The veiled virgins of Vejer

Vejer "Te Cobija" - Traditional dress

The COBIJAO is the typical costume of Vejer, consisting of:
- white petticoats with embroidered ribbons
- a white blouse adorned with lace
- a black sash around the waist over which the bordered lace of the petticoats protrude
- a black gathered cloak with a silk lining completely covering the woman except for the left eye
You might think this was a version of the Niqab or Burqa and it probably does have an old, Arab connection, but in fact its origin is Castilla in the XVI - XVIIth C.
The girls used it to look coy and reveal glimpses of exciting lace to tantalise the boys. The authorities on the other hand saw wearing it as the potential concealment of criminal artifacts and periodically banned it - most recently in 1936.
It was only in 1976 that its use was permitted again but by then postwar shortages had forced many women to recycle the material into modern fashions. Now it is only worn by selected women - the Cobijado - on Patron Saint days.Weiterlesen