Men's outfit from Tinutul Padurenilor

 

If in the previous article we talked about women's traditional outfit from our beautiful land - Tinutul Padurenilor, in this article we will share interesting information about men's traditional outfit. The foresters from this beautiful land have on their traditional costume only a few symbolic aspects, the majority being the same as the ones from the neighbouring regions. This can be the first difference between men and women's traditional outfit. If for women the outfit is unique because of its elements, for men it's more like a common costume, similar to those from Tara Hațegului or Banat.

Hat

We will start with the specific masculine element, the hat. Well, the important thing about this item is that it has known three periods in terms of design. First period is specific for the end of the First World War. What is important to know is that at that time the hats were made only in Făget and Lipova, especially for the merchants from the areas bordering Tinutul Padurenilor who traded them in the fairs in Hunedoara and Dobra. The second period can be seen after the First World War when the people from Padurenime wore hats with brims stretched about a palm wide, then making the transition to hats inspired by the uniform of former mountain hunters, hat model which is worn even nowadays.

Men's shirt

The men's shirts from Tinutul Padurenilor  are long, very similar to those from Banat and Țara Hațegului. In the past they were as long as the toes, but nowadays they reach to the knees. The material from which it is made is canvas or cotton, however,  it has been preserved over time. In the past, the motifs were missing ,but after a while we can find a discreet white thread fabric called "pui", placed on the "collar" and "pumnași" [ pumnaʃ ], special embroidery technique called "pui" [ pui: ] on the collar tying with "stumps" .

Trousers / Izmene

We go further with the description of the men's folk costume. The next elements are  called "izmene" and "soareci [ ʃɔareč ] " ."Izmene" are the men's almost universal trousers. In the summer they were worn as such, while in winter they served as underwear. The woolen tights called "Soarecii" [ ʃɔareč: ]were worn in the winter and they are made from wool.

The Belt/ Cureaua

Belt
Photo:  Tif Marica

The belt is the next piece of clothing proudly worn by foresters which has an interesting story. The belts were made only in Lugoj and Făget (Banat region) and were bought exclusively from fairs. Like the hat, the belt had its own storage place, so in its compartments men used to wear the tobacco, the pipe and the documents necessary for the journey. A little wooden barrel called "căpcea" [kәpča ] was also indispensable. It was made of wood, being tied to the belt with a strap, from which the foresters drink water along the way.  Another important item from this outfit was the sheath knife, decorated with tin.

The sleeveless "woolen" jacket is worn by men over their shirts. The collar and the edges were edged with cloth and coloured with chestnuts, the differences depending on the village, but also on the age. If for teenagers red is predominating, for adults over 50 years, dark purple and green has been used, while for old people black and green coats dominated.

English version by Norana Adina

Ținutul Pădurenilor - România

Photo: Marica Tif, Toma Radu  

Corrector: Oblezniuc Bianca Violeta