Traditional Sicilian Women's Clothing
Young women traditionally wore a linen underskirt beneath the petticoat, although cotton and wool versions were also used. Often colored, this garment was known in Sicilian as the “fodetta” or “fadedda.” It was a simple, practical garment extending from the waist to the feet and could be secured at the chest with the “spensiru,” a plain white or colored cloth draped from the shoulders.
Hair ornaments included bone or silver brooches and, at times, simple ribbons. A tortoiseshell comb could also be worn both to arrange the hair and as a sign of social distinction. Jewelry commonly included gold earrings, coral ornaments, gold necklaces, or silver heart-shaped pendants. Stockings were often light blue, while shoes were generally black.
Women also wore a thin black cloak, sometimes lined in red or pink, which framed the face and covered the head and upper body down to the waist. Clothing was generally simple and modest. The cloak could be worn outside the home throughout the year, including while working.
For religious ceremonies and other special occasions, women might wear the “fadigghia” over their colored clothing. The fadigghia was a silk garment extending from the waist to the feet and was worn with a cloak reaching from the head to the knees. The cloak became one of the most distinctive garments associated with traditional Sicilian women’s dress and was closely connected with ideals of discretion and modesty. Although it became uncommon in the larger cities, it survived longer in some inland areas. The German traveler Westphal documented it in Palermo in 1818, and Malagoli-Vecchj later described similar clothing in Catania among women who wished to distinguish themselves socially.
Houël remarked on the heavy cloaks worn by women in Messina, complaining that they concealed much of the wearer’s appearance. Contemporary accounts also describe women using the cloak deliberately to reveal only a fleeting glimpse of the face, décolletage, or pale skin to a man they wished to attract before closing it again. The effect depended on restraint and timing rather than open display. Both married and unmarried women were described as wearing the garment.
In Catania, the cloak was eventually replaced by the “scialle,” a smaller but heavier black shawl that was not pinned in place. Traditional sayings associated possession of a cloak and skirt with a certain degree of material security:
Whoever wears the cloak and the skirt is not poor.
