During the first half of the 20th century, ethnologists investigated rural parts of Sweden. They hoped to uncover traces of a truly ancient culture which they imagined had been preserved unchanged in so-called relic areas. This approach was rejected during the 1970s by a generation of researchers who proceeded from new cultural theoretical perspectives that assumed that culture was in constant change. As a result, the theories about relic areas were not further developed. This dissertation returns to the folk culture but with new perspectives on how to understand the old-fashioned clothing practice.

This study investigates Virestad parish, part of a so-called relic area, from 1750 through 1850. By analyzing minutes from parish meetings, the parish letters to the king, articles of clothing, and estate inventories this dissertation presents new perspectives on connections between economic, social, and political development and cultural continuity and change. The most important source has been the estate inventories which provides a unique opportunity to follow the individuals’ clothing choices, from their choice of textiles to decisions regarding clothing economics.

The investigation shows that the people of Virestad was not “behind the times”, they were clearly in phase with their contemporaries in politics and trade. Instead, the people actively chose to dress in an old-fashioned way. Most of them had not inherited the old-fashioned clothes that they wore but had them made. This study shows that modernity and tradition do not need to be each other's opposites but can develop in tandem, conditioning each other. Dressing in an old-fashioned manner served as a stabilizer that allowed for a more flexible economic, social, and political culture. Therefore, contrary to previous research, a central finding of the dissertation is that relic areas were innovative and modern, where older elements of tradition existed which gave the population security and stability.