What clothes did vikings wear?

Question

My daughter has a viking day coming up at school and they are to dress up on the day, what style of clothes did they wear?

Thankyou Molehunter for the first sensible answer.. I was beginning to lose hope!

Answer 1

The Norse (technically "viking" was an activity they engaged in) were very style concious. We know this from the writings of folks like a Persian prince who observed the Norse who came to Baghdad to trade and an English monk who complained that the English girls were running after Norse boys and the English boys were starting to copy thier haircuts!

To be really authentic, you want to wear two layers: a wool or linen overdress over a plain white linen underdress. However, for a costume, using cotton or poly-cotton broadcloth for the underdress is fine. Using broadcloth for the overdress will look a little thin, or limp. If you find some material with a bit of texture to it, the outfit will have more interest.

Think of the underdress like an oversized T-shirt (most historical re-enactors call it a "T-tunic"). The most distinctive style of overdress for a Norse girl/woman is variously called an "apron dress", a "hanging dress", a "suspended dress", "hangerock" or "tragerrock". Basically it looked like what I would call a pinafore: a sleeveless dress with straps over the shoulders. The overdress can be as long as the underdress or it can just be knee length.

Here are a couple pictures:
http://www.slumberland.org/gallery/album07/Amy_portrait
http://www.slumberland.org/gallery/album07/norse_costume02B

The Norse had a strong preference for blues and greens (the Irish even sometimes refered to them as the "Gormglas" which means "blue-green" in Gaelic). Other colours that have been found in Norse archeology include walnut-browns, natural black/charcoal (from wool from sheep that colour), yellow, red (brick red more than fire engine red) and purple.


How to make it:

The underdress for your daughter should be between calf length and ankle length. It can have either long or short sleeves. You can make a quick one just by folding a piece of cloth in quarters, tracing a shirt that fits your daughter, flaring it out from the waist to the corners of the cloth, cutting it out (with a seam allowance!), sewing up the two sides, and hemming it. Pictoral instructions are here:
http://www.sca.org.au/politarchopolis/library/tunic.php

Or if you want to put in the time to make something closer to what they actually wore, this is the pattern I use for my Norse underdresses:
http://silverdor.knownworldweb.com/viking/underdress.html

Here is the pattern I use for my apron dress:
http://sca.uwaterloo.ca/mjc/sca/aprond.html

Here are a bunch of other ideas of how to do it:
http://www.tjurslakter.nl/viking%20apron-dress.pdf

You can add trim to the neck and wrists of the underdress and to to the top edge, straps and hem of the apron dress (or any one or two of those places). Use trim that looks braided or woven. I've seen some recently in fabric stores that is meant for embellishing jeans that looks right. What you are trying to imitate is tablet weaving, which looks like this:
http://www.ydalir.co.uk/gallery/2006/lindisfarne/braids_big.jpg


Finishing touches:

Wear plain brown or black shoes or boots. If she has a pair of leather slip-ons, those would be closest to what the Norse wore.

Wear her hair either loose or braided. If she wants, she can wear either kerchief (folded in half into a triangle, long side over the top of her head, tails tied under her head) or a little cap like this one:
http://pages.infinit.net/cadieux3/viking-coif_mini-icon.jpg
It's just a rectangle folded in half and sewed along side (the seam goes in the back). Add ties to the front two corners. Easy.

A bead necklace (amber if you've got one).

Brooches pinned at the place where the straps of the apron dress join the front of the dress. If you have two round or oval shapes brooches, those will work. They don't have to match. Or you could have her make her own by cutting pieces of cardboard in either circle, oval or trefoil shapes, approximately 2" in diameter. If you want, you can use modeling clay or small macaroni to make designs on the surface. Then cover them with a couple layers of tinfoil or metallic paint. Glue or tape a large safety pin on the back. Volia! Norse brooches.

Here are some pictures to guide/inspire you:
http://www.quietpress.com/vikingbrooch.html
http://www.northan.net/popup.aspx?itemID=18
http://www.northan.net/popup.aspx?itemID=124


Have fun!

Answer 2

They used wool and linen. The fabricks were coloured in green, red, yellow, brown or blue, with colours made from plants, roots and other things from the nature.
Women wore a long linen dress, and on top of that another dress, worn with big brooches or braids. They also used shawls. On the feet woollen socks and soft leather shoes.

Check this photo (the white outfit) http://www.funt.no/pdf/vikingdrakter.htm

Answer 3

Make a long tunic "T" shape out of calico or plain cotton. Over the top make a tabard out of two rectangular pieces of plain material ( an old woolen blanket from charity shop works well) with decorative braid or tape holding it together over the shoulders, tie around the waist with a leather belt or piece of braid. beads were also worn around the neck.

Answer 4

I have pretty very long hair, I like them but We think I would have them cut short in about some two years

Answer 5

I feel that skirts tend to either look kind of trashy or cheap if they are tight and short, or they are really just the ordinary jean skirts that aren't necessarily sexy.

Answer 6

Usually, which too long for me. I think it depends on the guy and his face though. Certain guys may pull off long hair and other people can't.

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

Try maxi skirts with the comparative area slits those can look great you! It doesn't matter if you have long legs or not just strut that skirt

Answer 9

Furr

Answer 10

Armani, a little Prada if they have the dough.