Whatever your favourite type of clothing may be, and whatever your favourite fabric is, there is one type that reigns supreme, and that is wool. Having been used ever since humans first herded sheep, wool has constantly remained probably one of the most common, yet exquisite materials from which to craft garments. And don’t even get me started on the versatility of it: I could go on and on and on about the immense list of items that can be crafted from this. Nevertheless, some of them are better than the others, and that’s what I am here for: to present to you the three items that I believe to be the most representative for wool uses in Irish culture. Without further ado, here they are:
Irish flat caps
Now, I know that wool is not the primary material for these, since they are usually made of tweed, but come on, no list of Irish clothing items can be complete without the extravagant, and yet so incredibly simple flat cap. The Irish flat cap was originally a symbol of the working class, back in the 20th century, but was slowly popularised and became a sign of elegance. Gentlemen all around the world wear this item, which is also called the newsboy’s hat, usually pairing it with a monochrome tweed suit and a simple tie. The sheer comfort and confidence this item brings is sure to make a man feel happy with his wool item, since it feels really light and keeps one’s head warm at the same time. Plus, it makes you look a lot like the infamous Thomas Shelby, which is always a nice touch.
Irish sweaters
This one is the epitome of high-quality wool clothing. Everything regarding this jumper exudes excellence, from its history to the way it feels and the aesthetics of it: you simply cannot find a weak point when it comes to this woolen piece of art. As https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aran_jumper states, they originate from the west coast of Ireland. These timeless classics have been custom-made for the fishermen of the Aran islands. Since that was the main occupation of the men in the area, their wives needed to come up with the best solution to protect their beloved husbands, brothers and sons. Hence, they created these masterpieces known as Irish sweaters. Their uniqueness came from the type of wool they were made of, namely the Merino wool. It was unscoured, and it was imbued with a natural oil called lanolin, which gave the garments the property of being water resistant: they could soak up immense amounts of it before even getting wet! On the aesthetic side though, there is one thing that stands out: the stitching patterns. These are said to have been different, according to the clan the people belonged to. After a while, they started to grow in popularity and were shipped off to the mainland as well. Nowadays, people wear the Irish sweaters as both a fashion statement, as well as simply because of their warmth. Nevertheless, you should try wearing one yourself: visit Tara Irish Clothing for high quality Merino wool Irish sweaters!
Irish wool blankets
Finishing off this list, we had to include the classical wool Irish blankets. Everybody can appreciate the warmth and the comfort offered by this item after a long, busy day of struggling with problems. Coming home and covering yourself in one of these, making yourself look like a giant fluffy burrito, must be one of the most relaxing things in the world. Whether it’s just for décor, or you are actually using it when you sleep, the Irish blankets minutely crafted from the finest lambswool can work wonders for you and your abode. If you are especially keen on interior design, go right ahead and imagine how much better your room would look if it had a wool blanket inside of it! Not to mention, if you have someone coming over to watch a movie on a cold, damp, rainy night, there is nothing better to offer them to warm themselves up rather than a hot cup of coffee and a warm, fuzzy, comfortable Irish blanket.
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