Banríon Dierdre's Traditional Irish Léine

Through the misty veil of Éire came a people curiously dressed in wide sleeved robes of deep saffron.

Céad Mile Fáilte! The history of the Léine (Irish for "Shirt" or "Tunic") is a long one and open to much interpretation. Worn by the women of both Ireland and Scotland as an outer garment, the léine varied in length from the lower calf in early medieval times to the upper thigh in the 16th century. Longer léines were often open in the front, and all leine's were worn pleated with a belt at the waist. Moreover, léines share the curious feature of having bagged sleeves. Serving as ideal pockets for gathering and storage, the bagged sleeves eventually lost this function in Renaissance times and became primarily ornamental.

Our léine is based on paintings and woodcuts from the 15th - 17th centuries. It is pictured here in light-weight cotton (recommended for hot climates or those wearing under heavy dresses), but also comes available in your choice of heavy cotton, linen, and silk noil (contact us for availability of colors in silk). Traditionally, the léine was wrought of white or saffron (yellow) linen, but green and red silks were also common in later periods. Longer léines were worn much like a Japanese kimono, being open in the front, heavily pleated at the waist, and hanging just past the calf. One advantage of this style of léine is the ability to gather excess material over a belt into a bagged "pocket" to hastily store personal belongings. For those who prefer this style of léine, please choose this customization in the drop down menu below.

Our Gaelic léine (pictured) is a gathered scoop design. The sleeves measure approximately 20 inches from top-of-shoulder to hem. The leine's length from back-of-neck to bottom hem is 56” long but you may select your length. The body is extremely wide to allow for pleating at the waist and is extremely comfortable to wear. This Irish léine is the perfect way to round out your Gaelic persona. These Celtic gowns are equally at home with a Scottish arisaidh or an Irish overskirt! Misty Thicket is proud of the sturdy construction we provide in our garments and our léine is no exception! All seams have been serged and the hems finished to provide you with years of wear.