Saint Patrick who?

Saint Patrick’s Day is the Irish national holiday, which has come to be celebrated throughout the world. The Irish culture, which was spread mostly with the help of Irish Pubs, which these days can be found in most major cities of the world, has captured the attention of so many, that the Irish national day has entered the International calendar.

The holiday is named obviously after Saint Patrick, who was born in AD 387 in Britain, just south of Hadrian ’s Wall. At that time, that area was part of the Roman Empire. In his early teens, Patrick was captured by Irish pagans and was taken to Ireland, where he was enslaved for a period of six years. However, Patrick started to like the spirit of the Irish. When he finally escaped from Ireland and returned to his family, he promised that he would one day return to the land of Éire.

Patrick studied at different monasteries on the continent was ordained a priest and afterwards a bishop. Pope Celestine I named Patrick to be an apostle to Ireland.

In Ireland, Patrick was faced with much hardship among the pagans, especially the druids. They were not open to handing up their power and their old religion and were fearful of Patrick and Christianity. However, Patrick converted many of the monarch’s family members, but he did not convert King Laoghaire, who was the ruling monarch. Patrick traveled from town to town, converting people and establishing the Catholic Church. By the year AD 444, the primatial see and the first cathedral of Ireland had been erected in Armagh.

Patrick drew thousands of people to the Catholic Church, he ordained priests, built schools and monasteries. In the end, Patrick managed to convert the whole Irish island in less than 30 years.

During his old years, he wrote a work called “Confessions”, in which he gave a record of his life, before dying on March 17, 461. He is buried in present-day Northern Ireland, in Downpatrick.

Saint Patrick is associated with many symbols and stories that have entered the global conscience. It was said that he used the three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity to the people he converted, which is why the shamrock is such a common Saint Patrick’s Day symbol. According to a legend, Saint Patrick managed to drive all the snakes out of Ireland, which were a symbol for the pagans. This is why, even today, he is invoked in relation to the fear of snakes and snakebites. Saint Patrick is one of the most revered saints in the Catholic Church, he is the patron saint of many dioceses throughout the English-speaking world and of engineers and 17 March is the date which celebrates Ireland and its patron saint.

 

 

Celebrate Saint Patrick in Style

The national Irish holiday has turned into a world-wide event: people are taking parts in parades, they have parties in Irish pubs with Irish music and dances and they dress up in green.

Dressing up for Saint Patrick’s Day can be fun without being costume-y or weird. Unless you are part of a show or a parade, there is no reason you should put on a leprechaun costume, a t-shirt that qualifies you as a drunk or a garment that is so bright, you might be mistaken for a stop sign.

It is most recommended not to get gimmicky on Saint Patrick. The best tip that can be given when it comes to dressing up for Saint Patrick’s is to wear only clothes you will feel comfortable wearing any other day of the year.

Here are some ideas on how to wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day:

 

A jacket

 

 

 

A jacket is a great fashion statement if you want to stand out on Saint Patrick’s Day. It is useful, stylish and it makes a statement. A jacket is the perfect thing to wear if you will be spending Saint Patrick’s Day outside, enjoying a parade or an outdoors concert. If the weather is warm, you can unbutton or take it off and put it on your shoulders, and if the weather gets chilly, you can button it up. Either way, the style statement is there.

 

A shirt

 

 

 

If you will be spending Saint Patrick’s Day in an indoors environment, a shirt is a great alternative to a cookie t-shirt. A SPD shirt does not necessarily have to have shamrocks, leprechauns or harps on it to say “Saint Patrick’s Day”. A nice green and white pattern can make a subtle and stylish point.

 

Accessories

 

 

 

Accessories are wonderful way to express your personality and style. Putting on some green accessories on Saint Patrick’s, such as a green bow tie, a pair of green and orange socks or elegant bow tie, can make any outfit festive. Just make sure that your accessories are proportionate to your body (bigger men should wear bigger accessories and smaller men should wear smaller ones) and that they are environment-appropriate. For example, shiny ties and bow ties should be reserved only for settings such the theater or a ball, while more matte and more colorful accessories are more appropriate for casual environments, such as a pub or a community center.

Moreover, if you wish to express your fondness of the holiday through metallic accessories, such as a pair of clover-shaped pair of cufflinks, remember that metals are neutral, which means that they can be matched to any color and to any other metal. It is OK to wear both silver and gold at the same time.

 

 

The color green

The color most associated with Saint Patrick’s Day is of course the color green. As we all know from the song, there are 40 shades of green and it’s hard not to find one that suits you well. Green goes with colors such as purple, blue, orange or any of the neutrals (black, gray, white, ivory, khaki, tan, dark blue, such as the jeans shade).

 

 

 

However, if you can’t pull off green, there are more ways you can hint to green. This Missioni t-shirt is a great example of how you can do that. Wearing something that mixes colors that give an overall green impression is something that can be achieved.

Also, if you can’t wear green, but still want to, you can put on something teal. Almost everyone looks great in teal.

As a bonus tip, we know that many people believe that people with red hair don’t look in green. Just to clarify, that is wrong. Green goes great on people with any shade of red hair!

 

 

If you dress up sharply and Irish for Saint Patrick’s Day, you might just have a lucky day, from a sartorial point of view, at least. Saint Patrick is all about celebrating the culture of one of the world’s most popular countries, so celebrating it in style is essential. Enjoy your beer, the tap dance and find a four-leaved clover!

 

Fraquoh and Franchomme

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Do you celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day? How? What do you put on on this day? Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!