In Honor of St. Patrick’s Day: A Bit About Irish Fashion

English professor Mary Burke discusses the success of Irish fashion exports to post-World War II America.

An oil on canvas portrait of First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, painted by Aaron Shikler.

In a new article, Mary Burke, associate professor of English, traces the success of Irish fashion exports to post-World War II America. Popularity of the textiles increased following the release of the film “The Quiet Man,” noted for its lush depiction of the Irish countryside.

Burke, who directs the Honors Program and the Irish Literature Concentration, is a specialist in modern and contemporary Irish writing. Her teaching and research in Irish literature stresses the broad context of Irish culture and history.

In this UConn 360 podcast, Burke discusses her recently published cover article for The Journal of Design History titled “The Cottage, the Castle, and the Couture Cloak: ‘Traditional’ Irish Fabrics and ‘Modern’ Irish Fashions in America, c. 1952–1969.”

 

Listen to the podcast.

 

For full episodes of the UConn 360 podcast, visit uconn.edu/uconn360-podcast.