The famous Albanian kilt (or fustanella as it is known in the Albanian
language) was common dress for men in the 13th century where it was
regularly worn by a tribe of the Dalmatians, one of the Illyrian progenitors of
the Albanians. At that time, the kilt was called "Dalmatica", however,
theories exist that the kilt really had its origin during much earlier times as
a long shirt called "linja" which, when gathered at the waist by a sash, gave
the appearance of a knee- or calf-length kilt. Depending on the social status
of the wearer, materials used in fabricating the fustanella (thereby defining
the number of pleats) ranged fromcoarse linen or woolen cloth for villagers to
luxurious silks for the more affluent. Although the kilt was once worn by
men throughout Albania, today it is seen only on special occasions in
southern Albania, especially in the Gjirokaster area, and in the Albanian
regions of Montenegro, Kosova, Serbia, Macedonia, and Greece.