The yelek or jelek is a vest worn by both men and women as part of traditional costumes in Turkey, Albania, Yugoslavia, and parts of Bulgaria. The heavy metallic embroidery used on these vests and their presence throughout much of the Balkans reveals the influence of Turkish textile art remaining from centuries of domination by the Ottoman Empire. The metallic-wrapped threads that form the designs are too thick to be drawn through the ground fabric. Therefore, they are couched, that is, laid on the surface of the vest and sewn down with small stitches of silk thread. The meticulous designs on this vest are indicative of a very skilled embroiderer. Many small, non-functional "buttons" covered in metallic-wrapped threads and finished with small glass beads provide additional ornament.