Men In Tights

Why do we see men dancing in skirts and tights at Greek Fest? This is part of a Greek traditional costume known as the fustanella that has been worn in Greece since the 12th century. It originally derived from the classical military uniform of the late Roman Empire. It’s a stiff white pleated knee length skirt or kilt, usually accompanied by thick white tights (kaltses), a sash (zonari), a white shirt (poukamiso) and a vest (yeleko). Folks that lived in the mountains were known to wear fustanellas because they were easy to maneuver around in, the tights were used to protect the shepherds and farmers from thorny plants and cold weather. It later became a military uniform for the Greek Fighters in 1821 and is still worn today by members of the Presidential Guard called Evzones, an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Traditionally the fustanella has 400 pleats to represent the years Greece was under Ottoman rule. Today it remains the most well recognized traditional costume in modern history.

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August 3, 2016 at 7:56 pm | 2016 | No comment

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