DENISE LACHAT Monika Bögli’s skirt flashes bright blue as she opens the door to her workshop in Neuenegg with a flourish. She would never call it a skirt – “gown” is the correct term. A blueand-green striped apron covers it at the front. Bögli has a white blouse under the bodice, with a filigree brooch attached to it in the centre. Around her neck is a black band of exquisitely meshed silk. You would be forgiven for thinking that this dainty woman is dressed for an occasion. Far from it. Bögli is wearing her everyday Bernese folk garments. “This is how women in rural areas used to dress for work,” she grins. Farming families would use wool or linen – home-produced materials robust enough to withstand countless washes. Hand-made with pride Bögli’s attire mainly consists of handwoven half linen and takes many hours to create by hand – 50 to 70 hours, she calculates. The bodice is a particular challenge to make, with its three layers – wadding, lining, fabric – and additional trimming. With the effort that goes into it, not to mention some of the fine, handcrafted materials used (e.g. silk), the finished ensemble does not come cheap: around 2,200 Swiss francs for a brand-new everyday garment and 3,000 francs for a festive dress, with the additional silver jewellery costing at least another 3,500 francs. Put one of these outfits on and you feel like a different person. The lining in the bodice alone changes your whole posture. Bögli is proud and honoured to be wearing hers. “It just fits perfectly. You feel properly dressed.” The invention of a tradition Pride and honour are closely intertwined with the sense of carrying on a tradition dating back to medieval times. People in Switzerland almost stopped wearing traditional dress completely at one stage. Economic growth following the birth of the federal Swiss state in 1848 fuelled the rise of industry, transport, technology and trade, as machines took over work once done by hand. Swiss men and women, particularly in the cities, increasingly looked abroad for fashion trends to follow. Grassroots customs and traditions only regained popularity at the end of the 19th century, with old costumes being acquired, documented and reproduced. Three specific milestones then played a role. The Swiss Heritage Society was founded in 1905 to protect the nation’s cultural heritage, i.e. not only Switzerland’s historic buildings, but also its traditional forms of dress. At around this time, people in various cantons began handcrafting folk garments again based on old designs. In 1926, this movement set up its own Like wearing a piece of Switzerland Armed with needle and thread, Monika Bögli spends many hours at a time preserving a Swiss tradition at her Neuenegg workshop in the canton of Berne: she creates made-to-measure women’s folk garments by hand. representative body in Lucerne called the STV, or Swiss traditional costume association, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The STV wanted to rehabilitate traditional dress as a timeless, simple, unifying element in everyday life. Finally, the 1939 national exhibition in Zurich showcased folk garments from all corners of the country – to project the image of a strong, independent Switzerland in uncertain times and symbolise national belonging, unity and identity. Such clothes are no longer commonly worn, except on special occasions. Folk costume festivals, variety shows, weddings and christenings, says Bögli. And official functions. As guest of honour at the 2010 Swiss National Costume Festival in Schwyz, then Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard wore a traditional dress from her home canton of Aargau. A sense of belonging We again live in uncertain times. After folk costume and traditional dancing and yodelling clubs lost members during Covid, folk costume tailors from various cantons now report revived interest among young people. Former President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard in her traditional Aargau dress at the 2010 Swiss National Costume Festival. Photo: Keystone A pin cushion and patterned fabric in Monika Bögli’s workshop – everything is sewn by hand. The thimble is essential. Photo: Denise Lachat Monika Bögli in her everyday Bernese folk dress. The red and blue aprons on the hanger are made of damask silk – part of a Bernese festive ensemble. Photo: Denise Lachat Some 700 different traditional costumes are worn around Switzerland, varying in colour, tailoring and ornamental detail. In clockwise order: Appenzell Innerhoden, Toggenburg, Uri and St Gallen. Photos: provided/Silvan Bucher Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 12 Society
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