Celtic Costumes

Renaissance-inspired Costumes

Probably the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Celtic costumes is something of the style you would wear at a Renaissance fair.

There are many different options for maidens and men who want to bring an Irish flair to their Renaissance fair characters. Traditional Irish costumes for women consist of an overdress made of cotton or velvet over a cotton skirt and top or one-piece dress.

These dresses can be quite plain as a peasant would have worn, or they can be quite elaborate and made of plush fabrics like velvet and silk. Additional accessories that can fancy up a dress include wrist bracers, sashes, and underskirts made of satin or other fancy fabrics.

For men, the basic frock and dark pants is a classic in the Irish costume category just as it is found in the rest of Europe. Men may also wear white shirts with colorful vests, and those who don't mind showing a bit of leg can even wear kilts if they like.

Irish Dance Costumes

Another popular genre of Celtic costumes is found in the realm of Irish dance costumes. These dresses can vary widely in color, fabric and theme, but traditionally have long sleeves and short, flaring skirts that enable the legs to move freely. The dresses you'll find today often have a lot of ornamentation, embroidery or sequins.

These ensembles are usually worn with stockings or long socks and the traditional dancing shoes.

When it comes to men's Celtic costumes for dance, the traditional outfit included a kilt or pants and a jacket along with a short cape hanging from the shoulder. Many Irish dance troupes today break from that tradition and put the men or boys in black pants and a shirt, tie and vest.

Finding Celtic Costumes

You are probably not going to be able to find authentic Celtic costumes at your local costume rental shop or even at the larger online costume stores. While these shops may have fun costumes for St. Patrick's Day, they aren't in any way traditional or indicative of what a true Celtic person might have worn.

Instead, you'll likely have to visit the website of a person who custom designs Celtic clothing to get the right look for your needs. These costumers can often work with you to represent the level of historical accuracy that you need.

For instance, people looking for costumes for a wedding might not need their costumes to be perfectly accurate, while someone performing on stage or being paid to take part in a Renaissance fair needs to have an outfit that is as accurate as possible.

Some places to shop for Celtic costumes online include:

• Very Merry Seamstress, which has a variety of Irish dresses that are made to order from your choice of fabrics and colors.
• Celtic Costumes offers ready-to-wear and custom-made Irish dance costumes, including class costumes for ensembles.
• Tudor Shoppe has a lovely basic Irish maiden's dress perfect for a wedding party.
• Threads of Time has a great collection of offerings, from kilts and wedding wear to outfits for wenches and merchants.

Making Your Own Costumes

Unless you are going for a very simple costume or you are an experienced sewer, it's probably best to stay away from making your own Celtic costumes. There are a lot of details and pieces involved in the fancier garments, not to mention the large investment in fabric that you don't want to mess up.

If, on the other hand, you're just going for a simple tunic outfit, you can probably do that yourself. There are some great patterns and color ideas at Queen Medb Encampment that you can use as a jumping-off point.

Wearing traditional Celtic clothing is a lot of fun, especially if it is part of your heritage. Taking the time and expense to get an accurate costume is just a part of the fun.