Grupo Folclórico de Cantares e Balhados da Relva

 



CLOAK AND HOOD & RICH MAN'S WOOLEN COSTUME
Island of São Miguel, The Azores

She dons a sober black woolen costume which can be in dark blue, comprised of a cloak and hood with a red serge skirt with rich trimmings on the lower half, a white pleated shirt with lace and inlays, an embroidered white linen apron, a bright headscarf of the same colour as the skirt and buckled shoes in fashion at the turn of the 20th century, although these go back as far as the 16th century.
He sports a black woolen suit comprised of one-piece pants with openings on the sides, a jacket trimmed in black, waistcoat, white linen shirt embroidered in blue, headdress made of black wool on the outside and red felt on the inside with flaps covering the back and black boots with red trimming. This costume, normally donned by well-to-do country folk, is to be found in the Carlos Machado Museum (Island of São Miguel, The Azores), where the Group undertook its research.



POOR WOMAN AND FARMER'S COSTUMES
FROM THE REGION OF RELVA, ISLAND OF SÃO MIGUEL, AZORES

She dons a traditional rustic hand woven serge skirt with plain striped or pointed embroidered trimming. The apron with side pocket contrasts with the skirt and also sports stripes or checked cloth on its lower half, as does the skirt. The white linen shirt is decorated with pleats and white lace and inlays and is complemented by leather and wooden boots. The floral headscarf in the bright colours that are so much to the liking of country folk, matches the skirt whereas the petticoat and drawers are in white cotton with white lace and inlays.
He wears drill pants with braces and a buckle at the back, a blue and white striped flax shirt with a large pocket in which a roll of tobacco is kept and a drill jacket, known as a "guarda-pó", which may, in some cases, not necessarily match the pants but be in some other similar material and hue, a woolen cap and the traditional leather and wooden sandals.


      

TRADITIONAL RICH FOLK'S COSTUME
ISLAND OF SÃO MIGUEL, THE AZORES

She sports a traditional serge skirt woven on a hand loom with a richly embroidered trimming covering most of its lower part, an apron of the same material richly embroidered to contrast with the skirt. The colours of both the skirt and the apron are always bright, anything ranging from blue and pink, pearl and blue to red and black while the pleated white linen shirt is enriched with white lace and inlays of which, in this particular costume one can see a great deal of. The headscarf generally matches the colour of the embroidery on the skirt and is embroidered with thread of the same background colour, often displaying a love quatrain. This costume is matched with wooden and embroidered canvas boots, lace stockings and underwear with white lace and inlays.
He sports a serge suit woven on a handloom composed of pants, jacket and waistcoat. The jacket is trimmed in black and sports brightly coloured buttons on the cuffs. These vary according to the wearer's social standing within the ranks of the well off farmers. The felt hat is dark blue on the inside and red on the inside with large flaps covering the back. The black leather boots sport a red border on the top of the legging. The white linen shirt embroidered in blue displays pleats into which the woman's pours her best efforts for she takes pride in her husband's pleated white linen shirt embroidered in blue. This costume was worn by wealthy farmers and never by then nobility or the middle classes. It could also be in pure black wool as is the original costume in the Carlos Machado Museum (Island of São Miguel, The Azores), where the group undertook its research, although this particular costume does not sport buttons but rather some other ornamentation.

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