Friday 4 September 2015

Capes & Shawls... an iconic Irish fashion accessory

September is upon and temperatures are gradually tiptoeing south as we move in to the autumnal season. Thoughts are shifting towards suitably warm attire for those chillier autumn evenings and further ahead to the winter months. But the key is to stay warm and cosy but also remain stylish and fashionable while doing so!

The range of celtic capes and shawls from Blarney Woollen Mills are ideal for the everyday woman who desires something Irish designed and Celtic but also chic and fashionable to wear. A wide variety of celtic styled yarns from merino wool to cashmere to blended are available from our newly revamped online Irish giftstore. In short, allow yourself to explore a whole new way to accessorize!

Celtic Cape from blarney.com
The cape or cloak may have its roots in our historical past, but it wasn't until former Irish President Patrick Hillery and his wife Dr Maeve Hillery really introduced the clothing item to a wider audience during the recent times. The former president was often spotted sporting a caped coat or shoulder-cape which gave him a sense of character and prestige on the world stage.

The President's wife, Maeve, tended to be the more fashion savvy of the two and greater success doning the cape. She wore a cape – belted, in gold-flecked, hand-dyed, hand-woven tweed – to her husband’s inauguration in 1976. For the occasion she chose gold to match the predominantly blue with gold décor of St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, where the inauguration took place. This was the first of many capes she was to wear as first lady.

The 1960's and 70's proved to be a high point for the popularity of Capes as they were seen as an extremely fashionable celtic clothing accessories during this period. So popular was the cape that may of Ireland’s then leading designers, such as Neillí Mulcahy, Ib Jorgensen and Sybil Connolly sought to include them in their collections of Irish women's clothing.

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