Men clothes
Men clothes were made of a velvet trousers buckled at the knees, called “causi”, buttoned up on the sides and the hips and tied up to the belt with a green of azure wrist. A waistcoat (”panzera”) was worn on the chest. A cloth hat, usually brown for farmers and azure for seamen was worn on the head, slightly slanting on the side. Silk or cotton socks were usually worn along with leather shoes with folder tips. Shoes were replaced later in time with some more common ones.
A Lombardy noblewoman in 1910 used to describe farmers clothing habits in Modica shire. The “zazzera” of the old men and their “trizza”, a lock they used to have on their napes, without combing nor cutting it. She wrote they used to believe that “trizza” was a special gift, an omen or sacred ornament.
The farmer used to wear a belt to keep the trousers and his shirt together. In the middle were the buckle is held there used to be also a yellow copper plate engraved with his holy Saint Mary or with the crucifix. Just like the women cloak, farmers used to wear something similar, a jacket called “scuppularu” normally protecting them from the head to the legs. It was extremely important were travelling as it was providing them with shelter for rain, wind and cold.
