Bäckadräkten

featured Wiki of the Day

fWotD Episode 2672: Bäckadräkten
Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.
The featured article for Wednesday, 28 August 2024 is Bäckadräkten.
Bäckadräkten is Sweden's first unisex folk costume, designed in 2022 by musician Fredy Clue and textile designer Ida Björs. The design merges elements that are traditionally considered either male or female, such as the vest that is also a bodice and the culottes that present as a skirt. Bäck is the Swedish word for 'stream', referring to the primary theme of flowing water present throughout the outfit. It otherwise borrows heavily from older folk costumes representing regions throughout Sweden. Clue mentioned that Bäckadräkten aims to encourage broader participation in Swedish folk traditions by offering an outfit that is not limited to a specific gender or geographic region.
Discussions about a potential unisex design for Sweden started in the early 2010s, and Clue first devised the idea that led to Bäckadräkten in 2018. Their partnership with the Textile Museum of Borås grew into a six-month design and production process which involved input from non-binary Swedes and assistance from other clothing and accessory specialists. The resulting single copy is for Clue to wear on stage. Clue released a sewing pattern in 2023 and started taking custom orders by 2024, encouraging users to make modifications as they see fit. 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.
The design release attracted international press attention and generated discussions on social media, much of the latter about the relationship between folk arts and gender. Many have welcomed the development, saying it provides an 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.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:57 UTC on Wednesday, 28 August 2024.
For the full current version of the article, see Bäckadräkten on Wikipedia.
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Until next time, I'm neural Justin.