Traditional women’s dress in Metohija

Common in the Metohija area is the linen shirt in the shape of a tunic of a straight cut that developed into a bell-shaped attire with several insets. Embroidery of perfect workmanship is positioned on the exposed parts – the sleeves, collared chest and along the edges of the tunic. Embroidery is done in woolen yarn, often of different shades of red. It is restricted solely to the Metohija embroidery.

Especially prominent among the outer garments is the widespread, beautifully shaped chemise known as zubun, made from white woolen cloth, sleeveless, reaching to the knees and open along the whole length. Headgear, mostly represented by trvelj, vitica, sapletak and komara, worn by married women, consists of two knitted woolen braids that are interlaced with hair or simply folded by the ears. Placed on thus arranged hair was headwear, prevez, shaped like a small cap, whose flaps hung down the back.

Heavily creased pregača apron, commonly made from wool or a combination of wool and cotton, reaching to the middle of the thigh or shorter, in its later forms also as a woolen apron of a straight cut, commonly of strong red and green colors, is the basic item of the traditional women’s attire. Various pieces of ornamental jewelry enhance the appearance of the clothes – pins, hairpins, earrings, and the beautifully diadem-shaped pročelnici frontlets. Also common are necklaces and pectorals, bracelets and rings, as well as the widely spread pafta sash clasps. A well-known decoration of brides in the Metohija-Kosovo area is the kovanik belt, composed of brass plates set with polychrome stones and agates. Strings of coins and ornaments made from polychrome beads with geometric patterns, which women shaped by knitting, were also rather common.

The attire was complemented by opanci shoes made from tanned pigskin.