THE BRIDEGROOM’S “BUNAD”

The bridegroom’s “bunad” dates back to the early 1800.  Bergen Museum has one exhibited from 1830.  It had black knee length trousers, the waistcoat is red, the jacket long and gray and underneath this jacket is a shorter blue jacket.  This might mean that different models were worn, even green and red and various other models and colors. Johannes Flintoe, the painter, painted men from Valdres and Hallingdal and they were both wearing these clothes around 1820.  This shows that fashion, even then, was influenced and copied by others.

Hermund Teigen was a tailor from Ål dating back to 1860-1870, he embroidered a rose pattern in red, green or blue on the knee of the knee length trousers.  The jacket had less embroidery. It had stitches along the edges of the jacket and a velvet band.  This is the style most like the one we use today.  Hulda Garborg wrote in 1917 that the embroidered version had not been seen for a long time, but it was back in use by 1917.  It was used especially for celebrations, mostly in Hallingdal but also in some places in Valdres.

The bridegroom’s “bunad” worn today has a jacket made from white “vadmel” or thinner cloth.  It has no buttons, but trimmed with green woolen cloth along the opening. The front of the sleeves are made in black velvet, trimmed with red and folded back.  The collar is folded up and it has special stitching on the shoulders.  The back has three triangles fitted, which makes the jacket float in a special way.  The front, collar and shoulders are richly embroidered, stitched with woolen tread.  The waistcoat is made from red woolen cloth and trimmed with black velvet.  The collar is folded up and the lapels are folded down.  Three rows of silver buttons at the front and also silver buttons on the flaps of the pockets.  The knee length trousers are black and made from “vadmel” or thinner cloth, richly rose embroidered with woolen tread.  There is a split at the knee, which is trimmed in red.  It has a row of silver buttons and a silver buckle.  The shirt is made from linen or cotton.  Linen is the oldest and most traditional cloth but cotton is the most comfortable.  The collar is usually embroidered with white cotton.  These shirt styles are probably a few years younger than the “bunad” itself.  A very special hat is worn, “kollelue” sown together from 6 or 8 parts to form a bowl, made from red woolen cloth, trimmed with black velvet around the edge and also black velvet inlayed in the seams.  
 
The rest of the outfit: ornamental cuffs “fyriarmar”, silk scarf, necktie, bands to keep the socks up, socks, braces, watches, knifes and various other silver wear will be mentioned later.  It is very much like the accessories worn with the black “bunad”.