"Astrid the Wolfspeaker" Coat

Woolen Winter Viking Caftan with Trim

It’s easy to assume that all Vikings follow the same routine: traveling the Norwegian Sea, raiding villages, trading in Europe, voyaging anywhere their boats would take them - all with a little bit of pirating thrown in. There’s no doubt that Vikings were great sailors of longships and navigators, but you might be surprised to learn that life was actually much more diverse: there were farmers, fishermen, craftspeople, as well as traders who used runes for writing. Sometimes they were lucky enough to enjoy mild temperatures, but living in Norway, Sweden and Denmark meant that they always had to be prepared for cold winters.

We added this warm coat to our Viking collection because garments like this were an important part of the wardrobe back then. Our coat reaches the middle of your calf and is long enough to keep your whole body warm without restricting movement. The neck, hem, sleeves, and front slit have decorative faux-shearling bordering which is cozy and warm against your skin. This garment is entirely lined with natural linen, and all of the seams are well finished and decorated with our new Viking trim. To add a little bit of extra flair, you’ll find hand embroidery along the gussets and shoulder seam which make the whole garment sit well.

A Viking's clothing had to protect them from harsh, and unforgiving environments but also had to be practical and flexible because the people wearing them had different tasks to do throughout their day. Most commonly the colors used were the white, brown, and black tones found naturally in the wool, though it wasn’t uncommon to see cloth dyed with homemade dyes to achieve blues, reds, and yellows. The quality of the woolen cloth and dyes used was dependent on social class - those of a higher class with more disposable income were more likely to have brighter colored cloth and finer wool.

Vikings had to have warm and comfortable garments to keep them focussed on daily tasks in cold weather conditions: building ships, hunting, and crafting just to name a few. They always wore undergarments to have a thin, soft layer next to their skin and protect their outer garments from sweat, which were often made from thin linen in the summer and thick linen or even wool in the winter. Overdresses and tunics were mostly made of wool and often layered with woolen coats and kaftans to keep their owners warm. Vikings also loved to decorate their garments with embroidery and other embellishments to show their status, protect them from evil spirits, or simply for the joy of having beautiful clothing.

All of our design choices are meant to make this warm for you and comfortable to wear, so you’ll never be afraid of cold winds. Be it the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, or the Norwegian Sea, you are ready for anything. You can plan a cool photoshoot or go to a festival when the weather is cold. Being a Viking is a great choice then as such a character is not afraid of unpleasant weather.

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Please contact us if you have any additional questions.