Letter from Iceland

Letter from Iceland

Share this post

Letter from Iceland
Letter from Iceland
The Surprising History of Iceland’s Iconic Sweater
Iceland curios

The Surprising History of Iceland’s Iconic Sweater

More than just cozy knitwear, the lopapeysa is a symbol of national identity—with roots not as old as you’d think. LFI #132

Alda Sigmundsdóttir's avatar
Alda Sigmundsdóttir
Feb 11, 2025
∙ Paid
19

Share this post

Letter from Iceland
Letter from Iceland
The Surprising History of Iceland’s Iconic Sweater
17
1
Share

Góðan daginn!

Given the inclement weather we’ve been having, I thought this might be a good time to talk about the humble Icelandic sweater.

Share

These sweaters, called lopapeysa (lopi = sheep's wool, peysa = sweater) are quite an omnipresent sight while in Iceland. It seems that every citizen owns and proudly wears their lopapeysa.

You might think that these …

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Letter from Iceland to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Alda Sigmundsdóttir
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share