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Question
#47280. mountside
asks:
Why did, or do, the Greek army wear skirts?
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bloomsby
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It's a form of traditional Greek dress for men. Before boggling, bear in mind the kilts worn by some Scottish regiments.
May 09 04, 6:15 PM
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McGruff
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Uniform, supplied free of charge to the Greek soldiers, first appeared as an institution in 1822; the first regular battalion, under the command of Colonel Rodios, in 1824, wore the Greek traditional "foustanella".
 http://www.greek-fest.com/greekfest.shtml
For example the attires that have their origin in the Greek islands are characterized by some type of plush pants, the "vraka" because these people were riders of the sea. The attires that had origin in the mainland often were characterized by a special white pleated skirt, known as the "foustanella", legs covered by tights, and the shoes with the fuzz ball on the tow tip, known as the "tsarouhia". The purpose of the foustanella was to leave the legs completely free to run like the wind and hike on the rocky mountain grounds. This attire is characteristic of the 1800's when these people lived in the mountains constantly on the run and fighting for freedom.
http://www.greek-fest.com/greekfest.shtml
This appears to be the only time the Greek army wore the "foustanella". Today "uniform for the contemporary Hellenic Army, both men and women, meet all military and appearance international standards for contemporary armies."
Oct 13 05, 12:55 AM
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teddisco
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It's a tradition... in a way it's anti-western, a way to keep tradition.
The skirts have 400 pleats, which symbolize the 400 years of Ottoman rule.
Jun 24 06, 10:45 PM
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