Solo dress for Irish dances. National costume of Ireland - history and photos

Each nationality has its own traditional national costume. You won't find a single similar dress in the world. What is the national dress of the Irish?

A bit of history

The Irish national costume is one of those traditional variants of national clothing that causes a lot of controversy and doubt. In fact, for about 300 years there has been no such attire - this is history. In the modern world, it can only be found in various theatrical performances and as decorations for dancers performing folk dances.

The history of the formation of the national clothes of the people of Ireland can be traced back to approximately the 6th century. Initially, the Irish dressed in long linen shirts, over which they wore floor-length woolen cloaks of a spacious style. The main distinguishing feature of such raincoats is the presence of a voluminous hood.

Wealthier strata of society could afford to wear another shorter one over a long shirt. The second shirt was predominantly made of fine linen or even silk. A feature of the second shirt, which emphasized the status position of a person in society, is embroidery of varying complexity in the upper part of the garment. At the same time, the country had a ban on the free use of various color combinations in embroidery. Almost every Irishman was designated exactly which colors and in what quantity he can use in his robes.

Such a gradation directly depended on the position of a person in society, as well as on the type and scope of his activity. Accordingly, the clothes of rich people had brighter and more colorful elements that distinguished them from the rest of the mass.

Over time, the national Irish costume has undergone many changes and has completely ceased to be similar to its original version.

As the centuries passed, the Irish costume became more European.

Peculiarities

As a result of various changes that the national clothes of the native Irish have undergone, the traditional style of the national costume has been practically lost.

First, pants appear as the main element of the national costume. At the same time, they entered the life of the Irish thanks to navigators. Over time, the sweater has become another characteristic element of the Irish national costume. Its appearance, in fact, is due to the characteristic cool damp air and climate of this region. Sweaters of that time were white or gray, knitted by hand. Their distinguishing feature is braids in the form of arans.(from the name of the Aran Islands, since the history of these sweaters began precisely from these islands). Also, another feature of sweaters is the presence of ornaments containing in their design the initials or personal signs of the person who wore this type of clothing.

Irish culture and traditions came under the large-scale influence of European countries, in particular, the period of English rule in original Ireland played a special role. At that time, bans were introduced on various national elements that filled the culture and life of the indigenous population of Ireland. That is why, to this day, the Irish national costume has come in a completely different interpretation.

Now he was a more modern attire, characteristic of the general European style:

• plain kilt skirt (most often the skirt was made of orange fabrics);
• white or light shirt without a collar;
• warm loose or baggy sweater;
• an elongated jacket or jacket made of dense matter;
• large cloth beret.

At the same time, it is worth noting the fact that Irish clothes, which went down in history as a national costume, are characterized by the predominance of bright green.

Outfit Description

Like any clothing, the traditional Irish national costume eventually divided into women's and men's styles.

Unfortunately, very little information has survived to this day regarding how authentically the outfits for women looked. There is an assumption that a bright green dress was an obligatory element of the women's costume. His style favorably emphasized the chest and waistline, and a flared skirt went down, which could be either just green or striped.

For men's attire, two sets of outfits were characteristic. The first option was a suit consisting of a jacket and trousers. Wearing a black tie was considered mandatory. And the second version of traditional clothing for Irish men was more extravagant, as instead of trousers, the Irish used striped or plaid kilt skirts.

The main colors of the national clothes of the people of Ireland are green, black and orange.

Green is considered the color of Ireland. Green in Ireland is often combined with sunny red. Many Irish people have naturally red hair. Bright and colorful, like summer itself, is the Irish costume.

"The way home"
Artist Barry Maguire

Ireland is a country with a rich and interesting traditional culture. Irish folk dances are especially famous. And the clothes of folk dancers of any country are always clothes associated with a folk costume.

On St. Patrick's Day, Irish dances may be danced all over Europe. And, of course, the United States, where many descendants of Irish emigrants live. The feast of Ireland's patron saint, Saint Patrick, is very popular today. The holiday color is green. Green is considered the main color in the Irish folk costume.

Celtic motifs

The culture of Ireland is closely connected with the Celtic traditions. Modern Irish are the descendants of the Celtic tribes that once inhabited the vast territory of Western and Central Europe. Of course, in Ireland, as in many other European countries, the traditional ancient pagan culture was influenced by the adoption of Christianity. But, nevertheless, Christianity could not supplant older traditions.

Artist Barry Maguire

Any country, including Ireland, is what ordinary people, peasants, have been wearing for many centuries. Unlike the costumes of the aristocrats, which changed over the centuries from style to style - Romanesque, Baroque, Rococo, and so on, peasant clothing remained virtually unchanged.

"Green sleeves"
Artist Dante Gabriel Rosetti

Most often, a peasant European men's suit is trousers and a shirt, a women's one is a skirt and a shirt or a dress. But at the same time, the peasants always decorated their festive clothes with drawings - ornaments. Pagan pre-Christian traditions were still preserved in the ornament. These could be patterns symbolizing the sun god, and patterns associated with the goddess of fertility, as well as amulets.

Irish costume ornaments are of ancient Celtic origin.

From folk clothes to national costume

The folk or national costume of Ireland itself appears in the 19th century, as well as the national costumes of other European countries. As a matter of fact, in the 19th century the concept of nations was formed in Europe. And the learned people of each nation begin to actively study the culture, history and traditions of their country. At the same time, much attention is paid to the study of the life and life of the common people.

"Irish Dance"

In the 19th century, namely at the time, European thinkers and artists are no longer interested, in contrast to past centuries, in the heritage of Ancient Greece and Rome, the history of kings and their victories. In the period of romanticism, thinkers and artists go to the common people.

And on the basis of the folk costume, that is, the clothes of ordinary people, but not everyday, but festive, national costumes are formed. So it is with the national costume of Ireland.

At the same time, there are also difficulties of their own. Ireland has been under the influence of England for a long time. Also in Ireland, the Vikings once visited, who also largely changed the traditional clothes of the Irish. Thus, very little information has been preserved about the Celtic costume by the 19th century.

Mistake with a kilt and fishermen's sweaters

In the 19th century, the idea emerged that the Irish wore a kilt skirt. This skirt is still found in the costume of dancers. The Irish kilt skirt, unlike the Scottish one, is not plaid, but plain, most often orange. Today, Irish dancers can also see a green kilt skirt. But later it turned out that in the VI-XVII centuries, the Irish did not wear any skirts.

Vintage postcard to St. Patrick's Day

The Irish men's clothing of the 6th-17th centuries was a long undershirt. It was called Lane. Rich people wore two shirts. The top shirt was shorter. It was decorated with colorful embroidery. Linen shirts were sewn. Linen is a traditional fabric for the clothes of ordinary people almost all over the world. In addition to linen, another common material for peasant clothing is wool.

Pants in Ireland appeared during the Viking Age. Initially, pants were made of leather, like the Vikings. Then they began to sew from linen.

By the 17th century, a sweater appeared in Irish costume. Traditional Irish sweaters are called Aran sweaters, as it was in the Aran Islands that they were first knitted.

There is even a special style of knitting - Aran knitting. Aran knitting is knitting in which a pattern is formed by interlacing braids and crossing loops.

Vintage postcard to St. Patrick's Day

Initially, Aran sweaters were white or gray (today you can also see green sweaters) and were decorated with ornaments with personal signs or the initials of the person who wore the sweater. Initially, Aran sweaters were the traditional clothing of fishermen.

Another element of the Irish men's costume today is an elongated jacket or jacket made of dense matter, which, most likely, appear already in the 18th century under the influence of the townspeople's costume. Under a jacket or jacket today, Irish folk dancers wear either the sweater described above or a vest. On their feet they wear a kilt or short pants and woolen striped leggings. And, of course, an obligatory part of the Irish folk costume is a large cloth beret.

Red Celtic cloak bret

Another thing that is mandatory for the folk costume of Ireland is a woolen cloak with a voluminous hood. A cloak similar to a plaid has been worn since Celtic times. In the 6th-17th centuries in Ireland, both men and women wore such a cloak. This raincoat was called Bret. It was sewn from dense woolen fabric and fastened with a brooch on the shoulder or chest, or tied at the throat with a braid. Such a raincoat protected very well from winds and cold. Bret's raincoats were plain - blue, black, gray, but most often red.

Vintage postcard to St. Patrick's Day

Women's dresses in Irish national costume

Even less was known about the women's costume of Celtic times by the 19th century than about the men's costume. Today, women's folk clothing in Ireland is considered to be a dress with an accentuated waistline and expanding downwards. Irish folk dancers wear such dresses in plain green or with a striped skirt. Another element of the women's folk costume of Ireland is shawls decorated with a bright border.

Thus, in the 19th century, on the basis of historical data on the folk costume of Ireland, as well as under the influence of the development of interest in folk Irish dances, the national costume of Ireland was formed, which exists to this day.

This is the dress I saw and photographed. Embroidery is made by hand.

The price is 780 euros. Very painstaking work.

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Irish dance costumes

In public performances, dancers wear special costumes. The costumes are often whimsical interpretations of traditional Irish dress. In competition, there are various rules and traditions that govern the choice of dancer's costume style.

Judges in competitions evaluate dancers primarily for their performance, but they also take performance into account. At each level of the competition, dancers must wear either hard shoes or soft shoes and white socks or tights. In commission schools, dancers must either curl their hair or wear a curly wig, although most dancers on festival days wear wigs. In most festival schools, hair is often loose and falls loosely over the shoulders. Boys and girls wear very distinctive costumes. Girls wear dresses with tight pleated skirts that are embroidered. The boys usually wear jackets and plaid skirts, but now more commonly perform in black trousers with a brightly colored shirt. Costumes can be simpler for beginning dancers; they often wear a simple dance skirt and a simple blouse.

Certain colors and the emblem that is used on the dresses represent the dance school to differentiate the dancers from other dance schools. Mostly dresses are made in the style of solo dance dresses, but they are simple in style and in a certain color scheme. Many North American schools allow their students to choose the dress style for themselves.

Competition dresses have been transformed in many ways since the Irish dance first appeared. A few generations ago, the dress in question was simply a man's usual "best Sunday" dress. In the 1980s, decoratively embroidered velvet became the most popular material for dancers' costumes. Other materials include gabardine and wool. Today many different fabrics are used, including silk and embroidered organza. Dresses include the obligatory pleated skirt. Dresses can weigh several pounds, depending on the fabric, and take some time to get used to the dress before the start of the competition. The festival style of the costume is different as it is based on simpler designs.

The Preliminary and Open Championships are the levels where dancers can qualify for the Main Competitions. At these levels, solo costumes help each dancer show the sense of style and they allow them to stand out from the crowd. Dancers can either have a new solo dress made especially for them with their own choice of colors, fabrics, and designs (some dancers even design the dress themselves). Championship dresses are often expensive, sequined, and most often in one, two, or three colors. Since the dresses are handmade and made of expensive materials and have a unique design, the cost of the dress varies between $600 and $4,000.

Along with the hand sequined dress, the championship dancers also have wigs and crowns. Dancers at lower levels have the choice of wearing a wig or curling their hair, but usually in the championship, girls prefer to wear a wig as wigs are more comfortable. Dancers receive synthetic wigs that match their hair color (some go lighter or darker). Wigs can range in cost from $20.00 to $150. Crowns usually match the colors and materials of the dresses, but some dancers prefer to wear tiaras, or tiaras with a cloth crown. Competitions are usually performed on a stage with good lighting. Dancers often use stage make-up and self-tanners to prevent makeup from “running off”.

If your child wants to do Irish dancing, there are two things you need to remember. Firstly, dancing in itself is an expensive thing.
Secondly, half of the costs depend on you personally.
In your first year at any school, you will be asked to purchase dance shoes. Depending on the requirements of the teacher, these can be Czechs,
ballet shoes or irish shoes. Czechs, as a rule, are not welcome (they do not show if the child is pulling fingers). Ballet shoes cost 200-400 rubles, enough for 3-4 months,
sometimes longer. Leather shoes (jazz shoes, leather ballerinas, Irish shoes) can last a year or two, but as a rule, they lose their appearance after 7-8 months.
There are no special rules at the initial stage of shoe training. And you can practice and perform in ordinary ballet flats. Of course, the Irish look much prettier,
but they are also more expensive - from 1000 rubles per pair, and usually they need to be ordered, they are not available for free sale in Russia.
Each manufacturer has its own models, and if you or your child has a "difficult" foot, then you may need to change 3-4 pairs before you find "your" shoes.
In Russia, the majority - Irish, or "software" company Pacelli, one of the most famous firms with a global level. The students at our school mostly wear Boynewalk shoes.
In appearance, all models are similar and differ in minor details of cut and texture, little noticeable to an outsider.
After six months or a year, you will be asked to purchase "hard" shoes. The basic models of almost all companies cost around 80 euros, i.е. about 3000 rubles. They usually bend flat, you can't get up in them.
on the fingers, the heels are not convex, the heels are not very sonorous. it is assumed that for the first two years of studying hard dances this is quite enough, and those who wish to achieve a good level
after a while, these stepovkas are demolished and they will order more expensive ones, depending on specific wishes (more sonorous, or softer, or for a wide foot, etc.) Expensive models
The cost of "elite" boots can reach up to 6,000 rubles or more. As a rule, all companies have representative offices on the Internet, some shoes can also be bought at fashion stores,
where the so-called feis shop often operate.
If you can do without Irish women if you wish, then you won’t be able to do without step dances. Boots for American tap or flamenco are completely different, so it's best to order the right shoes right away.
Now many beginners prefer to take second-hand shoes: it's cheaper (a pair costs 1000-2000 rubles), they don't need to be broken in and you can't go wrong with the size when ordering.
Those who wish (usually those who have been practicing for several years and plan to dance a lot and often) sometimes order dance sneakers, they are denser than soft shoes, but without heels.
In sneakers, you can rehearse both soft and hard dances, but they are not recommended for beginners, as many nuances of dance technique become invisible or inaudible.

The next expense item is dancewear. You can wear anything to class, if your school has a special dress code, you will be told this in the first lesson.
Usually they are asked to dress the child so that the knees are visible: shorts, short skirts, tight trousers, etc. Girls often dance in choreographed leotards with chiffon skirts, as in classical choreography.

For performances at competitions at the initial level, it is not necessary to sew a chic dress. The most convenient option is a blouse or turtleneck with long sleeves and a sundress for girls, trousers + shirt + vest for boys.
In the WIDA commission, children dance in branded WIDA T-shirts, girls are required to have a green skirt, boys have a T-shirt + trousers.

For the primary level, the same suit or school dress that you may be offered to sew will do. Usually the school has its own seamstresses, or parents, together with the teacher, come up with a style and sew on their own,
these are the most ordinary dresses according to standard patterns, only the same for the whole group and, of course, elegant. Dresses are decorated with embroidery, or laid out cord patterns, or lace collars - there are a lot of options,
the rules apply only to the length of the skirt and sleeves. (As well as the lack of cutouts on the skirt, back, sleeves and closed collarbones). A dress can cost from 1000 rubles to infinity.

If you want to sew a solo traditional Irish dress for your child (of course, this applies only to girls, boys can only be "decorated" with a variety of ties and vests, well, or kilts that are out of fashion), then this
can cost from 4,000 to 20,000. Prices vary greatly, in addition, I know many mothers who calmly sew even the most elaborate dresses with ruffles and wedges for their children.
Let me remind you that the "princess" dress is completely optional. At no level will you be kicked out if you dance in a skirt and blouse, and if you dance beautifully, they will give places as expected, according to the rules, you can’t take points for lack of a costume.
Another thing is that everyone wants to show off, and competitions are a great occasion to sew a new dress!

A complete Irish costume for a girl consists of shoes, white socks of a special style (they cost about 250 rubles per pair), a dress, shorts under the dress (often they are sewn together with a dress made of fabric, for example, a lining), tiaras and a wig.
a wig is also a completely optional element and is only designed to save you time if, say, the competition is early in the morning, and the child does not want to sleep on curlers. The diadem is designed to support the "princess" of the costume, it does not play any other role.
Boys do not wear wigs or tiaras.

In addition to the cost of training and equipment, your budget will include an expense item for competitions. They usually take place 2-3 times a year (in Russia), and in the first year of study, if the teacher advises you to perform, this pleasure will cost a maximum of 20 euros (4 dances of 5 euros each).
Sometimes schools also exhibit team dances, participation in one costs 3 euros. Of course, the further you go, the more expensive, because there are more dances, but since "won" dances cannot be re-danced, the amount will rarely exceed 2000, at least until you get to the open level.

The total is obtained, the initial set of the dancer:
300 r. ballet shoes
700 r. the simplest form (you can get by with your existing wardrobe)
3000 rubles stepovka (optional in the first year of study)
2000 r. participation in two competitions.
2000 r. simple school dress for performances.

Total 8000 rubles per year.

What other costs might there be?
Firstly, the competition may not take place in your city. That is, plus the road, hotel, food.
Secondly, many schools organize mandatory master classes for their official teachers. For example, Ronan Morgan visits our school every month, Shane Maccavinchi and Mary Sweeney visit Tir na Nog, Teresa Rooney visits Rooney-Iridan. Master classes are definitely useful and are recommended for visiting,
especially if you're serious about doing it. Classes of foreign teachers are more expensive, Russian ones are cheaper, since you do not have to pay for a visa and a flight from Europe. In some schools, this is included in the monthly fee (as, for example, in Mirkwood), in some, money is collected additionally for specific classes.
Thirdly, many teachers recommend that their students take graduation exams. Usually this is one exam every six months, at a cost of 600 to 1000 rubles (depending on the gradation number, the further - the more expensive).
Fourthly, as in other types of dance, students can perform on stage with show numbers. Costumes for them are often sewn at the expense of the performers, in addition, if the ensemble participates in choreographic festivals, participants are asked to pay a charitable contribution (400-800 rubles per person).
It is clear that it is not a pity to spend money on your favorite business, and many do not skimp on dresses, trips and participation in master classes.

But always remember: if all of a sudden you want to do it simply because you like Irish dancing, and financial difficulties make you count every penny - don't give up what you love.
Indeed, in general, it is enough to have a pair of ballet shoes that are not very full of holes. By the way, you can just darn them.