The traditional costume of Ittiri: a jewel of the Northern Sardinia

“The beautiful women of Ittire wear a scarlet cloth skirt with very fine pleats and two gold braids at the hem… The continuous, resonant jingle of the twenty-two silver buttons adorning their sleeves leaves a delightful impression.”
Enrico Costa, 1876

The Sardinian writer Enrico Costa, too, was captivated by the richness and beauty of the Ittiri costume, which jingled merrily thanks to the exquisite ‘button placket’
.“‘Sa Buttonera’ is, in fact, the distinctive feature of the traditional costume of the village of Ittiri, in Northern Sardinia.
The 22 buttons (or often 20) made of silver filigree are the marvellous jewels that make up ‘Sa Buttonera’.
The pomegranate-shaped buttons adorn the forearms of the jacket, divided between each side. Only two are threaded through the buttonholes, whilst the others hang down and jingle with every movement of the wearer.
Their size and weight have increased significantly over time, due to fierce competition amongst families; the total weight can reach as much as 2 kg!
In the early 20th century, a very small number of wealthy families also began using gold buttoneras as a further sign of distinction.

Other jewellery on the dress

a foil medallion (medallion or brojolo) attached to a choker or a black velvet necklace
cufflinks (buttones de pettorra) fastening the shirt at the neckline
a ‘sliding’ chain with a sliding loop (cadena a jobos or a musciu) which is intertwined into an M-shape using two brooches (fremmaglios)
one or two heavy necklaces of red coral, often faceted (collanas de coraddu piccadu)
earrings (araccadas) made of coral and gold

The festive
dress

Almost all teenage girls in Ittiri families – who were mainly engaged in agriculture, sheep farming or small-scale craftwork – had their own festive dress: the red dress, worn for weddings and important occasions.

‘Su estire ruju’ is the dress we can admire during the traditional parades in Ittiri or at events in Sardegna.
The fabrics are of high quality, the colours are vibrant, the ornamentation elaborate and the finishing touches meticulous.

The skirt , which gives its name to the entire outfit, is a fine scarlet, densely pleated, with the exception of the detachable front panel, and generally features a flounce made of dark silk velvet (terziopelo), either patterned or plain, framed by gold braid, or of white silk richly embroidered with multicoloured floral motifs.

The apron (pannellu ‘e tullu) of the ‘bestire ruju’ is normally made of white tulle embroidered with floral motifs or with vine leaves and bunches of grapes, in chain stitch, white on white.

The stiff bodice (imbustu), worn with a small breast-covering scarf usually made of tulle, lace or light-coloured silk, is almost always covered in white satin, embroidered with roses and leaves using multicoloured silk threads and gold thread.

The bolero (su corittu) is usually made of smooth silk velvet in shades of red or purple and is also decorated with the characteristic twisted silk cords.

The garment features eye-catching slits at the forearms, floral embroidery near the elbow, and is further embellished with silver-coloured metal sequins (lustrinos).

The headdress for the gala costume consists of a baggy bonnet (iscoffia), made of brocade until 1930 and subsequently almost always of embroidered white satin, over which a white tulle veil (tullu or velu) is draped, matching the apron. The ‘estire ruju’ is never worn without a lavish array of jewellery, strictly prescribed by tradition.