The land beyond the forest; facts, figures, and fancies from Transylvania . ly drawn forwardand concealing the lower part of the face, or againtwisted up in Satanella-like horns, which give thewearer a slightly demoniacal appearance. Whatever is tight or strained-looking about thedress is considered unbeautiful : the folds mustalways flow downwards in soft easy lines, thesleeves should be full and bulging, and the skirtlong enough to conceal the feet, so that in dancingonly the toes are visible. The men have also much variety in their dressfor grand occasions, but for ordinary wear theyconfine
The land beyond the forest; facts, figures, and fancies from Transylvania . ly drawn forwardand concealing the lower part of the face, or againtwisted up in Satanella-like horns, which give thewearer a slightly demoniacal appearance. Whatever is tight or strained-looking about thedress is considered unbeautiful : the folds mustalways flow downwards in soft easy lines, thesleeves should be full and bulging, and the skirtlong enough to conceal the feet, so that in dancingonly the toes are visible. The men have also much variety in their dressfor grand occasions, but for ordinary wear theyconfine themselves to a plain coarse linen shirt,which hangs down over the trousers like a work-mans blouse, confined at the waist by a broad redor black leather belt, which contains various re-ceptacles for holding money, pistols, knife and fork,&c. The trousers, which fit rather tightly to theleg, are in summer of linen, in winter of a coarsesort of white cloth. Of the same cloth is made thelarge overcoat which he wears in winter, sometimesreplaced by a sheepskin ROUMANIAN WOMEN. FROM * PHOTOGRAPH BY WAOAVt K4W t ASBOTH HERMANSTADT ROUMANIAN LIFE. 249 Both sexes wear on the feet a sort of sandalcalled Opintschen, which consists of an oval-shapedpiece of leather drawn together by leather thongs,beneath which the feet are swaddled in wrappingsof linen or woollen rags. Dress makes the man, according to the Rouman-ians estimate, and rather than want for handsomeclothes a man should deprive himself of food anddrink. Stomacul nu arc oglinda —the stomachhas no mirror—says their proverb; therefore theman who has no fitting costume to wear on EasterSunday should hide himself rather than appear atchurch shabbily attired. To be consistent with the Roumanians notion ofcleanliness, his clothes should by rights be spun,woven, and made at home. Sometimes he may beobliged to purchase a cap or coat of a stranger, butin such cases he is careful to select a dealer of hisown nationality.
Size: 1324px × 1886px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisheredinb, bookyear1888
