the desired design, material, embroidery, gold, silver and accessories. The price also depends on whether the customer buys from a well-established company like Husfliden, from local sewers or decides to sew or do part of the embroidery themselves. It usually takes up to a year to finish making the bunad, and it has become a tradition for parents to give their children a bunad as a confirmation gift, which they will wear on their confirmation day. In recent years, Chinese companies have starting selling cheaper bunads made in China, so-called "China bunads." It has caused concern that these "China bunads" may undermine the authenticity and the desirability of the bunads. Traditions In Norway in the postwar era, especially in more recent times, it is common, but by no means mandatory, to wear bunad at various celebrations such as: folk dances, weddings, baptisms, confirmations, Christmas, graduations and especially the May 17 National Day celebrations. In recent years, its use has reached far outside folk dancing, folk music, and particular holidays. Accepted as proper gala attire, it is increasingly common to see people, and especially women, dressed in bunad. The former Norwegian foreign minister, Thorvald Stoltenberg, made history by presenting his accreditation as ambassador to Margrethe II of Denmark dressed in a bunad. Bunads were also conspicuous among those present at the Blessing of the Reign of King Harald and Queen Sonja, demonstrating that the bunad is now considered acceptable as an alternative form of formal wear even on the most solemn public occasions. There is ongoing debate about the official status of various outfits, and what allowed variations are. Due to ongoing discussions on the status of bunads, it is not possible to state accurately the number of different types of bunads in Norway, but most estimates place the number at around 200. In 1947 an official institution, the National Committee for Bunad-related Questions (Landsnemnda for Bunadspørsmål) was organized to act in an advisory capacity on all questions dealing with bunads in Norway. That function is presently assigned to the Norwegian Institute for Costume and Folk Costume (Norsk institutt for bunad og folkedrakt), a national institution dealing with documentation and research of folk costumes as a cultural expression. Since 2008, the institution's management has operated in cooperation with the Valdres Folkemuseum (Valdresmusea) with which it shares facilities in Fagernes. The Institute has established an archive of costume registrations, photo, cut patterns