Page "Fustanella" Paragraph 8

During the Ottoman period, the fustanella was worn by the klephts and the armatoloi.

In the early 19th century, the costume's popularity rose among the Greek population.

According to Helen Angelomatis-Tsougarakis, its popularity in the Morea ( Peloponnese ) was attributed to the influence of the Albanian colony of Hydra and other Albanian settlements in the area.

However, the Hydriotes could not have played a significant role in its development since they did not wear the fustanella, but similar costumes to the other Greek islanders.

In the other regions of Greece, its popularity was attributed to the rise of power of Ali Pasha, the semi-independent ruler of the Pashalik of Yanina.

Moreover, its lightweight design and manageability in comparison to the clothing of the Greek upper classes of the era also made it fashionable.

The fustanella worn by the Roumeliotes ( Greeks of the mountainous interior ) was the version chosen as the national costume of Greece in the early 19th century.

By the late 19th century, the popularity of the fustanella in Greece began to fade when Western-style clothing was introduced.

In modern Greece, the garment is seen a relic of a past era that most members of the younger generations don't identify with.