On Wool and Linen (Context is Everything)

I was recently reading Mairead Dunlevy's book Dress in Ireland for a literature review. One of the seemingly inconsequential details that stood out to me is such a small detail that it took me 20 minutes to find it again. This article was originally part of my literature review, but I split it off since it was clear I was no longer reviewing Dress in Ireland, and had some thoughts I needed to get down on paper.

It is mentioned in the "The Sixteenth Century" chapter of Dress in Ireland that it is possible that the custom of using saffron as a dye came to Ireland "from Spain, a hot country where it was used in preventing 'that evil which cometh of much sweating and long wearing of linen'."[1] This was quite an interesting detail to me because it adds a potential extra reason for the prevalence of wool in clothing. Certainly this "evil" that came from wearing too much linen in Spain does not trump the affordability, warmth, and overall practicality of wearing wool in Ireland and other northern countries. That said, it is not unlikely that wool came to be seen as a wholesome material fit for good, sturdy clothing while a more finicky material like linen could bring disease upon the wearer if worn too often. Certainly in an area like Ireland, a person would likely catch a chill in winter if their only clothing were linen. Having a cultural association between wool and wholesomeness would add a dimension to fabric choice and could change the message sent by clothing. To sum up:

Wool:

• Advantages: cheap, affordable, warm, water-resistant, sturdy, produced locally, wholesome
• Disadvantages: occasionally uncomfortable, potential association with lower classes

Linen:

• Advantages: light, softens with age, fashionable, often imported, potential association with upper classes
• Disadvantages: cold in winter, expensive, less protective, can't wear as often (brings about "evils")

It should be noted that the advantages and disadvantages as categorized here are not set in stone. Locally produced vs imported goods, class association, fashionability, and affordability are all characteristics that may or may not be preferred by certain groups. Most of the people I know, for example, prefer locally-produced sturdy clothing over fashionable imports because they want to be seen as hard-working, practical people who support the local or national economy. In other circles, imported fashions and expensive tailoring are preferred because they show that the wearer is able to afford such things. In late medieval Ireland, wearing English or Irish styles became a political statement that showed the wearer's acceptance or rejection of English rule.

The "evil which cometh of [...] much wearing of linen" gave me a strong reminder of how important it is to consider context when studying fashion. Fashion is so closely tied to culture that it is arguably impossible to fully understand without a strong knowledge of the culture (and subculture) that wore it, in addition to things like history, origin, and how that culture and its groups viewed the fashion. Imagine if, in 400 years, someone concluded that people all over the world in the late 20th century all wore ripped black clothing covered in decorative safety pins. It would be an example of a unique subculture's fashion trend, in this case punk culture, being mistaken as the prevalent or accepted fashion of an entire society, completely ignoring the specific message sent by such a trend. Thus, I restate this as much for myself as for anyone else: context is everything!


[1] Dunlevy pg 54. Originally sourced from Edmund Spencer's A view of the State of Ireland written dialogue-wise between Eudoxus and Irenaeus, intro., James Ware, Marlborough, 1809, pp.101