The Montenegrin National Male Garments:

Male folk footwear

Opanci – were the footwear which was most often worn in Montenegro. They are made of beef’s skin. The ends of “opanci” are very low, and they do not have heals, while their front part is edged, and the peak of “opanci” is very tough. The front part of “opanci” is woven into with a “cord”, thin threads of goat’s skin, which was laid transversally, from one end of “opanak” to the other. Down the length of “opanak” and along its middle three or four rows were woven which end in loops, and through them “opanak” was attached to leg. So with this part only a half of the foot was covered, because of which “opanak’ has to be firmly attached to leg. Therefore a small belt is made also from cord with which you surround the foot and with which you bind the front art with the lateral sides of “opanak”. In order for “opanak” to be softer and more comfortable Montenegrins have put inside a insole,, which was extremely significant when “opanak” is already worn or when the skin of “opanak” is already thin. The cord, the material which is used for making “opanak”, was made by Montenegrins themselves. Goat’s skin was dried and after that stretched. Then the wool was shaved, and the skin was cut in small bands, which are then softened, then woven in, attached, and winded up in balls. For making “opanak” beef’s skin can also be used. This skin was wetted, of which it folded, and then it was put in cast after which one could make “opanak” from it. Depending for which time of the year “opanak” is made, depends which skin will be used for its production. For making of “opanak” for the summer Montenegrin uses salted skin, and for all other seasons of the year he will use the unsalted skin.

When a Montenegrin gets dressed and puts his shoes on then he puts his belt. Simple Montenegrin belt is woven from wool and it has vertical stripes – usually they are black, yellow, blue, and usually on the surface which is red or dark green. The belts of Montenegrins are 3 to 4 meters long and their width is up to 15 cm. With this kind of a belt Montenegrins wrap themselves around, and then they put around “silav” so that across it they could wrap around the belt completely. Silav is something like soft leather small suitcase of several layers which have separate spaces in which Montenegrins places various things. Montenegrins stuck usually one or two guns or revolvers, and a big knife. They also had “arabija” there – a metal bat whit which they stuck (filled) the gun and cleaned its barrel. In special compartments for which we said that they are found in silav one could find handkerchief, wallet, or a gag with money.

After a Montenegrin had put on his belt and stuck his weapon, and money behind the belt his costume is being completed with a hat. Montenegrin hat has a flat bottom and a flat brim, and it is 8 cm wide. It is made of red or dark red coarse material and it is twice as much deeper that the brim of the hat, but the ends of the hat are twisted and in that way we get the double brim. On the upper surface of hat, that is, on the circle there is golden embroidery. On one side we have an arc with three stripes, of which the middle one is made of three lines from brim to brim, and on both sides of the hat there two more lines and two more lines together. That gives us a number of totally 5 stripes. In that arc HI is embroidered which actually means “Nikola I” (the king of Montenegro). The brim is paneled with thin silk and the ends go over into the mentioned circle a bit. The interior of the hat is lined and it is usually of white color, though on some Montenegrin hats lines of other colors can be found. The only thing that is for sure is that the lining in the interior of the hat is never in colors. Montenegrin hat does not stand firmly on head. When the wind is strong, and in certain parts of Montenegro that is the case, Montenegrin puts a kerchief over the hat and ties it. It is not a rare case that in the past when the winter is severe and when it is a bad weather, a Montenegrin takes off his belt and ties it around his head, which a resembled a lot to tying of the Turkish “calma” (turban).

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