Traditional Greek wedding costumes are a vibrant tapestry of regional diversity, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the country.
Rather than a single uniform style, these costumes vary dramatically from island to mainland, mountain village to coastal town. Each region boasts its own unique colors, fabrics, and intricate embroidery, often incorporating symbolic motifs and family heirlooms. Brides typically wear elaborate dresses, often adorned with gold thread, pearls, and other precious materials, while grooms are often dressed in traditional attire specific to their region, this could include embroidered vests, foustanellas or other regional trousers. These costumes are more than just clothing; they are a visual representation of a family’s history, social status, and regional identity, making them a cherished part of Greek wedding traditions.
Evzonas & Amalia
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
Evzonas’ uniform (an elite soldier of the presidential guard, known as Tsolias) was formally established by King Othon of Greece.
Amalia, wife of King Othon, adopted the romantic Peloponnese garment, which became known as ‘Amalia’s costume’.
Creta Island
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
Creta is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands. Once the center of Minoan civilization, its archaeological sites include the Knossos and Phaistos.
The traditional costumes consists of: vest, shirt, waistband, vraka trousers headscarf and boot tops.
Macedonia
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
According to the Greek Historian Herodotus, Macedonia was named after the Makednoi tribe who migrated to the region.
The name Macedonas means “tall, slim’’.
Macedonians wore 70 different types of national costumes.
The lovely Macedonian costumes consists of coat-segouni with embroidery on front and back, dress, apron with embroidery.
Corfu Island
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
Corfu is the second largest Greek Island in the Ionian Sea. Famous for its Italianate architecture, most notably the Liston, an arched colonnade lined with cafes on the edge of the Spianada (Esplanade).
Over the centuries it was occupied by the Venetians, the French and finally the English.
The elegant costumes consist of velvet vest with embroidery, taffeta skirt and apron, shirt, headscarf and embroidered belt.
Cyclades Islands
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
The name “Cyclades” refers to the islands forming a circle around the sacred island of Delos, According to the Greek mythology,
Poseidon, God of the sea, furious at the Cyclades nymphs turned them into islands.
The lovely Cyclades island costumes consist of velvet waistcoat and skirt, dress and waistband.
Rhodes Island
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
Rhodes, the island of the Knights, is the largest of the Dodecanese islands.
One of the seven wonders of the world, the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant bronze statue was documented as once standing at the harbour.
The lovely Rhodes costumes consist of inside garments and head scarfs.
Santorini Island
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
In the more than 200 years under Ottoman
occupation Santorini managed to
do well compared to the rest of the Cyclades. And you can tell by the clothes, always truthful that way. Multiple layered and brightly colored. The saffron yellow was typical of the island costume.
Almost 3.000 years earlier a fresco was painted showing another girl picking the yellow saffron flower.
Some things never change. Others do.
Mytilene
(Lesvos Island)
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
There has been something about Lesvos. They say, perhaps the light, the water, the pastoral nature that has made people want to write poetry, and talk about everything, other people, birds, bees, and overall take life easy.
Men would walk in a leisurely manner, their black breaches flowing about them, caressing their worry beads. Women would giggle, flaunting their excellent handwork lace, the several layers of their very baggy pants, flowing about them.
Mykonos Island
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
According to mythology it was the place that Hercules killed the giants. Located in the middle of the Cyclades islands together with the sacred island of Delos and the Rhenia one. Today is famous worldwide as a summer resort with beautiful beaches, white little houses with bright flowers, blue windows and doors, hand painted streets, windmills, night life, eccentricity.
Visitors of past centuries characterized the local costumes grotesque or picturesque.
Epirus
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
Rugged, mountainous and heavily forested, you wouldn’t call Epirus a land of opportunity.
Or maybe you would, because it was a passageway of trade routes. Men were reliable, enterprising and eloquent too: master builders, superior gold and silversmiths (the filigree silver jewelry), wealthy merchants (velvet and silk), scholars, and even when herders… the herd was huge.
No room for playful affectation here. Here men were stern, ladies stately, and dances slow.
Thessaly
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
The vast, by Greek standards, plains when not flooded, could be very fertile, a sea of yellow in summer. Among the tall grass tricky creatures lurked making thick woolen socks a must, even in extreme heat.
But what a sight these women were, dressed in one of the most elaborate costumes in the country! They carried their burden on their heads helped by a thick braid of hair covered by an elegant headdress. Men in their little fluffy skirt were not bad either.
Pontus I
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
In the 8th century BC Greeks left mainland for the SE part of the Black Sea. They came back early in the 20th century – as refugees.
For 28 centuries they had kept an ancient way of living, with the Greek traditions and habits.
Dressed in black or dark brown, they danced their primal warlike dance to scare death. This was a male-oriented culture.
Well, the girl might get some velvet and silk and fur and such.
Pontus II
MAN & WOMAN COSTUME
In the 8th century BC Greeks left mainland for the SE part of the Black Sea. They came back early in the 20th century – as refugees.
For 28 centuries they had kept an ancient way of living, with the Greek traditions and habits.
Dressed in black or dark brown, they danced their primal warlike dance to scare death. This was a male-oriented culture.
Well, the girl might get some velvet and silk and fur and such.