National costumes are part of Croatian culture and are highly respected and admired. As the Croatian
landscape consists of different types of relief and climate, so the differences can be noticed in national costumes, which
vary depending on the province from which they originate. They differ in colour, fabrics, embroidery, ornaments and other accessories that were an indispensable part of the costumes, either for women or men. In all costumes, from those from the southernmost regions to the northernmost, the
influence of neighbouring countries as well as the kingdoms that once ruled Croatia is reflected.
One should point out that the national costume was reserved for the
common people, not for the aristocracy, and therefore they are a true reflection of the Croatian past. Although national costumes are
part of history and they were used as a token of where a young man or a girl came from and what their
marital status was, they still play an important role in Croatian culture, are
worn at various festivals, often appear in exhibitions dedicated to Croatian folk heritage, etc.
In order to better understand the appearance of
individual costumes, we will take you through different costumes throughout Croatia and highlight why individual costumes stand out and what makes them
special.
Historically and regionally, the costumes are divided into 3 groups and we will introduce you to some of their
main features:
Pannonian costumes:
Pannonian costumes are considered to be those from
continental Croatia, between the Danube, Drava and Sava rivers. There, the land was fertile and therefore the inhabitants were
wealthier. This could also be deduced from the costumes that were very rich,
full of decorations and details. The costumes, both male and female, were made of white linen. In addition to wide-legged pants and a shirt, the men also wore short vests, and n winter, short coats decorated with braids. The women's costume consisted of a long shirt (reaching all the way to the ankles) over which ran an
apron with rich embellishments. They also wore vests, together with necklaces made of coral or glass beads, or even gold coins, as was the custom in
Slavonia. They covered their heads with a headscarf. Depending on the colour or embellishments on the headscarf, one could infer their age, their marital status, etc. Floral details were very prominent among women’s Pannonian costumes.
Dinaric costumes:
Dinaric Croatia is located
between the Pannonian and Adriatic region. Severe climatic conditions and mountainous terrain were prerequisites for the development of slightly different costumes that needed to
protect the folk from harsh weather conditions. The costumes were of a simple shape, and the main material used was warm wool. The clothes were therefore heavy, decorated with metal details. Women's costumes were characterised by vests, long coats and wool aprons with knitted ornaments. Girls and boys wore shallow red hats on their heads, and married women wore
rectangular headscarves.
Adriatic costumes:
Adriatic costumes were worn along the entire Croatian coast and
on the islands. The influence of other cultures is very noticeable on these costumes, and so they appear to be a very typical costume of the wider
Mediterranean region. Men's costumes feature pants that are wide but considerably shorter, in order to be comfortable to wear during
hot summer days. In addition, they wore blue wool caps in the shape of a cone. Women's costumes consisted of Renaissance shirts, over which a bell-shaped skirt was worn. They often wore filigree jewellery, which was very popular along the coast due to the
Venetian influence.
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Sanda Kesedzic
2.11.2022
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
