It’s time for another round of research for my next installment of The Kirsten Project: Winter Edition. I’ve always loved Kirsten’s winter look from afar and never had it for myself or my doll, but out of all of her outfits, I think this one has the most pieces that could transition to everyday modern wear, which helped me chose to take it on next.

In the Pleasant Company catalog, this winter ensemble is described as Scandinavian, but with just a little digging we find that it’s very Norwegian! It was only recently that I discovered I have Norweigan ancestry, thanks to the DNA test I took last year. I’m still combing through each family line to discover which distant grandparent gave me Scandinavian blood, but it makes me glad to know I have some!

Today I’ll be focusing on what I believe was the inspiration for Kirsten’s skirt and blouse - the bunad, or folk dress, from the region of Setesdal.

As you can see in these images, the top black skirt is decorated at the hem with two red stripes and one green - very similar to Kirsten. While she only has one red stripe on her skirt, I’ve opted to take my inspiration from the Setesdalbunad, one of the oldest types of bunad in Norway. Each region has a bunad specific to their area, and some research I’ve seen says there are over 200 variations!

In reviewing the Setesdalbunad, I’ve learned that the black overskirt would always be worn with a black trimmed white petticoat underneath. I’m compromising by wearing my white quilted petticoat, which does not show because I’d like to combine both historical examples and the cover artwork.

The stakk, or skirt, is made from wool gathered into a decorative waistband and attached to shoulder straps, most likely to support the weight of the thick skirt. I’m wearing a corset for my project, which does a lot to support the heaviness of of my gathered skirt.

Almost all of these images are from the Digitalt Museum - the most amazing resource for a foreigner like me! There’s a lot of back and forth with Google translate, but I’ve found everything I need for my interpretation of Kirsten’s winter skirt!!