From the folk costumes fashion show before the concert
of KUD SEVOJNO in the National Theatre in Uzice,
on November 29, 2004 for the 50-th anniversary

Variety and riches of the traditional style of clothing, shaped within the framowork of collective comprehension of belonging and expression of individual feelings and skills, have been based on inheritance and tradition.

According to the style of clothing, one could be recognized for his origin,and in the co-national environment particularly – to which confession and ethnic community one belongs.

By clothes, together with jewelry, since the most ancient times people expressed to which social layer and to which age they belonged, and there was also certain defference in everyday and holiday clothing.

The folk costumes of each region contained also magic and religious meaning, the shape and workmanship of various garments and ornaments having the basic function of protection of the body in various climates. In their ornamental function, they signified the creative skills and taste of an individual and the community.

Diverse conceptual, artistic and functional properties represent the characteristics of a wearing culture of the place and time in which the handicrafts were worn, accepting nevertheless certain elements of the past time wearing styles.

Wearing habits, in addition to cultural and historical factors through time and space, were substantially influenced by nature and climate. Thus the culture of the mountaineers from the cattlebreeding areas, as well the culture of the plain dwellers and farmers, hold their own significance and values both of the material and spiritual culture.

Civil clothes were developed under Turkish and Oriental influence, and later, like in the towns of the Pannonian area and the Adriatic coast, primarily under the European influence. Under the influence of the mentioned factors certain common wearing elements within the wider cultural and geographic zones were created, such as Central-Balcan, Pannonian, Dinaric and Adriatic zones with their own particularities.

Preparation of the fabrics, dyeing, tailoring, sewing and decoration of the clothes, as well as their maintenance, were female jobs in the past. Depending on the natural conditions, the cattle-breeder's clothes featured numerous coarse woolen garments of simple design and style. In the lower and more cultivated areas, in addition to wool and leather, the clothes were made from plant fibres, flax and hemp yarn, and wider use of cotton didn't start until the beginning of the 20th century. From these fibres, different types of cloth were woven: linen, hemp, cotton and mixed, in which cotton was mixed with flax, hemp and silk.

Wool had the widest application in the production of fabric. It had multiple use: for making heavy cloth of which summer and winter top garments were sewn, ("zubun" - a type of short jacket, waistcoat, "gunj" – a type of long peasant jacket, "koporan" - a type of coat), then for weaving female aprons, sashes, skirts and bags, for knitting stockings and toe-warmers, female and male caps. This coarse fabric was not dyed at first. It was used in white or natural greyish colour (which was preserved in the areas of eastern Serbia). The dyeing started in the last decades of the 19th century.

Leather was very often used as a material for making clothes and shoes (sheepskin coats of various models and sizes, bags, fur-caps, peasant shoes, at first of untanned and later of tanned hides).

After gradual transition from cattle breeding to soil cultivating, disintegration of the extended family groups, development of crafts, trade and industry, making of certain folk garments in the mid 19th century and later was taken over by village and town craftsmen: tailors, furriers, cobblers…

By the beginning of 20th century, through the trade and the town, the village acquires certain garments made by the tailors who were influenced by the European wearing styles.

Since the second half od 20th century the folk costumes from the past have become cultural and historical hereditary values, but they were preserved in everyday use just in some exceptional cases, in closed environments and on some festive occasions.

One of the ways to preserve the traditional folk costume and show it to the audience, in addition to museum collections (where the original garments are kept) is by folklore performances, in which the folk costumes, either original or replicas, extend the knowledge about the traditional clothing in the past.

At the concert for the 50-th anniversary of KUD Sevojno, the audience had an opportunity to see the folk costumes as follows: • Most representative folk costumes from Sumadija.
• The folk costumes from Uzice, made of pure natural materials from our country, coarse woolen fabric and hemp cloth, for summer and winter.
• Extremely rich, luxurious and original women's costumes, originating from ancient Prizren town, in which Dusan, a Serbian emperor, lived in 14th century.
• The Vlahs-Carans, Serbians who live mostly in eastern Serbia , have their characteristic dances and costumes, as well.
• The folk cistumes of Serbians from Herzegovina, and "Lindjo" dance.
• Merry and cheerful costumes of "Tchotchek" dancers from Vranje.
• Inspirative, colourful and original costumes from Banat.
• Authentic folk costumes from Leskovac surroundings.
• Rich and true to the original, folk costumes from Nish.
• The Vlah clothes from east Serbia is another evidence of wealth and variety of our people.
• For this occasion, south-east Serbia was represented by "The Shop" folk costumes.
• Macedonian folk costumes, as well as the dances, were shown by KUD Sevojno with pride.

Just enjoy our dances and folk costumes!