Speaking as a Scotsman I feel I'm well qualified to answer this, given
the close relationship between our cultures.
First things first. Don't fall for the "jolly leprechaun and whisky"
image portrayed by Hollywood. Anthing in tweed or green is out unless
you're going to be visiting a lot of farmers, and even then they'll
probably think you're taking the mickey. (Now there's a point. Avoid
anything you can imagine Mickey Rooney wearing)
Ireland, like Scotland, gets a lot of damp weather and little long
term sunshine. The majority of the populace, male and female, wear
muted, often dark colours - grey, browns and blacks. Anybody wearing
anything in a loud colour like sunshine yellow, puce or shocking pink
will stand out like a beacon.
The typical picture the locals have of American (and other) tourists
is loud i.e. trousers or shorts with big checks, bright shirts,
baseball caps for the Jets or Yankees, expensive brand name trainers
and hi-tech video equipment that hasn't reached Irish shops yet. If
you want to blend in, avoid all of the above.
Are you visiting town or country?
If town, go for smart and casual. What you'll get away with depends on
your age.
Young urban Dubliners are as up to date as anybody in the Western
World, so anything not too outrageous would pass muster, but to be
safe, think black, brown or grey in natural fibres eg black leather
shoes, grey twill trousers (although cotton chinos seemed to be all
the rage the last time I was in Dublin), black T-shirt or thin
pullover, and a black woolen jacket or coat. (Something similar to
Angel in the TV series actually. He may be a couple of hundred years
old, but he is Irish)
Older Dubliners go for a kind of faded grandeur look - rumpled but
expensive suits and collarless shirts seem to be de-rigeur for
intellectuals, or blue jeans, white T-Shirt and brown leather jacket
if you are trying to reclaim lost youth. But a three piece suit with
open collar seems to be almost a uniform for anyone between twenty and
forty. Again though, think muted, natural, fibres and you can't go
wrong.
Out in the country, if you want to be taken seriously, you've got to
look like you're ready for the weather. Country folk giggle inwardly
at tourists in sneakers trying to pick their way through puddles,
marsh and cow dung. (Not only is Ireland wet - it has a lot of cows)
Sensible walking shoes are the order of the day, and hard wearing
clothes that can take being rubbed against damp wood and stone. A lot
of older country folk favour thick wool trousers and coats, but unless
you buy one already worn in you'll stand out from the locals. It's
probably best to go for a good quality all weather jacket, (but
nothing too bright remember) and a decent pair of trousers suitable
for walking in during all weathers.
In summary then, stick with muted colours in natural fibres. Go for
hard wearing clothes that are made to last. And one last tip. Wear
them in before travelling so that you're comfortable in them.
And remember, you may want to proclaim your tourist credentials. In
some parts of Ireland they take great pride in their "diaspora" and
will quiz you mercilessly looking for a family connection while plying
you with Guinness and whisky. At these times it sometimes help to play
the innocent traveller.
Of course, the best way of all to blend in would be to actually buy
your clothing from an Irish store.
A|Wear are a large Irish online fashion store with a wide range of
current Irish fashions
http://www.a-wear.ie/pages/home.htm
Fashions from Ireland are an online store with a lot of good country
wear (and a lot of great Irish links to help the traveller)
http://www.shopirishwithmoytura.com/fashion/
Terry Eagleton has written a great book that tells visitors "exactly"
what to expect in comparison to what they "might" expect
The Truth About the Irish by Terry Eagleton Paperback, ISBN
1902602072.
http://www.celticlinks.com/cgi-bin/cl/20131.html
There's a wealth of information at the official Irish Tourist
Information site
http://www.ireland.travel.ie/home/
Google Searches
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22Irish+fashion%22
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22Irish+travel%22 |
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