Trends and styles in Burgas

When digging through the past of Burgas, the glamor of the past century’s 30’s shines everywhere. At that time the city was in its prime. Naturally the wealthy citizens of Burgas had already turned their eyes towards the rest of the world. Burgas actually "opens" itself back in 1903, when on 18^th May with 40 cannon shots the modern port of Burgas was opened and began intensive trade with ports throughout Europe and America. Traders got rich, young people had the opportunity for a foreign education. The town got attractive intensively. The urbane spirit found more and more space around the new places of Burgas - the Sea Garden, the summer cinemas, baths, cafes, casinos. The city was full of life.

 In order to imagine the balls at the open dance floor of the Officers' Club or the thoughtful Duhtev, bent over a plant in his fairy Flowerhouse, we must turn to the topic of fashion.

During the 30s on tribute were the rounded forms. This even reflected in the cut of the dresses in which the women put small pillows in the back. The typical pattern for this time is long, waisted dress without neckline and with puffed sleeves. In addition the tailors commonly made many different applications.

The accessories were also the secret of the amazing hats. Each one made by hand in one of the 11 hat workshops in the city. The hatters put brooches, veils, feathers of exotic birds.

For the men the hats were a sign of social status. Merchants and craftsmen wore bowler hats and felt hats "Borsellino" in winter and "garsonettes" in the summer. For the people of high society were the cylinders. Artists as well as today, have "fallen" mostly for berets. For the workers and fishermen remained caps.

Besides hats, men were distinguished by their costumes. The successful citizen of Burgas was walking on the seafront in a suit with vest, looking at his watch - a sure sign of social status. If there was mud, however, the provident gentleman added rubber galoshes, brand "NorthBritish", on leather shoes.

The tailoring business also flourished. Esther Goldshlager, Madame Hovsenyan, Sofia Melikova, Rebecca Mitrani - this is only part of the fashion elite of the city.

There were also clothing shops. One of the most popular was the "The little dreharnitsa" owned by Elia Eskenazi.

The swimwear also began to enter the wardrobe of women, as they gradually showed their feet and hands. It was a revolutionary step that marked a dramatic change in the type of the bathing suit.

An inviolable area, however, remained the underwear. Most of the time women sew their own and that of their family.

To be born in Burgas at the beginning of the last century was a stroke of luck. Of course, there were poor people for whom dresses in Parisian style were only a dream. Yet, the giddy spirit of the city was part of the everyday life of its inhabitants. A beautiful time with special brilliance and scale.

In the article are used materials from Sonya Kehlibareva

Picture: personal archive of Kamelya Velichkova

Magazine “Vij! Burgas”, vol. 4