Customs and Traditions-Romania

The art of the traditional blouse with embroidery on the shoulder, called ‘’Altiță’’, is an essential part of Romanian folk dress for men and women. It features a simple cut with rich and colourful ornamentations that are stitched using complex sewing techniques. The blouses are white and made of natural fibres (flax, cotton, hemp or floss silk), and the complex stitch combines horizontal, vertical and diagonal seams resulting in a specific pattern and texture.

The styles and techniques vary according to the region and the wearer’s age. The motifs and ornamentation are also varied: from geometric and stylised registers to organic shapes, and from sombre to vivid colours. Traditional blouses with altiță are made entirely by hand, while recent attempts to mechanize certain steps constitute deviations from tradition. The craftsmanship is generally passed on within families, although some organizations, museums and schools organize camps and courses.

Today, interest in creating these blouses is steadily increasing, with the practice viewed as a means of relaxation and of maintaining visible ties to the past.

Bonus Trivia!

Altiță is also a very important part of Moldovan folk tradition.

You can learn more, watching this video.

Source/Photographs taken from: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/the-art-of-the-traditional-blouse-with-embroidery-on-the-shoulder-alti-an-element-of-cultural-identity-in-romania-and-the-republic-of-moldova-01861

Photograph No 1: © Damian Dumitru Laurenţiu/Video Art Studio, 2021

Photograph No 2: © Marin Iluț, 2020

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