Mer för prakten än för nyttans skull.
Statusmarkeringar i bouppteckningar från Virestad socken 1750-1759
Most scientists believe that in the good times the peasant had the opportunity to follow fashion. Virestad parish does not follow fashion. My purpose is to try to understand something of the mechanism that made Virestad do so: that I will do by analyzing the results in relation to the concept of status. My main source is estate inventories. Here I examine the status markers and differences in what they invested in clothes and jewelry in relation to the estate's proceeds.The lower the balance, the more percentage they need to put on clothes. As for silver, it is not possible to draw these conclusions. Those who spent more than 100 daler also have a balance of 700 daler or more. Finer and more clothing also afford more jewelry. Men and women spends the same amount in clothing and jewelry.Several parameters measures the status in clothing.1. Materials is important.2. The amount of material is significant.3. Some clothes are of high value.4. The numbers of clothes have meaning.5. Color has meaning.6. Old clothes have a lower value.That Virestad parish would have stagnated in fashion because of bad times and lack of money is not true. I believe that most of the peasants had more than enough to afford to replace their clothes to the more modern. Here are other mechanisms that retain a more old-fashioned dress. Status is one. In the estate inventories you can clearly see the differents of status markers.