Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Icelandic sweaters

Ok, on the airplane to Reykjavik, I'm watching this 20 minute documentary narrated by a cute Icelandic woman. The video covers all the major sightseeing spots in Iceland's capital, as well as several quirky facts about the country I'm about to enter. As our narrator merrily skips about the magical city, she's donning a traditional Icelandic sweater.


Icelandic sweater? I didn't even know such a thing existed. Of course, our narrator did not fail to mention the novelty of her Iceland sweater, and where you can purchase it in Reykjavik (as if they're hard to find). She talked about how popular the sweater is, and how everyone in Iceland wears one.


Really. Everyone?


I was certain that this was a pawn to get tourists to purchase the sweater...until I arrived in Iceland.


EVERYONE was wearing that damn sweater. No seriously, it must have been 2 out of every 5 people. I was shocked. I decided that maybe the sweater really did have cultural significance.






They even make sweaters for babies!




Icelandic sweaters are a tad on the pricey side. One sweater could easily cost between $200 and $400. I ended up not buying one mostly due to the price, but also because it doesn't really get that cold where I live. Also, they are quite scratchy, and are definitely made to be worn over comfortable clothing A close up shot of the wool gives an indication to the feeling:



Now, when I said I saw everyone wearing the sweater, I mean everyone. Here's a sweater in action!

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