Irish fashion: bright, vulgar, sick. School costume How to sew an Irish dance dress

Each nationality has its own traditional national costume. You won't find a single similar dress in the world. What is the national dress of the Irish?

A bit of history

The Irish national costume is one of those traditional variants of national clothing that causes a lot of controversy and doubt. In fact, for about 300 years there has been no such attire - this is history. In the modern world, it can only be found in various theatrical performances and as decorations for dancers performing folk dances.

The history of the formation of the national clothes of the people of Ireland can be traced back to approximately the 6th century. Initially, the Irish dressed in long linen shirts, over which they wore floor-length woolen cloaks of a spacious style. The main distinguishing feature of such raincoats is the presence of a voluminous hood.

Wealthier strata of society could afford to wear another shorter one over a long shirt. The second shirt was predominantly made of fine linen or even silk. A feature of the second shirt, which emphasized the status position of a person in society, is embroidery of varying complexity in the upper part of the garment. At the same time, the country had a ban on the free use of various color combinations in embroidery. Almost every Irishman was designated exactly which colors and in what quantity he can use in his robes.

Such a gradation directly depended on the position of a person in society, as well as on the type and scope of his activity. Accordingly, the clothes of rich people had brighter and more colorful elements that distinguished them from the rest of the mass.

Over time, the national Irish costume has undergone many changes and has completely ceased to be similar to its original version.

As the centuries passed, the Irish costume became more European.

Peculiarities

As a result of various changes that the national clothes of the native Irish have undergone, the traditional style of the national costume has been practically lost.

First, pants appear as the main element of the national costume. At the same time, they entered the life of the Irish thanks to navigators. Over time, the sweater has become another characteristic element of the Irish national costume. Its appearance, in fact, is due to the characteristic cool damp air and climate of this region. Sweaters of that time were white or gray, knitted by hand. Their distinguishing feature is braids in the form of arans.(from the name of the Aran Islands, since the history of these sweaters began precisely from these islands). Also, another feature of sweaters is the presence of ornaments containing in their design the initials or personal signs of the person who wore this type of clothing.

Irish culture and traditions came under the large-scale influence of European countries, in particular, the period of English rule in original Ireland played a special role. At that time, bans were introduced on various national elements that filled the culture and life of the indigenous population of Ireland. That is why, to this day, the Irish national costume has come in a completely different interpretation.

Now he was a more modern attire, characteristic of the general European style:

• plain kilt skirt (most often the skirt was made of orange fabrics);
• white or light shirt without a collar;
• warm loose or baggy sweater;
• an elongated jacket or jacket made of dense matter;
• large cloth beret.

At the same time, it is worth noting the fact that Irish clothes, which went down in history as a national costume, are characterized by the predominance of bright green.

Outfit Description

Like any clothing, the traditional Irish national costume eventually divided into women's and men's styles.

Unfortunately, very little information has survived to this day regarding how authentically the outfits for women looked. There is an assumption that a bright green dress was an obligatory element of the women's costume. His style favorably emphasized the chest and waistline, and a flared skirt went down, which could be either just green or striped.

For men's attire, two sets of outfits were characteristic. The first option was a suit consisting of a jacket and trousers. Wearing a black tie was considered mandatory. And the second version of traditional clothing for Irish men was more extravagant, as instead of trousers, the Irish used striped or plaid kilt skirts.

The main colors of the national clothes of the people of Ireland are green, black and orange.

Since Irish dancing is slightly less than entirely made up of girls, naturally, the market for the tailoring and sale of fine dresses for consumer goods developed no less actively than the dances themselves. Sorry, not in the same direction.

What beautiful costumes used to be sewn:

Or here is a simpler suit, but also neat, warm and lamp-like, evoking only positive emotions:

Or, incredibly neatly and aesthetically, I want to come up and run my hand over this accordion from the folds, take a closer look at the pattern on the chest:

Of course, there were also simpler children's options for a more modest wallet, altered from some overcoats, but simplicity is not bad:

And then something suddenly went wrong. Either all the old designers suddenly returned home to Mars, or something else, but for some reason the situation has changed dramatically for the worse. And every year the locomotive of design picked up speed, rushing down the slope of the mountain of good taste.

At first, there were some indistinct crafts made from cheap materials, some kind of incomprehensible kaleidoscope of colors:

It was all a long time ago, and for a while there was a lull. When I started dancing, most of the dresses looked like the last two photos above. And then the United States and Ireland discovered the Chinese market for fabrics and rhinestones, and a few more tons of coal were thrown into the infernal furnace, which is still burning, it seems that a chain reaction has already begun.

There is a Vkontakte group Irimoda, where Aldoshina, in her free time from stealing my domains, collects the most hellish star, which only the dress tailoring industry produces. Well, at least that's what I tell myself. Sometimes reposts from there slip through my feed, I wipe away bloody tears and think, for example: “What kind of dress is this to emphasize pumped up chest and shoulders?”

Or here, the dream of a pimp:

And here is a video where dancers dance well, but we don’t care about dancing today, we are interested in fashion. We look at a boy with a pink belly and a pink backpack behind his back, dancing in the middle.

Sometimes it seems to me that they order: “Make me a suit!”, they are told: “OK, you have 1,500 euros”, they transfer money, they sew some kind of outrageous shit for them, but they cannot refuse, because according to an old tradition It is not customary to return money for low-quality goods to all fashion sellers. So they dance, pretending that this is a great art.

How much Dontsova needs to be smoked and Malysheva needs to be reconsidered for this to start to seem acceptable:

Why so traumatize the psyche of children?

They were not taught at school why a zebra has such a coloring:

Just a scribe

Kill me:

Do you want big shoulders and arms like Arnie?

What kind of cage is in the center and on the sleeves? Louis Wooton bag cut open? Why can't you stop when everything is already good?

Well, discussing attributes is generally a thankless task. The students must be delighted. They will grow up and become designers.

Collective farm, of course, from everywhere or a photo session "How to surprise the audience even more?". I am sure that the super-famous fashion designer Gavin is just incredibly thick trolling the public. I can't allow anyone to earn money by seriously releasing such a bloody hell (although the white dress on the left is still nothing):

Competition "Which is worse?"

Kura (buee):

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Maybe they didn’t have such markers in childhood?

Men's suits are a different story. But in the same scenario. If your costume doesn't look like you run a small brothel in Chicago or like you just came from a gay parade in Amsterdam, then you're a sucker.

All photos are stolen from the above group, so you've probably seen them all. Every second dress can be safely thrown away from there. Luckily, there are really decent options out there, but there are so few of them that they get lost among clone dresses from Elevation or freak dresses from most other designers.

In Russia, they make a very worthy design, although they do not always sew very high quality (dresses often do not sit well on dancers or behave badly during the dance itself), but the prices of our fashion designers are not boorish yet. In my posts with fashion, I usually try to choose those photos where not only the dancer is good, but also the dress is worthy.

Of course, we also do terrible design, and such that all of the above will seem like baby talk. I'm not talking about inexpensive independent crafts, we are talking about purposefully sewn by a familiar seamstress according to a unique sketch and promoted everywhere. Unfortunately, for ethical reasons and corny because of the fear of death, I will not show these dresses, but who knows me closely and is aware of it. But maybe someday I will collect enough material and still show it to you. After all, why not.

Well, yes, my costume is, of course, beautiful. Here, enjoy it again:

Today, the look of dancers is defined by tradition and modern fashion trends in equal measure (http://www.elevationdesign.ie/collection/). Recently, the costume for Irish dances is more and more reminiscent of the costumes of figure skaters and sports ballroom dancers. This is due, first of all, to the complication of the dance program itself and the greater convenience of such costumes. But no one limits your imagination: you can create a dream dress for yourself. The only current restriction concerns the style of the dress. There are a number of simple but strict rules for tailoring a costume, adopted by the WIDA commission and published on the commission's website (see translation http://danceirish.ru/?content=news&act=c&page=54&cat=3&scat=0). As for decorations (all sorts of beads, rhinestones, embroidery, fabric appliqués, lacing and much more), colors, fabrics - here each dancer can choose what he likes. Of particular interest are dresses designed in a certain style, for example, in the “old school” style, referring to the history of dance. The dress can resemble the plumage of birds, costumes of movie characters or images of past eras with its pattern and colors. Many dancers are creative in creating their costume and do not spare time and effort for this. Sewing a dress can become a kind of hobby: you can change costumes as often as you want. But this applies only to the so-called solo dresses. It is possible to perform at competitions (fesh) in such a dress only at the levels of "Intermediate" (3rd level of complexity) and "Open" (4th and highest level of complexity). For men, the solo costume is usually a shirt, trousers, and vest with a tie, decorated as the dancer wishes. Some choose the traditional kilt instead of trousers, which, however, is more characteristic of Scottish dances. Dancers of the first two levels ("Beginner", "Primary") perform in school dresses, the same for all representatives of the same dance school or studio. Such dresses are created by the coach and all the dancers of the school together. They are distinguished by a simpler cut and a limited number of decorations, because such a dress should suit everyone and be in the wardrobe of every school dancer. The male version of the school costume most often consists of a shirt, trousers and a vest made of the same fabric as women's dresses. Usually the school finds its own recognizable pattern, which is repeated on all school costumes. The colors are also usually the same. Such costumes are also necessary for collective performances: during the performance of the Keili dances, the team must not only be technically well-coordinated, but also look the same. The Irish dancer's costume necessarily includes white poodle socks (from the English “poodle socks”, see the translation http://d-scal.livejournal.com/271827.html for the name), which were designed specifically for Irish dances. These are thick cotton socks, the height of which can be 15-30 cm. Such socks look especially impressive with soft and hard shoes, drawing attention to the legs. If desired, you can replace poodle socks with opaque black tights. There are also poodle socks in other colors (but you can’t dance in competitions in such socks). Hair for the duration of performances is usually removed in a ponytail or left loose. You can decorate your hair with a headband in the color of the dress, a hairpin or a small tiara. Most dancers prefer to wear traditional Irish dance wigs, which are full, medium-length wigs with fine, bouncy curls. In its modern form, the wig can be represented by a long tail or a miniature bun. When it comes to makeup, there are no restrictions. For a dancer, entering the stage is a celebration that requires some preparation. The costume should be thought out in advance. If you are participating in fashion for the first time, you may not need a special dress: for adult performers, there are a number of alternative and more affordable options: “turtleneck (shirt) + skirt”, “turtleneck + sundress” for women and “shirt + trousers (+ tie )" for men. Children's costumes are subject to stricter restrictions (see rules). It is important to remember that not everything will look good from the viewer's point of view. But fashion and performances are perhaps the best opportunity to wear what you have always dreamed of.

If your child wants to do Irish dancing, there are two things you need to remember. Firstly, dancing in itself is an expensive thing.
Secondly, half of the costs depend on you personally.
In your first year at any school, you will be asked to purchase dance shoes. Depending on the requirements of the teacher, these can be Czechs,
ballet shoes or irish shoes. Czechs, as a rule, are not welcome (they do not show if the child is pulling fingers). Ballet shoes cost 200-400 rubles, enough for 3-4 months,
sometimes longer. Leather shoes (jazz shoes, leather ballerinas, Irish shoes) can last a year or two, but as a rule, they lose their appearance after 7-8 months.
There are no special rules at the initial stage of shoe training. And you can practice and perform in ordinary ballet flats. Of course, the Irish look much prettier,
but they are also more expensive - from 1000 rubles per pair, and usually they need to be ordered, they are not available for free sale in Russia.
Each manufacturer has its own models, and if you or your child has a "difficult" foot, then you may need to change 3-4 pairs before you find "your" shoes.
In Russia, the majority - Irish, or "software" company Pacelli, one of the most famous firms with a global level. The students at our school mostly wear Boynewalk shoes.
In appearance, all models are similar and differ in minor details of cut and texture, little noticeable to an outsider.
After six months or a year, you will be asked to purchase "hard" shoes. The basic models of almost all companies cost around 80 euros, i.е. about 3000 rubles. They usually bend flat, you can't get up in them.
on the fingers, the heels are not convex, the heels are not very sonorous. it is assumed that for the first two years of studying hard dances this is quite enough, and those who wish to achieve a good level
after a while, these stepovkas are demolished and they will order more expensive ones, depending on specific wishes (more sonorous, or softer, or for a wide foot, etc.) Expensive models
The cost of "elite" boots can reach up to 6,000 rubles or more. As a rule, all companies have representative offices on the Internet, some shoes can also be bought at fashion stores,
where the so-called feis shop often operate.
If you can do without Irish women if you wish, then you won’t be able to do without step dances. Boots for American tap or flamenco are completely different, so it's best to order the right shoes right away.
Now many beginners prefer to take second-hand shoes: it's cheaper (a pair costs 1000-2000 rubles), they don't need to be broken in and you can't go wrong with the size when ordering.
Those who wish (usually those who have been practicing for several years and plan to dance a lot and often) sometimes order dance sneakers, they are denser than soft shoes, but without heels.
In sneakers, you can rehearse both soft and hard dances, but they are not recommended for beginners, as many nuances of dance technique become invisible or inaudible.

The next expense item is dancewear. You can wear anything to class, if your school has a special dress code, you will be told this in the first lesson.
Usually they are asked to dress the child so that the knees are visible: shorts, short skirts, tight trousers, etc. Girls often dance in choreographed leotards with chiffon skirts, as in classical choreography.

For performances at competitions at the initial level, it is not necessary to sew a chic dress. The most convenient option is a blouse or turtleneck with long sleeves and a sundress for girls, trousers + shirt + vest for boys.
In the WIDA commission, children dance in branded WIDA T-shirts, girls are required to have a green skirt, boys have a T-shirt + trousers.

For the primary level, the same suit or school dress that you may be offered to sew will do. Usually the school has its own seamstresses, or parents, together with the teacher, come up with a style and sew on their own,
these are the most ordinary dresses according to standard patterns, only the same for the whole group and, of course, elegant. Dresses are decorated with embroidery, or laid out cord patterns, or lace collars - there are a lot of options,
the rules apply only to the length of the skirt and sleeves. (As well as the lack of cutouts on the skirt, back, sleeves and closed collarbones). A dress can cost from 1000 rubles to infinity.

If you want to sew a solo traditional Irish dress for your child (of course, this applies only to girls, boys can only be "decorated" with a variety of ties and vests, well, or kilts that are out of fashion), then this
can cost from 4,000 to 20,000. Prices vary greatly, in addition, I know many mothers who calmly sew even the most elaborate dresses with ruffles and wedges for their children.
Let me remind you that the "princess" dress is completely optional. At no level will you be kicked out if you dance in a skirt and blouse, and if you dance beautifully, you will be given places as expected, according to the rules, you can’t take points for lack of a costume.
Another thing is that everyone wants to show off, and competitions are a great occasion to sew a new dress!

A complete Irish costume for a girl consists of shoes, white socks of a special style (they cost about 250 rubles per pair), a dress, panties under the dress (often they are sewn together with a dress made of fabric, for example, a lining), tiaras and a wig.
a wig is also a completely optional element and is only designed to save you time if, say, the competition is early in the morning, and the child does not want to sleep on curlers. The diadem is designed to support the "princess" of the costume, it does not play any other role.
Boys do not wear wigs or tiaras.

In addition to the cost of training and equipment, your budget will include an expense item for competitions. They usually take place 2-3 times a year (in Russia), and in the first year of study, if the teacher advises you to perform, this pleasure will cost a maximum of 20 euros (4 dances of 5 euros each).
Sometimes schools also exhibit team dances, participation in one costs 3 euros. Of course, the further you go, the more expensive, because there are more dances, but since "won" dances cannot be re-danced, the amount will rarely exceed 2000, at least until you get to the open level.

The total is obtained, the initial set of the dancer:
300 r. ballet shoes
700 r. the simplest form (you can get by with your existing wardrobe)
3000 rubles stepovka (optional in the first year of study)
2000 r. participation in two competitions.
2000 r. simple school dress for performances.

Total 8000 rubles per year.

What other costs might there be?
Firstly, the competition may not take place in your city. That is, plus the road, hotel, food.
Secondly, many schools organize mandatory master classes for their official teachers. For example, Ronan Morgan visits our school every month, Shane Maccavinchi and Mary Sweeney visit Tir na Nog, Teresa Rooney visits Rooney-Iridan. Master classes are definitely useful and are recommended for visiting,
especially if you're serious about doing it. Classes of foreign teachers are more expensive, Russian ones are cheaper, since you do not have to pay for a visa and a flight from Europe. In some schools, this is included in the monthly fee (as, for example, in Mirkwood), in some, money is collected additionally for specific classes.
Thirdly, many teachers recommend that their students take graduation exams. Usually this is one exam every six months, at a cost of 600 to 1000 rubles (depending on the gradation number, the further - the more expensive).
Fourthly, as in other types of dance, students can perform on stage with show numbers. Costumes for them are often sewn at the expense of the performers, in addition, if the ensemble participates in choreographic festivals, participants are asked to pay a charitable contribution (400-800 rubles per person).
It is clear that it is not a pity to spend money on your favorite business, and many do not skimp on dresses, trips and participation in master classes.

But always remember: if all of a sudden you want to do it simply because you like Irish dancing, and financial difficulties make you count every penny - don't give up what you love.
Indeed, in general, it is enough to have a pair of ballet shoes that are not very full of holes. By the way, you can just darn them.