Distinct, divisive social classes existed in Sweden for centuries. The nobility was at the top, followed by the clergy, the burghers (middle to upper-middle class; those who lived in the "borough" as opposed to those of rural areas), and the peasants, which made up the lowest class in society. The peasants were the simple, rural folk: servants, farmhands, maids, handymen, day laborers, and their children. Even those rural land owners with very small freeholds found themselves relegated to the peasant class. Cavalrymen, soldiers, and sailors were often considered to be of even less value than the peasants.
Complex systems, governmental as well as social, were in place to delineate and maintain the dividing lines between the classes. It has been said, "When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression." Since it was those in the upper classes who created and enforced the laws, they made sure that their rights to maintain their privilege over those of lesser status was well maintained. The peasant class was, for centuries, hopelessly and systemically repressed.
Clothing has always played an enormous role in social status, and clothing was used and legislated in Sweden to maintain the status quo. Swedish influencers and law makers in the early 1700s discussed the importance of dress among the peasants and what they would be "allowed" to wear given their daily activities and perception within society. Since peasantry was the lowest of the four estates, they were expected to be humble and modest in their way of dress. They were supposed to be content with their unpretentious designs, homespun fabrics, and leather pants and vests. Their clothing should reflect their daily life: simple, durable, and hearty. It was, after all, important to not have people of the wrong social group wearing the clothes of another which could potentially cause cracks in society and elevate the peasants to a position in which they did not belong. It was also believed at the time that the simple-minded peasant, given a choice, would not be able to withstand the temptation of luxurious clothing. The most prudent thing to do, consequently, was to forbid them from wearing anything other than prescribed peasant clothing and fabrics, the punishment for non-compliance being "eight days in jail on water and bread, and spend one Sunday in the stock outside the church door." Ultimately the nation-wide legal consequences were rejected, but social restrictions and local laws within each jurisdiction dictated what the peasants were allowed to wear as well as the punishment for non-compliance.
"Folkdräkt" was the daily dress of the commoners - the peasants - until about 1850. Although the fabrics and materials used for peasant dress was fairly universal throughout the country, unique and distinctive styles of dress developed within individual areas and districts.
Intense day-to-day contact among villagers ensured that any new invention or practice from outside the district which influenced long-accepted clothing styles among the peasants would be critically examined and often rejected. What we today would regard as a strong feeling of togetherness and identity, within the old farming communities would have been a form of social control. It was often just as much group pressure as a respect for tradition that prevented the introduction of new designs.
Each area or region had different rules and distinctive styles. There were garments for every season, holiday, and purpose - work clothes as well as fine clothes. Each district had its own tailor, and most often it was the village tailor who sewed skirts, trousers, vests, and waistcoats. Shirts and coats were sewn in the homes of the women. Bandages and silk scarves were bought on the market. The clothes were not only a geographical marker, but an economic marker as well.
In some areas of the country, both the producers (the shoemaker and the tailor) as well as the customer could be fined by the parish if the "wrong" model of clothing was produced. Sometimes the customer who ordered some new version of clothing instead of a traditional garment would be punished by being placed in the stockade outside the church several Sundays in a row as a warning to others. The style of dress manufactured for and worn by the village inhabitants became, in the course of time, extremely similar but never exactly identical. Small differences could be tolerated. The crowded conditions in which people lived, as well as human envy, dictated that "my neighbor cannot be more handsome that I, but I want to be more handsome than my neighbor."
It was a lengthy process to manufacture clothing. The cloth would first have to be woven by hand. Each garment would be embroidered and sewn together by hand. It could take months to finish an ensemble for one person, which is why all the old and proper garments were made to be easily taken in or let out so they could last a lifetime, and then be handed down to relatives.
Traditional folkdräkt for people who lived in Mark kommun was described in this way:
The man was dressed in dark-blue knee breeches made of homespun cotton; a black vest with an upright collar, green and yellow stripes, and brass buttons; white stockings; and a visored dark-brown leather "kaskett" cap. A short double-breasted jacket of dark-blue broadcloth was also used. Knee breeches of chamois-leather could be worn instead of those of homespun.
The women's ensemble was made up of a dark-blue skirt with green and white stripes, a bodice with narrow stripes on a dark-blue background, a turned-up basque (sleeveless jacket or vest) with front lacing, an apron of green silk with an interwoven pattern, a varicolored silk neckerchief, and a soft silk cap. A head kerchief could be used instead of the cap, tied under the chin or at the nape of the neck. For variation, aprons of printed flowery cotton were also worn.
At first, blue and brown versions of the women's clothing were worn, but as time went on, both variants were often worn together.
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These costumes from the Mark district are early reconstructions and are
nearly wholly based on well-documented old garments, partly
from the Nordiska museet and partly from the Borås Museum.
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After about 1850 the use of distinctive local clothing died out in nearly all of Sweden. Free-trade was legalized in the countryside, land-holdings were redistributed, and the compact villages were split up into individual farms. The distance between houses became greater, and it became more difficult to keep track of neighbors.
In the latter half of the 19th century, peasants began to imitate the fashions used by the "better folk," and, ironically, during this national romantic era, those "better folk" began to dress up as peasants. The upper classes began to recreate and reconstruct costumes from areas in which they were living. The new interest arose at least partly in connection with Arthur Hazelius' founding of the Nordic Museum when, in 1873, he displayed a collection of typical festive costumes from all over the country.
In 1902 a national costume of Sweden, the Allmänna Svenska Nationaldräkten, was created, especially for those areas which did not have a unique style of dress. It did not have a big impact then, but about 70 years later it became very popular.
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| The Royal Family in the Allmänna Svenska Nationaldräkten |
Today, folkdräkt and Allmänna Svenska Nationaldräkten are worn as Swedes throughout the country participate in various festivities, celebrations, and traditions associated with midsommar.
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