Technique Preparation of Woman’s Xhoke: An Important Element of Albanian Folk Costumes

Folk costumes are an important aspect of the Albanian cultural heritage. Seeing the garment as one of the brightest manifestations of the material and spiritual Albanian culture, this paper through its structure undertakes to explore, document and discuss in detail the techniques and process of the xhoke preparation, as a very important element of folk costumes, both for the function and the aesthetic role it plays. Correlational research between textile material used (type and elaboration) and dress form (cutting and sewing process, and decoration techniques) in every xhoke, taken in this study, can show as similarities and differences between those used in the village and those used in the city. Xhokes, in the village dresses, appear varied as by form, which is also indicated by their cutting schemes as well as by the compositional scheme of decorations. They preserve the local aesthetic element very well, as well as the old craftsmanship of cloth making. Xhokes (xhybet), in the city dresses, appear with the same cutting scheme, which leads to their unified form. The compositional schemes of decoration on these xhokes are approximate, especially in those xhokes where their form is the same. In producing this popular costume it was very important the combination of the material with the cutting and sewing way, functionality and the final image created.