In the traditional garb of Romania one notices resemblances in patterns and colours to those of one or other Balkan people, the fota (tunic), brightly embroidered with tapestry designs, and probably of Albanian origin, is used by all the South Slavs, but a special Romanian character is given by greater harmony and refinement of colouring, a more conscious regularity of the pattern, an instinctive avoidance of the crude and glaring. The purest tradition in costume has been kept in the remote Carpathian gens; the shepherd of the mountain pastures is here also the most typical Romanian. His opinci (leather sandals) appear on Trajan's Column and the Adam-Klissi monument; his gluga, a sheepskin hood coming down to the breast, is equally ancient. He wears either the caciula, the high lambskin cap, or a palarie, a pointed broad-brimmed felt hat, much like that of the Balkan shepherd. The sheepskin vest, pieptar, worn with the wool inside, is often so richly embroidered in coloured silk that the skin disappears from view; the shirt is also lavishly embroidered, particularly about the shoulders and the lower hem it is caught about the waist by a belt, and is not tucked in, but worn outside, coming to a little above the knee. Men's nightgowns, as well as women's, are richly embroidered. Over his shirt and vest the shepherd throws a black sheepskin jacket (cojoc) and a long cloak, also with the wool inside. His white woolen trousers are tight and never pressed.
     Still more handsome and striking are the women's costumes. Over their undergarment, the camasha, which comes down to the ankles, the Romanian peasant women wear the fota, or rather, generally two fote; the longer one the opreg, comes behind, and the fastac, in front. They are lavishly embroidered; the patterns vary in different regions. The fota, in one piece (va^lnic or zavelca) is much less common. The belt (briu) is sometimes embroidered with gold, sometimes with a long fringe.
     Not merely does the fota vary greatly according to region; so does the head-dress, and the style of arranging the hair. The finest head-dress was the testema, made of linen or batiste. Married women wear a long white transparent veil, the marama, wound about the head and then waving free. In many mountain districts, especially in the Banat the married women wear the conciu, a petite diadem made of wood or metal, from which hangs a long embroidered cloth. Towels are simply and charmingly embroidered. They take special pride in the home-made rugs and runners (scoartze, laicere) which deck the walls as well as the floor. The colours of these costumes are brilliant and yet harmonious. The effect is often heightened by the necklaces of silver and even gold coins.

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