Would you like to know how to some words for talking about clothes in Irish? In this blog post, we will teach you all that you need to know about clothing in the Irish language. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Clothes in Irish
There are several types of Irish clothing that the people love to wear and flaunt. Let’s first learn about certain traditional clothing in the Irish language.
Traditional Irish dress
Ireland is a country with great history and culture. The people there are very proud of their cultural traditions. Clothing is one major part of any culture that represents the people. That is how they differentiate from the rest of the world.
The kilt is a traditional Irish garment for males, albeit it is more identified with Scotland than Ireland. Men and women wore woolen tunics and cloaks until the invading English outlawed traditional Irish outfits, due to which they had to switch to English outfits. Although in times of poverty simple dresses were common in Ireland. Men and women both wore simple Knee-length shirts. Sometimes men wore a linen outfit and women wore open-sleeved dresses.
Many individuals wore kilts as a gesture of solidarity with other people who sought independence from England. Because saffron yellow was frequently chosen by rebels, English rulers prohibited the color from English clothing to prevent public demonstrations of sympathy for the Irish.
Traditional Irish clothing is also influenced by the weather. The ocean climate of Ireland is typically pleasant, however, heavy rain and strong breezes are common. Many inhabitants wear their outfits in layers, which they may remove or add as the weather changes from hot to chilly, rainy to windy.
Male Irish clothing
As described earlier, the kilt is the main traditional outfit worn by Irish men. There is a strong association between kilts and Scotland, so it is considered part of Scottish culture. A kilt is a skirt for men which is almost to the knees. It can be of any color but red or brown are the primary traditional colors of kilt. The kilt generally isn’t plain and has patterns over it.
Cloaks were an essential part of traditional Irish attire. The cloaks were long, cut in a big circle, and frequently black because the wool taken from the sheep is often black. A brooch was used to secure it. If a guy did not wear his cloak, he was not considered properly clothed.
Later, wool in Ireland was plentiful which gave rise to one of the most popular articles of Irish apparel, the Aran sweater. It is a shame that few people are aware of its roots. The Aran sweater is also known as a fisherman’s sweater. It comes from the Aran Islands and is generally cream in color, thick, and has patterns on it.
Female Irish clothing
Irish women wore outfits not too dissimilar to men. They wear a brat, a folded cloak that hangs from the shoulder, and a basic kilt or leggings and jacket. During the repression, the cloak or brat was a symbol of revolt since it allowed the rebels to withstand the harshest weather while holding out in the highlands.
Women often decorated their dresses with flowers. A sweater, although relatively modern, also has a great presence in Irish culture because of the harsh weather. Women wear light-colored sweaters when it is breezy. Other than that the dress of Irish women is simple and elegant while also representing their struggle for freedom.
Final Verdict
Traditional Irish attire is maybe the most stereotyped appearance. The popularity of St. Patrick’s Day in the states and people dressing up without having proper knowledge of traditional Irish clothing has led to many misunderstandings regarding Irish apparel. When most people think of Irish costumes, they imagine leprechauns dressed entirely in green or females dressed in green bodices and short skirts. This is entirely wrong and I hope we cleared some of the doubts in this article. Cheers!
Irish Clothing Vocabulary
Now that we have learned about the type of clothing that Irish people enjoy wearing and have worn over the past years, let’s look at some words about clothing in the Irish language to enhance your Irish vocabulary.
| English Words | Irish Equivalents |
| 70’s Style | Stíl Na 70í |
| Academic Costume | Éadaí Acadúil |
| Accent | Accent |
| Achromatic Colours | Dathanna Achromatic |
| Androgynous Style | Stíl Androgynach |
| Army Look | Cuma Airm |
| Athletic Clothing | Éadaí Lúthchleas Gael |
| Attire | Feisteas |
| Beaumonde | Beaumonde |
| Boutique | Boutique |
| Business Casual Dress Code | Gnó Cód Gúna Ócáideach |
| Business Formal Dress Code | Gnó Cód Gúna Foirmiúil |
| Camouflage Clothing | Éadaí Duaithníochta |
| Casual Wear | Caitheamh Ócáideach |
| Catwalk | Catwalk |
| Ccessory | Cúlpháirtí |
| Channel Suit | Culaith Cainéal |
| Cheugy | Cheugy |
| Chic | Chic |
| Cine Mode | Mód Cine |
| City Wear | Caitheamh Cathrach |
| Classic | Clasaiceach |
| Classic Style | Stíl Clasaiceach |
| Composite Style | Stíl Ilchodach |
| Contemporary Style | Stíl Chomhaimseartha |
| Continental Style | Stíl Ilchríochach |
| Cosmetic Colours | Dathanna Cosmaideacha |
| Couturier | Couturier |
| Earth Colors | Dathanna An Domhain |
| Eclectic Style Of Fashion | Stíl Eicléictiúil Faisin |
| Fabric Prints | Priontaí Fabraic |
| Fashion House | Teach Faisin |
| Fashion Press | Faisean Preas |
| Fashion Subcultures | Fochultúr Faisean |
| Fashion Tribe | Treibh Faisean |
| Fashionista | Faiseanta |
| Formal Clothing ( Evening Clothes) | Éadaí Foirmeálta (Éadaí Tráthnóna) |
| Foundation | Fondúireacht |
| Gradation | Grádú |
| Grunge | Gráinne |
| Haute Couture | Haute Couture |
| Hosiery | Góiséireacht |
| Iridescent Colours | Dathanna Iridescent |
| Jewel Tones | Toin Jewel |
| Kitsch | Kitsch |
| Knock Off | Cnoc Mhuire |
| Line | Líne |
| Minimalist | Minimalist |
| Neutral Colours | Dathanna Neodrach |
| Ombre | Ombre |
| Placement Prints | Priontaí Socrúcháin |
| Pret-A- Porter | Pret-A- Porter |
| Print On Print | Priontáil Ar Phriontáil |
| Statement Jewelry | Seodra Ráiteas |
| Supportive Clothing | Éadaí Tacaíochta |
| To Have A Sense Of Style | Tuiscint A Bheith Agat Ar Stíl |
| Toile | Toile |
| Trend | Treocht |
| X-Ray Fabric | Fabraic X-Gha |
Phrases to talk about clothes
Got all the vocabulary you need? Now let’s learn how to put that vocabulary to work. Here are some of the sentences that you can use to talk about the clothes in Irish.
| English Sentences | Irish Sentences |
| Are these washable? | An féidir iad seo a ní? |
| Could I try these on? | An bhféadfainn triail a bhaint as iad seo? |
| Could I try these shoes on? | An bhféadfainn triail a bhaint as na bróga seo? |
| Could I try this on? | An bhféadfainn triail a bhaint as seo? |
| Could you measure my …? | An bhféadfá mo … a thomhas? |
| Do they feel comfortable? | An mothaíonn siad compordach? |
| Do you have a fitting room? | An bhfuil seomra feisteas agat? |
| Do you have these in a size …? | An bhfuil siad seo i méid …? |
| Do you have this in a size …? | An bhfuil sé seo agat i méid …? |
| Do you want to try it on? | Ar mhaith leat triail a bhaint as? |
| Do you want to try them on? | Ar mhaith leat triail a bhaint astu? |
| Have you got this in a larger size? | An bhfuair tú é seo i méid níos mó? |
| Have you got this in a smaller size? | An bhfuair tú é seo i méid níos lú? |
| How do they feel? | Conas a mhothaíonn siad? |
| I don’t like the colour | Ní maith liom an dath |
| I don’t like them | Ní maith liom iad |
| I like them | Is maith liom iad |
| I take a size … | Glacaim méid… |
| Is that a good fit? | An bhfuil sé sin oiriúnach go maith? |
| Is this the only colour you’ve got? | An é seo an t-aon dath atá ort? |
| It doesn’t fit | Ní luíonn sé |
| It suits you | Oireann sé duit |
| It’s a little too big | Tá sé beagán ró-mhór |
| It’s a little too small | Tá sé beagán ró-bheag |
| It’s just right | Tá sé díreach ceart |
| It’s much too big | Tá sé i bhfad ró-mhór |
| It’s much too small | Tá sé i bhfad ró-bheag |
| I’ll take it | Tógfaidh mé é |
| I’ll take them | Tógfaidh mé iad |
| I’ll take these | Tógfaidh mé iad seo |
| I’ll take this | Tógfaidh mé é seo |
| No, they have to be dry-cleaned | Ní mór, ní mór iad a tirimghlanadh |
| They don’t fit | Níl siad oiriúnach |
| They suit you | Oireann siad duit |
| They’re just right | Tá siad díreach i gceart |
| What are these made of? | Cad as a bhfuil siad seo déanta? |
| What do you think of these? | Cad a cheapann tú díobh seo? |
| What size are you? | Cén méid atá tú? |
| What size do you take? | Cén méid a thógann tú? |
| Where’s the fitting room? | Cá bhfuil an seomra feisteas? |
Wrapping Up
That’s it for this blog post. Hopefully, you got a lot to learn like always. On Ling App, it is our utmost priority to keep you guys learning new and useful things about the Irish language every day. We also have other blog posts for you to check out: Telling Time In Irish and How To Read Irish Addresses.
We meticulously choose different topics based on how useful they are for an Irish learner and what the Irish learners these days want to learn. We try our best to come up with as many options as possible to help you guys learn the most. On Ling App, we also provide other languages which can be useful for you in case you change your mind and switch to learning another language. Language is an unending process and so is our commitment to you!
Happy learning!
