Sweden

Swedish bonnet avaCaps, coifs, and bonnets were a must for European women since around the 10th century and up to the mid-20th century. The variety of sizes, shapes, materials, and adornments is so impressive that modern glamorous fashion designers would envy the artisans’ imagination. Although, floral prints, cute ruffles, embroidered designs, and fancy laces are among the favored decorations for all times. For example, here are a few lovely examples of Swedish headwear pieces from The American Swedish Institute that date back to the 19th – early 20th century.

kjolsäck avaThese traditional bags are exceptionally cute and handy. They’re attached to the waist, which is convenient, as your hands remain free and you can easily do the chores while carrying various small items in a bag. The bags are always beautifully decorated with embroidery, applique, braiding, pom-pons, etc. This pouch is called “kjolsäck” and it is traditionally used by Swedish women. Here is a great collection of kjolsäck pocket-style bags from The American Swedish Institute.

Swedish dress avaGeographically, Sweden is one of the Scandinavian countries, so its national costumes have a lot of features in common with neighboring Norway, Denmark, etc. But there is a number of differences that make Swedish folk outfits unique. We’ll tell you about some of them in this material. Discover the beauty of folk dress in Sweden with us. Let’s look at these top-5 curious facts about Swedish traditional clothing.

Bonnet avaSwedish national attire, worn by the local women, always included some kind of a headdress. Traditionally, there was a huge variety of headpieces, depending on the region, social class and status, financial capability, occasion, and so on. But one of the most favored headdresses of Swedish married women was a crisp white linen bonnet – a lovely accessory that made women look elegant and festive. Though, in modern times, it reminds us a lot of a nurse’s or nun’s outfit.

Midsommar avaFolk horror movies are so rare, and films with Swedish folk attire as stage costumes are even rarer. That’s why it’s so interesting to analyze the outfits used in this movie called “Midsommar”. These Scandinavian garments – at least 500 costumes for the cast and extras, by the way – are mostly made from scratch to resemble the real Swedish traditional clothing as much as possible. Also, the garments are decorated with runes, which is rather unusual for modern popular films as well. And these runes aren’t just cute ornaments but meaningful symbols. In short, Midsommar is definitely worth watching and its movie costumes are worth studying.