FOLK COSTUME, NATIONAL COSTUME, OR BUNAD?

Folk costume is used as a reference to clothing in the countryside in earlier times. It can be both everyday clothes and useful clothes for special occasions and parties.

In the second half of the 19th century, town clothes became common, also in our area, and the traditional folk costume was only used for festive occasions. It is this festive costume that has been the basis for the choice of material and appearance of the bunad we use today.

The bunad has also developed and changed. Both design and use are influenced by trends. For a period, a "national costume", which was a hardanger-inspired costume, was the most used.

By studying older folk costumes, Nordhordland has been divided into an inner and an outer costume area. The divide goes over Osterøy. The foundations in the two costume areas have many similarities.