The folklore culture portrays not so much the history of events but the history of the perception of the world. The traditional Bulgarian costume, no matter the local ethnographical identity, is comprised of a few main elements put on in the following order:
First, a long white shirt called koshluya, which is put directly on the body.
Second, top clothes, typical for the region and distinguishing the nosiya.
Third, a belt or pafti.
Forth, an apron.
Finally, outerwear such as vests and mantles.
Particularly important for the complete look of the costume was also the hairstyle, the veil, and the shoes, as well as the accessories as an artistic touch for the holidays and ritual practices. All married women had to wear a kerchief even when working on the field because the hair was associated with witchcraft. Chumber is a delicate type of kerchief that was tied underneath a bigger kerchief, and only the decorated part was visible on the forehead. Chumber was worn only by new brides until the first year of marriage.
