Dressed like a bride : Being utklädd - performativity and etiquette in the Swedish wedding dress

Abstract: This thesis investigates the wedding dress in the 21st century in Sweden. Interviews provided the main material for the analysis of the wedding dress and its connotations. Erving Goffman’s theory on performances in everyday life and Efrat Tsëelon’s thoughts on modesty connected to the female body is used as a theoretical framework in this thesis. The wedding dress is also analyzed as an object, and thoughts from material culture are implemented when discussing the cultural connotations of the dress. The wedding dress is only worn during the wedding ceremony, and it evokes thoughts on performances and identity due to cultural values and expressions that the bride either identifies with or not. Being dressed as a bride is deemed less authentic than being dressed in everyday clothes and is compared to a masquerade garment. The Swedish word utklädd, which means being dressed out in different ways, is a common factor and description of wearing a wedding dress in Sweden in the 21st century.