Summary: General Information about Clothes of Native Irish
Key dates:
The clothes which were described by Giraldus Cambrensis remained in fashion for a very long time. By the end of the 14th century there was a clear distinction between the dress of those who were loyal to England and those who were not. The Irish tended to keep their own styles while the English had little power over them. The more distinctive Irish dress displeased the authorities so much that, in 1462, Dublin charged a tax on mantles brought into the city and, from September 1466, any man found wearing a mantle was fined 6d and a woman could be fined the same if she wore a saffron smock or herchief in Dublin.
The buttoned doublet was introduced rather like the one worn by Noah in the Book of Ballymote (1400). This was fitted to the chest, lined and quilted and usually made of expensive material. Noah’s doublet was round necked and buttoned down the front. Belts, tied in a figure of 8, were popular. The picture of the weaver indicates the high standard of tailoring with fitted sleeves and buttons on sleeves and on the vent.
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