Xhubleta
Xhubleta
Folk skirt worn by Albanian women
The xhubleta is an undulating, bell-shaped folk skirt, worn by Albanian women. It usually is hung on the shoulders using two straps. Part of the Albanian traditional clothing, it has 13 to 17 strips and 5 pieces of felt. The bosom and the part of the xhubleta covered by the apron are made out of crocheted black wool.[1] The bell shape is accentuated in the back part.[2]
The xhubleta is a unique type of dress for its particular shape, structure, and decorating system.[3] It is worn by Albanians in Northern Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro. There are two types of xhubleta: one is narrow and the other is large.[3] In regard to colors, only two colors are nowadays used: the white one for the unmarried women and the black one for the married ones,[3] however in the past many colors were used, as witnessed by a 17th-century author, who claimed that the peacock did not have as many colors as the xhubleta worn by the women of Kelmend.[2] It is thought that the diminishing in colors in the last two centuries is due to the limitation of its use only in remote mountainous areas.[2]
The xhubleta was included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding by UNESCO in 2022.[4][5]