A Grandfather shirt or Granddad shirt is a long-sleeved flannel or brushed cotton collarless shirt worn throughout Ireland. Traditional shirts are white with coloured vertical stripes. Longer shirts are used as nightshirts or pajamas. The nightshirt version can include a matching nightcap. Most shirts have four buttons. The grandfather shirt and Aran jumper are part of the national costume of Ireland.
The grandfather shirt is also made of Irish linen. The linen version is colloquially known as a Sunday shirt. Sunday shirts are often paired with black trousers or Irish tweed pants and worn to mass, christenings, funerals, and weddings.
In popular culture, a variety of traditional Irish clothing was featured on the BBC series, Ballykissangel and the Irish folk band, The Clancy Brothers were often photographed wearing traditional Irish clothes.
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Famous quotes containing the words grandfather and/or shirt:
“There they lived on, those New England people, farmer lives, father and grandfather and great-grandfather, on and on without noise, keeping up tradition, and expecting, beside fair weather and abundant harvests, we did not learn what. They were contented to live, since it was so contrived for them, and where their lines had fallen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Did Johnny look flashy?
Yes, his white-on-white shirt and tie were luminous.
His trousers were creased like knives to the tops of his shoes
And his yellow straw hat came down to his dark glasses.”
—David Wagoner (b. 1926)