Bridal costume of Stefanoviki Bridal costume of Stefanoviki

The bridal or festive costume of Stefanoviki was the customary dress of nearly all the villages of eastern Thessaly, with variations from place to place. It consists of a dark chemise, a shift (an “anderi”) and the “kondandero” (a kind of quilted anderi made of tarakli). Round the waist is a gold-embroidered belt (“zonari”), fastened over the apron with either the bridal buckle or the less elaborate “thilykotaria”. The material of the apron matches the sleeve lining of the kondandero. The sleeveless velvet outer garment is called the “katifes”. The head is covered with a round cap (“fessi”) encircled by an improvised frontlet adorned with gold coins. Brides from poor families would hire this frontlet, the “kafassi”, from the local landowner. The kerchief is made of silk in an aubergine colour. The jewellery worn with the costume comprises a double “kiousteki” (silver belt), a “souyas”, “parades” (gold coins), a bracelet and a “haimali” (amulet). Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation Collection