Browsing by Author "Ilomäki, Wiivi"

This is a research of the use and manufacture of Finland's various folk costumes and its related meanings. You can see folk costume in Finland rarely, although in many places people are still using them a lot. In dressing it is its own world to use the folk costume. The study had three research issues that were used to investigate the matter. Research issues investigated different meanings of folk costumes for their users and analyzed what the folk costumes means its user and manufacturer. The study analyzed what kind of things people can attach to use of the folk costumes. The study research what kind of role crafts had when people are making the folk costumes and whether handicrafts are needed in the manufacture of folk costume. At the beginning of the study, two theme interviews had been conducted to the people who are working with the folk costumes and based on these theme interviews, an internet-based questionnaire was prepared. The questionnaire was assigned to the target group in social media. In Facebook there are groups, with members of the people who are interested in folk costumes and many of them use folk costumes regularly. 78 people responded to the questionnaire. The study material was analyzed by a qualitative and quantitative method. Based on this investigation, it was found that the folk costume and its utilization played great importance to their users. Each user had its own meaning to the use of the folk costume, but in the investigation, the biggest importance rose to bringing their own family roots. The use of folk costume joined the user's identity, as its use is a very visible communication. In the study, it was clear that hobbies have a great role in the manufacture of folk costumes, as many defendants reported that they were a handicraft enthusiast but felt to be too novice to make a challenging folk costume for themselves.