Woolen Viking Apron Dress

Description of the Product

A typical Viking woman's apron dress has tubular shape and short straps over the shoulders. At its simplest, the shoulder straps are sewn right onto the dress, as in this model, and the apron dress is not decorated with decorative borders, embroidery and/or metal decorations. Adding decorations showed off wearer's wealth and adding decorations transformed this regular clothing worn everyday as a wear for celebrations, ceremonies and parties. Decorative shoulder brooches (called tortoise brooches), decorative ribbons around the edges, embroidery (sometimes with silk), metal chains hanging from the brooches and glass bead necklaces were the viking way of adding individual style to the outfit. We have left this apron dress unadorned, as a suitable base for many different styles. This kind of apron dress is also called Smokkr, Hangerok and sometimes as Pinafore.

The costume of a Scandinavian woman in the Viking Age consisted of a long underdress and a woolen apron dresses over this. The underdress was made of linen or wool, but the over dresses were typically always made of wool. The apron dress hangs with shoulder straps, which in this model are sewn to the body at the front and the back. According to Viking finds, the shoulder straps were often fastened using two brooches in the front, so if you want to easily add a bit of wealth and Viking style to your outfit, you can use brooches with this apron dress. Back in the day, the shoulder straps were sewn on at the back, but the tortoise brooches at the front served as decorations in addition to closing the garment. The brooches also functioned as a base to attach many functional decoration pieces hanging from metal chains to the clothing. Functional pieces worn from the brooches at the end of metal chains were for example tweezers, small knives, needle boxes, ear spoons and keys.

This dress has drawstrings on both side openings. You can adjust the strings for a fit that suits you, whether you like the overdress to sit airily loose or tightly fitting.

This style apron dress is best worn with simple long sleeved under dress and worn with a belt. Good choice for any Viking woman working on her farm or a fierce shield maiden defending the home lands or on a raid. Worn with some decorations this dress is excellent also for a wealthy leader or the matron of the family.

• Please note that this is a new version of the old Viking apron, and so the sizing differs from the previous sizing
• Made of 100% recycled wool
• Both sides have lacing that can be tightened-loosened to get the fit you want. This means that you can wear this overdress loose or tight.
• Shoulder straps are stitched to the body so you can wear this overdress with or without brooches.
• To get decorative Viking look you can easily add tortoise brooches to shoulder straps. Based on archeological evidence it was common during viking age to stitch the shoulder straps at the back and use decorative brooches on the front side to attach the shoulder straps to the body of the dress.
• Available sizes S/M, L/XL and XXL
• This surcoat is available in blue, green and red
• Made by Karhunhammas - Beartooth