Offering No.II to Aneurin: wearing my Welsh Lady costume for work and play

Traditional Welsh Lady costume at work

I am enduring the sharp scratching itchiness of Welsh wool in Aneurin Bevan's honour. I am immediately transported to my comp school days. As I went to a first language Welsh comprehensive in the Tawe Valleys it was compulsory for us to wear a sea blue and green welsh wool skirt. A sign of our patriotism, the girls would wear this itchy garment as a traditional symbol, akin to a kilt, displaying exactly who you belonged to.

The upside of this school skirt: It would shrink and you could write quotes for exams on the lining

The downside of this school skirt: It would shrink

This traditional Welsh costume was originally a bed coat worn over a petticoat, with an apron tied over it. It became popular in the Welsh rural areas in the 1700's. The ladies of Wales took a fancy to the tall hats favoured by English gentlemen and decided to adopt it as part of their dress. This was worn over a lace mop cap.

Ive lost my hat this year.

I enjoy the idea of the Welsh women not understanding that these hats were gender specific. This costume also features heavily in the Rebbecca Riots of 1800's, where groups of men, dressed in women's clothing would attack tollbooths in protest of the high cost to cross into different Welsh counties. I feel that Aneurin would have approved of such activity as he was an active leader of the trade Unions before joining Parliament.