Sunday Best: The Origins of Your Costume

Imagine, for a moment, the rules for costume have changed and dancers are allowed only their ‘Sunday best’ onstage at the next feis. What would you be wearing? Today we have a lot of choices, closets full of dress clothes and special warm-up gear to choose from. But this was not always so for most families throughout Ireland and abroad.

Less than a century ago, clothing was an indication of status and most families considered themselves lucky to have even one set of dress clothes. A suit was often expected to last its owner a lifetime and could even be passed on to his children or recycled into new garments. Such was the case during the early years of the Gaelic League. It would be awhile yet before the industrial revolution would impact Ireland and clothing was very expensive. It is understandable then, that a standard ‘dance costume’, as we have come to understand it, did not really evolve in a unified sense until the 1950’s.

So what did the first dancers wear? Last week I mentioned both a ‘Colleen Bawn’ style, which was rather hard to dance in, and the ‘Celtic Costume’ which would later evolve into the costume we recognize today. But there were other styles with which you may be familiar, the first of which was simply the dancer’s ‘Sunday best’. Children and adults from all over, no matter their income, could participate in the Oireachtas festivities because everyone had at least one set. For young women, this dress was most often the dress they wore to church and on special occasions. Boys would wear knee breeches often with a long sleeved dress shirt, necktie or bow tie and cummerbund.

Early in the foundation of the Gaelic League, it was ruled that no prize could be awarded to any dancer unless their outfit be of Irish manufacture and so special outfits as such were encouraged. When the funds were available, a special outfit might be made of linen or silk poplin, Irish lace and incorporating some aspects of either the ‘Colleen’ or ‘Celtic’ styles.

As little evidence exists dating from this period in Irish dance it is difficult to say when this practice officially died out and why. I can only speculate that the competition element had a tremendously homogenizing effect. Perhaps the trends were set by the winners, much as they are today. The increasing success of the economy in Ireland and its subsequent industrialization may have brought changes to clothing culture also, allowing for more specialized dancing outfits. The evidence is, as yet, unclear.

Next Week: The First Class Costume: The Kilt Comes to Ireland!

Young girls in their 'Sunday best'.

Interested in learning more about the history of costume? Check your local library for these books!
Martha Robb - Irish Dancing Costume
Dr. John Cullinane - Irish Dancing Costume, their Origins and Evolutions