The National Costumes of the Upper Villages of Bitola

The national costume so-called gornoselska rufet (clothing of the upper villages) of the villages located south of Bitola known as the Upper Villages has its own distinguishing features.

The items of the older female costume used until late 19^th and early 20^th century were richly decorated with embroidery, woven and applied motifs of a light red color – al, by which the entire costume was known as alska. The shirt with its rich and thick embroidered motifs on the sleeves and on the poli , the shayak made of a cotton fabric klashna with its light red decorations, a woven apron stylishly ornamented red socks are elements of the female costume of this region. The winter clothing is the resulka, made of a red fabric klashna decorated with red braids and fringes on its interior. The wedding act was manifested with the decorative clothing zgorntsa, some woven cloths and a shamia (a piece of cloth worn on the head) aligned with coins and metallic decorations.

The big white square bandana called a darkma with an embroidered decoration called a gugan in the one corner is a cover for the head. The women of these villages manifested their mourning by wearing a darkma, which has an embroidered gugan with white ornaments.

However, at the beginning of the 20^th century, particularly before the Ilinden period, the alska costume is replaced. From this moment, the black color is predominant in the embroidery and woven decorations, as well as the fabric used to make the upper clothing items. Black clothing items, as well as shirts with black embroidery first appeared in the village of Bukovo. The term Bukovski (Bukovo and its vicinity) denotes and includes the neighboring regions where this costume was worn – Lerin (Florina) Plain, Prilep Plain, Gorna Prespa (Upper Prespa), Dolna Prespa (Lower Prespa).