Bäckadräkten

Bäckadräkten is considered Sweden's first unisex folk costume, designed in 2022 by musician Fredy Clue and textile designer Ida Björs [sv]. The design merges elements traditionally considered either male or female, like the vest that is also a bodice and the culottes that present as a skirt. The primary theme of flowing water is present throughout the outfit, which otherwise borrows heavily from older folk costumes representing regions throughout Sweden. Clue said Bäckadräkten is intended to invite wider participation in Swedish folk traditions by providing an outfit that is not restricted to any specific gender or geographic area.

Discussions about a potential unisex design for Sweden started in the early 2010s and the idea that led to Bäckadräkten originated with Clue in 2018. Their partnership with the Textile Museum of Borås grew into a six-month design and production process that involved input from non-binary Swedes and assistance from other clothing and accessory specialists. The resulting single costume is worn by Clue when performing as a nyckelharpist and lecturer on non-binary and transgender involvement in Swedish folk arts. Because of the geographic distribution of its influences, the outfit is considered more a product of Sweden's national queer community than of any individual region. Clue released a sewing pattern in 2023, encouraging users to make modifications as they see fit.

The design release attracted international press attention and generated discussions on social media, much of the latter about the relationship between folk traditions and gender more broadly. Many have welcomed the development, saying it provides opportunity for non-binary Swedes to be more involved in folk culture. Others have reacted negatively, resisting the social change they see as associated with it. Clue said they hope the discussion raises awareness of non-cisgender identities.

Design[edit]

Bäckadräkten requires a small-scale, handmade production process.^[1] It is based on older Swedish folk costumes from various regions across the country,^[2] particularly the hometowns of co-designers Fredy Clue and Ida Björs [sv]: Gothenburg and Järvsö.^[3] Otherwise, the costume's primary design theme is flowing water.^[2] The shape of ocean waves are present in the costume,^[4] as are elements of nautical navigation and culture.^[3] Clue expressed their core inspiration: "The brook ... represents our life force, which flows and changes every day, even though we are still the same water."^[3] The costume's culottes are called kyxa. The word is formed by combining the Swedish word for skirt, kjol, with byxa (pants).^[5]: 4 Clue likened the kyxa to an Irish kilt,^[6] which Björs said was the hardest part of the costume for her to produce, given its fine pleats.^[7] The top half of the costume is similarly defined by a combination of traditionally male and female dress: what appears like a bodice in the front, but a vest in the back.^[8] Its fabric, sourced from Ljusdal,^[9] is traditionally used by men in that region for wedding vests, but coincidentally bears the colors of the modern transgender flag: white, pink, and light blue.^[3] Called a livstycke, Clue said it is the hardest part of the costume to produce.^[9]

Clue has called the hat "the queerest part of the suit".^[3] The design is traditionally worn by men in most of Sweden, except in the region surrounding Borås, where it is worn only by women.^[8] Described generically as a wedge cap, this design is round, with a black brim. Its reversibility allows the top to display either pink or light blue.^[5]: 3 The shoe is based on traditional wedding footwear from Hälsingland that features a heel in the middle of the sole. Unlike the wedding shoe, Bäckadräkten's shoe heel is at the back of the sole and shaped like the hull of a ship.^[2][3] The tongue features a heart shape to match the brooch. The brooch is heart-shaped, engraved with the transgender symbol, and surrounded by dangling leaves patterned with flowing water.^[2] The brooch pins together the costume's square standing collar, which is borrowed from the traditional folk costume of Järvsö.^[7] Worn over the shoulders is an orange shawl with a stream printed on it.^[5]: 3–4 The socks are white with pink and blue ribbons.^[5]: 4

Background[edit]

What are referred to in Scandinavia as national costumes and folk costumes originated as basic clothing for Scandinavians of lower economic classes. Starting in the early 20th century, experts formalized the designs into costumes to represent their respective countries, as well as regions within them.^[3] In 21st-century Sweden, there are at least 840 different accepted designs to represent different parts of that country,^[8] plus one national costume, the Sverigedräkten [sv].^[4] Like Finland, Sweden maintains a strict definition of what qualifies as the male or female version of their national costume.^[4] Since the early 2010s, social media channels, radio, and newspapers across Norway, Finland, and Sweden have been hosting discussions about experimentations with unisex folk costume designs.^[3][4]

While most Swedes are exposed to the folk arts through costuming,^[8] artist^[3] and musician^[10] Fredy Clue was first exposed through folk dance and music.^[8] Clue was bothered by the fact that all traditional costumes were assigned either a male or female gender, and brought this up with a friend at the 2018 Bingsjöstämman [sv] folk festival. They brainstormed the possibility of combining pants and a skirt to make a design that is both traditional and unisex.^[2] Clue felt a unisex option would help more people feel included in their national culture.^[4] Clue has stated that because non-binary Swedes exist, there needs to be a folk costume they can wear without having to choose between male and female forms.^[10] Acknowledging the potential for controversy, Clue told the BBC: "I got into folk culture a little bit sideways – maybe that helped me to be less afraid to break the rules."^[3]

Development[edit]

After developing the initial idea for Bäckadräkten in 2018, Clue sought assistance from Textile Museum of Borås curator Frida Andersson.^[2][11] Between that year and 2021, they developed a collaboration with Borås Pride, brainstormed the Bäckadräkten project, and applied for grant funding.^[2] The project was financed by the Västra Götaland Regional Council and two nonprofit organizations that support youth in the Swedish folk and cultural communities: Folk You and Kulturungdom.^[11] Because Clue had no background in either fashion design or clothing production,^[4] Andersson connected them to illustrator and textile designer, Ida Björs.^[2][1] Björs had a background in producing folk costumes for art exhibitions, but had neither produced clothing for active wear, nor collaborated with a project partner on a clothing project.^[7] The two worked together on the Bäckadräkten project as co-designers.^[3]

Starting in January 2022,^[4] Clue and Björs studied historical folk costume designs from various Swedish regions and traveled to Björs's home province of Hälsingland to study its folk culture.^[3] In the spring of that year,^[11] they formed a focus group with five young, non-binary people from the Swedish folk community.^[3] The focus group met multiple times, mostly using Zoom software because of the group's wide geographic distribution throughout the country. Each member produced sketches of their own ideal costume designs. One of those sketches was eventually used as the basis for Bäckadräkten's brooch. Because Clue and Björs drew influence from costumes and focus group members associated with multiple regions, Bäckadräkten is considered more a product of Sweden's nationwide queer community than of any individual region.^[2]

Björs sewed and assembled the first Bäckadräkten, utilizing specialized assistance from other clothing and accessory designers. Dance shoe designer Helena Karlsson from Rättvik helped design and produce the costume's shoe. Leather tailor Pär Swedin from Delsbo made the belt, and silversmith Karin Li from Järvsö made the brooch.^[2]

Release[edit]

By June 2022, Clue and Björs had produced one copy of Bäckadräkten in Clue's size.^[8] Widely reported as Sweden's first unisex folk costume,^{[9][8][12][13]} it was exhibited at the Textile Museum from June 30, 2022, though August 28, 2022.^[11] The exhibit's opening was timed to coincide with the pride festival in Borås.^[2] Located in the museum's lobby, "Bäckadräkten – en Ickebinär Folkdräkt" detailed Bäckadräkten's production process and juxtaposed it against unisex design elements from early-20th-century Swedish folk costumes. Also on display was a 1964 folk costume catalog showing all available products as designed strictly for either male or female wearers.^[14]

During the exhibition and afterward, Clue has worn Bäckadräkten to public performances, at which they lecture about the costume, play the nyckelharpa, or both,^[2][14] as was the case at the Delsbo spelmansstämma [sv] folk music and dance festival in July 2022.^[7] Clue announced the sewing pattern was available as of May 2023.^[15] Clue sells copies of the pattern^[12] and has said they plan to produce more costumes based on that pattern.^[8] Clue has encouraged Swedes to develop variations on the original pattern to fit individual users' character or hometown,^[9][4] saying: "The real work continues with us learning to listen to oneself and others. I hope that you keep on playing with this costume."^[9] A year after that quote was published, one of the Bäckadräkten project focus group members presented Clue with a cardigan for the costume at the pride festival in Hudiksvall.^[16] Björs said she believes that in the future, Bäckadräkten will be remembered as the first of many unisex Swedish folk costume designs.^[7]

Reception[edit]

Bäckadräkten's release was covered by news outlets in Sweden,^[10] the UK,^[10] Finland,^[10] and South Africa.^[9] A post about it on the official Facebook page of Sweden was shared by users on that platform over 1,900 times and attracted over 1,500 comments and 6,700 reactions.^[17] The announcement sparked discussions on social media about the relationship between gender and folk tradition.^[3] Many in the media and Sweden's folk community have welcomed the new development.^[13] Culture critic and Borås Tidning journalist Agnes Brusk Jahn praised what she saw as the potential for non-binary Swedes to participate more in folk traditions.^[14] Resisting the broader social change they associate with the Bäckadräkten, many social media users and folks arts participants expressed discomfort with what they say is a validation of the non-binary gender identity.^[13] Clue referred to detractors within the Swedish folk community as the dräpo, or dress police, saying: "Many people feel threatened, they feel that men and women are being blurred".^[3] Clue did not report any reactions from the organization responsible for maintaining the definition of the official national costume of Sweden.^[4]

Clue welcomed the discussion, hoping that it results in greater awareness of non-binary and transgender identities.^[1][13] Clue responded to critics by making clear that the presence of a new costume does not necessitate the elimination of any others.^[10] Clue argued that some change in folk costumery is inevitable, given that modern attempts to replicate historic clothing often rely on new materials and production methods that produce slightly different outcomes than older ones.^[3] The availability of Bäckadräkten, Clue pointed out, simply provides a folk costume option that anybody can use, regardless of gender.^[10]

See also[edit]

• Nationella dräkten

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Bäckadräkten page on Fredy Clue's website
• Bäckadräkten page on Dräktnyckel index of Swedish folk costumes