Ballard Flicka

Bindmössan refers to a type of Swedish folk hat that is worn with a regional Folkdräkt. The literal translation is a bond cap, a small, rigid, rundkullig hat which originates in the dress of the 1500's. The hat is usually covered in silk or sometimes wool and embroidered using a tamburnålar. They are often adorned with rosettes or a floral pattern and complemented with a piece of lace or embellished linen. The one pictured here is worn by my dear friend, Inga Marta, and compliments her Lyckseledräkten and was made by Tora Risberg of Lycksele.

The female headgear had a strong symbolic function. It was primarily the status of women, married or unmarried, as was shown with the headgear. Married women have since prehistoric times covered their hair with a scarf or a hat.

The model for the Bindmössan came from Mary cap. The hat is French in origin and was worn by Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-67). The hat was originally soft and covered the entire head with deep cutout at the temples and tied together at the back of the neck.

The tie the hat was common in the fashion of the 1500s and later part in the 1600's. Noble ladies began to wear the hat during the 1600s, but  it was mainly middle class women who wore it in a tight variation of headgear, made of dark fabrics. It became the most common headdress among the Swedish peasant women thereafter.

The model changed over time and during the late 1700s ladies reduced the caps in size and it evolved into a harder form. Cutout at the temple fell, and in many styles the cutout eventually disappear completely. Tie hats were difficult and expensive to manufacture.

The Bindmössan used to indicate a difference between married and unmarried women, but this differentiation disappeared overtime and by 1800s this headgear could be used by the unmarried women as well. Upon confirmation many girls would receive their first bond cap.

As recently as 1830 Sweden was still an agrarian society in which each region had very distinctive characteristics. From home design, to furnishings, cuisine and dress, each region had a specific style in which all of its inhabitants partook. The dress was in fact enforced and since every province had its own style of dress, a worker from Angermanland was easy to identify when he came to work in Stockholm down to the very town of origin. Soon after the Industrial Revolution dress edicts disappeared and within a generation folk costumes faded out, in favor of individualism.

In 1900 Märta Palme came to Tullgarn Castle, which was the home of the Crown Princess Victoria of Baden. Due to the Princess’ Nationalist convictions, she required that the female staff and herself wear folk costumes. Märta Palme wore a version of the costume that belonged to the region of Vingåker-Österåker in the province of Södermanland.

This introduction to folk costumes led Märta to head up the Swedish Woman's National Costume Association in 1902. Section one of its by-laws states: "The purpose of the association is to bring about a liberation from the domination of foreign fashion among Swedish women through the introduction of a more common use of national costumes." The national costume, which she referred to as "Din Svenska Dräkt," was to have its origin in the folk or peasant costume. And by 1903, Märta Palme Jörgensen had fashioned a costume for all of Sweden, which she described in a series of articles in the magazine Idun. “We need strong colors in the peasant costume. They have an invigorating effect on our senses - and they are necessary as contrast to the deep, green pine forest and the cold, white snow."

Shortly after the First World War, eagerness for the National Romanticist waned and the Swedish Costume fell to the way side, (though Märta Jörgensen wore it religiously until her death in 1967). She did not live to see the Folkdräkt revival of the 1970's, nor to see her costume popularly accepted as the official National Costume when Queen Silvia wore it on the first National Day, June 6th, 1983. While the Regional costumes are presumably only to be worn by inhabitants or descendents of a particular region, any Swede may wear the National costume, with pride. 

The costume consists of a blue linen dress with a high bodice embroidered with white marguerites, a white särk, or smock/shift is based on a man's wedding shirt from the early 19th century, a yellow apron with a blue panel embroidered with marguerites, and a blue belt. Black shoes and stockings are worn. The costume is finished off with a pewter brooch and matching belt clasp. Many women wear a huvudbonad (or head covering) that is a bit reminiscent of the flying nun's wimple. 

Folkdräkt are commonly worn for celebrations such as Midsommar, National Day and Lucia Festivals. Folkdräkt are held on the same level as a parade uniform, but can be used on less formal occasions as well.