Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia

By the 20th century, many in Sweden worried about the ravages of industrialization, urbanization, and emigration on traditional ways of life; Norway was gripped in a struggle for national independence; and the indigenous Sámi communities rose up in protests that demanded political recognition and sparked cultural renewal. “Dressing with Purpose” examines three of the Scandinavian dress traditions—Swedish folkdräkt, Norwegian bunad, and Sámi gákti—and traces their development during two centuries of social and political change across northern Europe.

 From left to right: Eva Aira and Inga Lajla Aira Balto in gávttitfrom Jåhkåmåhkke and Kárášjohka; Sven Roos in Gagnefsdräktand Lars-Erik Backman in Leksandsdräkt; Fatima Aakhus and Randi Myrum in Setesdalsbunader. Photos by Carrie Hertz.