Bosilegrad

East of Vlasina in the villages from Surdulica to Bosilegrad, women wear a characteristic dress called "saya", which is probably the most characteristic gown of this region. The oldest saya was made of rolled black cloth, called "balo" and it was made by women themselves. These black sayas were the most numerous, but there were also brown and green ones for girls and young women. They were open at the front, they had tight and short sleeves, just near the elbows, to cover muscles. Collar was studded with red, yellow and dark blue bands. On the chest, saya was cut like the waistcoat from Šumadija and the part around the cut is decorated with wide domestic ornamental band, multi-coloured woolen bands and yellow sterling silver. On the right side of the sash there is a pocket and on the side at the bottom there are "muliyas", two deep cuts. Shoulders and especially sleeves around the elbows are richly decorated with bands and ornamental ribbons. Older saya had crochets and crosses embroidered with thin red and dark blue woolen bands whereas in later periods it was decorated with white and yellow cotton. More recent saya is very often made of fine black cloth, richly decorated with purchased bands and ornamental ribbons of glowing gold colour.

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