Kattunskoftor och bomullsstrumpor : Bomullskonsumtion i Karlskrona runt sekelskiftet 1800

The 19th century in Europe was marked by major changes in the clothing supply of households. The availability of new textile materials changed the conditions for consumption and possession of clothing. Much more garments came to be made from purchased and imported fabrics, people’s wardrobes grew in volume, and cotton became an increasingly common and everyday commodity. Though it is well known that cotton’s broad impact on the Swedish market took place a few decades into the 1800s, it is unclear how fast and extensive the transition from home production of mostly woolen and linen attire to clothing made from imported cotton was. The varying local perspectives and how the change took shape in practice in different parts of the population are important keys to unveil the dynamics of this transition.This study contributes to earlier research by exploring the cotton consumption in the Swedish military city of Karlskrona in the decades around the year 1800. From documentation in probate inventories early occurrence of cotton garments, and cotton’s path into the wardrobes of different groups of the population aremapped. The results shows that cotton was incorporated into thewardrobes of different groups in different ways, and that clothingholdings of those who owned cotton grew during the 20-yearperiod.