Kaftan “Olaf the Stormbreaker”

Odin’s people

A fire crackles in the pit and small steady flames of the oil lamps dance with the shadows of the tall richly dressed men. Poems and sagas will be told about them in the windy winter nights, but tonight they are drinking and joking, and telling stories about their adventures and battles, occasionally tripping each other in the smoke of the fire, and praising their gods of the sea and battle, for tomorrow day they will sail to the faraway lands to see and trade, and conquer.

Due to their diverse lifestyle Vikings were the people who had to switch constantly between their activities. Therefore the Vikings’ formal outfit, unlike its later equivalents, had to combine a practical cut with smart details.

Original Birka Viking kaftan

Our Viking kaftan’s design is based on the authentic coat pattern from the Birka findings.

It is a coatlike overgarment, which is all about warmth, elegance and unrestricted freedom of movement. Made of natural wool broadcloth, the Viking coat has an extra layer of a linen lining, which, while adding to the cold protection, also keeps the skin from the coarseness of the woolen fabric and makes the inside of the coat as accurate and neat looking, as the outside. Six metal cast buttons, being a glinting part of the garment’s decoration, keep the Viking caftan fastened from the neck to the waist.

The Viking coat is sufficiently long to be worn in severe Norse climate conditions, but short enough for ease in walking and riding. Sleeves, which are wide at the armhole and narrow at the wrist, do not restrict arm movement and allow a wearer to switch easily from the entertainment to the fight or work without changing clothes – a feature that is surely a must in the Vikings’ outfit.

The kaftan is embellished with a contrast-colored strip of mixed wool-linen fabric along all the edges (4 cm at the front edges, hemline and neckline, 11 cm at the cuffs). The joint between two types of fabric is reinforced with an original Viking “plaited” ornamental trim, designed specially for the purpose. One more elegant accent is a decoration of the structural seams of the Viking kaftan with the thick natural-colored linen thread. The thread goes over the seams, forming a traditional herringbone pattern, and adds strength to the whole powerful northern image created by this exquisite Viking coat.

To check how to measure yourself please click here.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.