colored. Men have white shirts and white pants.

2.2. All, absolutelly all, without exception, all traditional blouses and shirts have long sleeves. Only in the last 50 years, blouses have short sleeves.

2.3. Embroidery in geometric patterns. Almost every piece of clothing has some kind of handwork, unusually embroidery in geometric pattern; of course, to a limited extent, flowers (or curved lines) are also present.

2.4. Elaborate and highly symbolic headdresses. Nowadays, the Romanian folk costumes are generally limited to blouses, skirts, and aprons, perhaps vests for women; Shirts, pants, and sometimes vests or coats for man. The old style of elaborate and highly symbolic headdresses are totally disregarded.

1. Transylvania or Ardeal (Sibiu, Somesul Superior, Hateg, and Muntii Apuseni.) The main characteristic of this region is the fact that women wear two aprons, called zadii, catrantele or oprege; the aprons are narrow, the color is black or black and red.

2. West Plains or Câmpiile de vest (Câmpia Muresului, Câmpiile Crisurilor Negru-Alb-Repede, and Câmpia Somesului Inferior). The main characteristic of this region is that women wear only one front apron, called zadie orcatranta The aprons are very wide and very colorful.

3. Banat (Lunca Timisului, Caras-Severin.) The main characteristic of this region is that women wear two aprons, called opreg. One or both aprons have long fringes.

4. Wallachia or Tara Româneasca (Oltenia and Muntenia). The main characteristic of this region is the fact that women wear two overlapping aprons. The aprons have different sizes and designs. The front, the narrow apron is called zavelca. The back apron is wide, with creases and is called vâlnic. Sometimes in the summer girls wear two "zavelca." In the winter women wear one apron, a heavier versions on the vâlnic, called "pesteman" and "fota creata," wide, pleated,wrapped all around, looking almost like a regular skirt.

5. Dunare, the region along the inferior course of River Danube: Baragan, Dobrogea and South Moldova. The main characteristic of this region is the fact that women wear two narrow aprons called pestelca. The aprons are similar in size, but different in design.

6. Moldova: Moldova, Basarabia, Bukovina. The main characteristic of this region is that women wear only one, wrapped around apron, called "fota."

7. Balkans, or Romanians who live outside the present-day Romanian borders.

a) In this vast region there are Romanians who live close-by the Romanian borders and their costumes are similar to those of their Romanian neighbors. Thus Romanians from Voijvodina or Banatu' Sarbesc (Serbian Banat) have costumes very similar to Romanians from Romanian Banat. Romanians who live in Timoc or Timok, Serbia have folk costumes similar to Caras-Severin. Romanians who live in Timoc or Timok, Bulgaria have folk costume similar to Oltenia .

b) Romanians also live in Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, and Macedonia:
– Istro-Romanians live in Istria, Croatia.
– Macedo-Romanians or Aromânii live in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia.
– Megleno Romanians live in Bulgaria, Greece, and Macedonia.

The main characteristic of this region is the fact that women wear only one apron, called poale, and condusa, a long, sleeveless vest. Other elements of the Balkan's folk costumes are:
– Fustane, blouse and skirt together, sort of a dress with very little embroidery
– Condusa, a long, sleeveless vest.
– Scurtac, waist long vest.
– Libade, a jacket with short sleeves.
– Poala, apron
– Hrisafi or Pirpodzi, socks, made of many different colored wool thread.
– Paftale, two metallic "buckles" at the ends of the belt.
– Tipunea, heavy winter coat..
– Sarica, heavy, sleeveless winter coat...

Romanian Folk Costumes by ethnographic regions By 7 regions with 16 sub-regions and 97 ethnographic zones (prezentarea a 7 regiuni folcorice, impartite in 16 sub-refiuni si 97 zone etnografice ) 1. ARDEAL or TRANSYLVANIA   – Sibiu   – Somes (Somesul Superior)   – Hateg   – Apuseni 2. CAMPIILE de VEST (West Plains)   – Arad, Câmpia Muresului   – Bihor, Câmpia Crisurilor   – Câmpia Somesului Inferior 3. BANAT   – Timis   – Caras-Sverin 4. TARA ROMANEASCA(Wallachia)   – Oltenia   – Muntenia 5. DUNARE   – Baragan   – Dobrogea   – Moldova de Sud 6. MOLDOVA   – Bucovina   – Moldova   – Basarabia 7. BALCANI or Romanians outside the present day Romanian borders   – Daco-Romani: Serbia, Bulgaria, Ucraina   – Macedo-Romani (aromani or vlahi) ]n Albania, Bulgaria, Grecia, Macedonia, Serbia   – Istro-Romani (istro-romani or vlahi) in Istria (Croatia)   – Megleni-Romani (or vlasi) in Macedonia, Grecia, Bulgaria.

Romanian Folk Costumes by ethnographic regions and zones

Region	sub-region	Ethnographic zone
ARDEAL or Transilvania	Sibiu	1. Sibiu      Podisul Secaselor (Sebes) 2. Valea Hartibaciului 3. Fagaras or Tara Oltului 4. Tarnave 5. Barsa or Tara Barsei 6. Alba 7. Tara Lovistei      Topolog (19 century as Sibiu; 20 century as Valcea+Arges)
	Somes	8a  Cluj or Dealurile Clujului 8b. Campia Clujului 9. Lapus 10. Maramures 11. Mures + Valea Gurghiului      Tulghes-Izvorul Muresului-Ciuc (In Transylvania, but similar to Moldova) 12. Nasaud + Prundu Bargaului 13 Huedin (or Meses)      Depresiunea Calata (Or Kalotszeg) 14. Salaj 15. Somes
	Hateg	16. Hateg - Sarmisegetuza 17. Hateg - Lunca Cernii 18. Hateg - Meria 19. Hunedoara 20. Orastie 21. Petrosani – Valea Jiului 22. Petrosani-Momarlani (Valea Jiul-de-Vest) 23. Padureni
	Apuseni	24. Ampoi, Valea Ampoilui; Zlatna      Mocanii de Turda (pr Aries) 25. Aries (Valea Ariesului; Salciua) 25a. Aries (Lupsa) 26. Beius (transition between Bihor & Apuseni), 27. Bucium-Abrud 28. Tara Motilor--Vidra 29. Tara Zarandului-Brad 30. Tara Zarandului-Halmagiu
Campiile de Vest or WEST PLAINES (câmpie=plain)	Arad	Campia Muresului 31. Arad ( cu "Opreg" or 2 oprege) 32. Arad (Orasenesc) 33. Arad ("Zadie" or 1 zadie)
	Bihor	Campiile Crisurilor 34. Ineu (Bihor: Campia Crisului Alb) 35. Meziad (Bihor: Campia Crisului Negru) 36. Alesd (Bihor: Campia Crisului Repede) 37. Valea Barcaului & Crasnei
	Oas	Campia Somesului Inferior 38. Codru (Zone Codru-Chioar-Oas) 39. Chioar (Zone Codru-Chioar-Oas) 40. Oas (Campia Somesului)
BANAT	Timis	41. Timis 42. Buzias 43a. Deta-Ciacova 43b. Jebel-Buzias-Lugoj, or The Golden Triangle 44. Lipova 45. Faget 46. Lugoj 47. Sannicolau
	Caras-Severin	48. Almaj (Carbunari) 49. Almaj (Valea Nerei) 50. Caras (Oravita) 51. Clisura Dunarii 52. Severin 53. Valea Bistrei,
TARA ROMANEASCA or Valahia	Oltenia	54. Valcea, + Topolog      Topolog (19 century as Sibiu; 20 century as Valcea+Arges) 55. Horezu 56. Gorj, + Tismana 57. Mehedinti + Plaiul Closanilor 58. Olt + Campia Boianului 59. Romanati + Slatina 60. Dolj
	Tara Romaneasca or Valahia / Wallahia	61. Arges 62. Bran 63. Buzau 64. Dambovita 65. Ilfov 66. Muscel 67. Prahova 68. Ramnic 69. Teleorman 70. Vlasca
DUNARE	Baragan,	71. Ialomita 72. Braila
	Dobrogea,	73. Tulcea(or Macin)North Dobrogea 74. Babadag (Dobrogea Central) 75. Ostrov (South Dobrogea) 76. Macedo-Romani or Aromani 77. Megleno-romani (Cerna, judetul Tulcea)
	Moldova de Sud	78. Covurlui (azi Galti) 79. Prut
MOLDOVA	Bucovina	80. Suceava+ Falticeni 81. Campulung Moldovenesc 82. Dorna ( or Vatra Dornei) 83. Homor (or Gura Humorului) 84. Radauti
	Moldova	85. Bacau 86. Botosani + Siret +Jijia 87. Iasi 88. Tulghes-Izvorul Muresului-Ciuc (In geographically in Transylvania     but ethnographically similar to Moldova ) 89. Neamt + Valea Bistritei 90. Roman 91. Vrancea
	Basarabia	92 Basarabia
BALCANI	Daco-romani	93. Romani in Banatul Sarbesc 94. Romani in Cadrilater (South Dobrogea, Bulgaria) & Romani in North Bulgaria Nord, along Danube river 95. Romani in Timoc (Vidin, Bulgaria) 96. Romani in Timoc (Negotin, Serbia)
	Macedo-romani	Macedo-Romani (Aromani) in Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Gerecia, Albania (76)
	Megleno-romani	Megleno-Romani in Romania (Tulcea) (77) Macedonia. Grecia, Bulgaria
	Istro-romani	97. Istro-Romani (in Istria, Croatia)