Habit of a Finland Girl in 1768

by Thomas Jefferys

Thomas Jefferys' copperplate engraving from 1768 provides a very special, respectable look at the private life of a young Finnish woman during the period of Swedish colonization. Featured in his renowned publication titled A Collection of the Dresses of Different Nations, the illustration is more than just clothing.

The "Finland Girl" does not wear expensive garments typical for Southern noblewomen but wears woolen clothes that are necessary in order to endure the severe winters of Fennoscandia. By using fine lines to convey the texture of the girl's clothing and her headgear, which is characteristic of her social rank and native culture, Jefferys has produced an image that reflects "Sisu."