Historical Druid Clothing
Depictions of Druids from the Early Revival Period
There is limited information on what the ancient Druids wore. Greco-Roman, Medieval Irish, and later Irish and Scottish folklore sources indicate Druids wore white garments (not robes- this resulted from a mistranslation from the Roman historian Pliny’s account).
There is more data for what the Celts generally wore, and it is likely Druids would have worn a tunic and cape and/or tunic with a skirt. Regardless, there is little definitive evidence about what Druid clothing specifically consisted of.
Starting in the mid 1600’s CE and in the United Kingdom, Revival Druidry visualized their own romanticized versions of what the ancient Druids looked like. They came up with their own style of Druidic garb, which generally included bleached white, full length robes and sometimes the use of a nemyss (a type of ancient Egyptian head covering). (Some Druid orders and the Golden Dawn tradition still use this ‘traditional’ ceremonial clothing.)
The early Revival Druids also believed in and held public rituals (documented with photos in the early 20th C), and currently there are large cultural Gorsedd festivals where participants wear the ‘standard’ Revival white robes.
The slide show in this section shows images of Druids from over 100 years ago, and they are still in common usage. These images don’t accurately reflect the ceremonial garb of most modern Druids, but do illustrate the stereotypes about what Druids wear.
RESOURCES
Druidic Vestments-Llewellyn Encyclopedia. A quick, to the point overview.
‘Celtic’ Clothing (with Greek and Roman Influence) from the Iron Age-a Realistic View Based on What We Know (29 pages). A very nice survey of recent research, with photos.
War, Women, and Druids- Eyewitness Reports and Early Accounts of the Ancient Celts By Philip Freeman. This book looks like it could be a good general resource on the Celts.
Druid Ritual Clothing Today
Do you have to wear a robe as a Druid or to be in a ceremony? No. Many people wear robes to remind themselves that they are about to enter ritual space and time. (But Druids will also often tell you that they can perform ritual without external trappings.)
Some groups will encourage wearing ceremonial clothing for special occasions- like Order anniversaries or initiations. Most of the Druids I’ve come across in the United States are fairly casual, and seldom get concerned about wearing the same ‘uniform’.
Here are some examples of modern Druids in their ceremonial wear, mostly from the last decade in Ireland, the UK, and the United States.
OTHER DRUID ROBES INFO
Symbols of Druid Identity– by Isaac Bonewits (on ADF uses).
Druids and Their Robes – by John Beckett. Several Druids talk about the ‘whats’ and ‘whys’ of our robes.
Ritual Clothing Examples
Challenges of Using ‘Traditional’ Druid Robes in North America
Historical Issues
The white robes many of us wear now has nothing to do with what the original Druids, or ancient to modern Celts wore. So since we don’t have decades of blokes showing up and being photographed at big public rituals like in the UK, people in North America really wonder about us when we wear these robes. It can even be hard to explain to those interested in joining our groups.
Examples:
* The original historic description from Pliny the Elder was that the Druids wore white clothing (not robes), and would likely have been just light colors.
* Subsequent ‘Druid’ robe styles have borrowed heavily from ecclesiactical (church leader) uniforms, themselves mostly of Roman origin.
* Fraternal Druids in the UK still wear the Nemyss (Egyptian head-dress of the Pharaohs), taken from Golden Dawn and other magical orders.
Co-opting of White Robes by Racist Groups
Since the emergence of the second Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in 1915, white robes with or without a hood has developed an association with KKK regalia. The KKK is a white supremacist hate group that mostly wears bleached white robes with pointed head coverings, similar to traditional Druid clothing (white robes with hoods).
Examples:
* Isaac Bonewits – ADF co-founder relayed that decades ago ADF members started wearing white berets so people could find each other at meetings in public places. But they found out the KKK was also wearing white berets, and – “The Mother Grove immediately decided to abandon the use of them, for fear that our folks would be confused with theirs.”
* I live in the southeast US, and our Grove holds open and public rituals in parks for the seasonal festivals. I have personally had a black child give a scared look when seeing my robe (at left), and I don’t want it to happen again. So unless I am at a Druid only gathering, I will not wear a white robe again at our public rituals.
* KKK Members have also been showing up without hoods, and related groups are sporting white polo shirts. (Look at groups 1, 4, and 5 at this site listing extremist clothing.)
Mis-appropriation of Other Cultures
Most of the clothing suggestions in the next section happen to be found across cultures, but many try to add other elements to their Druid outfits. If you adopt the elements of a culture other than your own- especially as part of a dominant culture over a subjugated culture- this can be exploitation or even a form of desecration. This would be antithetical to the intent of ritual garb. We are post-colonial and rich in the cultures of those that have come to North America, we can be aware and figure this out.
Examples:
* In some areas if you wear white clothing and a white head covering that could be seen as copying followers of Voudon or related African diaspora traditions.
* If you are of European descent in the US and wear Native American leggings, with a rawhide drum, burning white sage, by a Plains teepee, and doing a sweat lodge with Lakota words for your ‘spiritual’ practice that would be an extreme example of misappropriation. (See the 1993 Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality to see how angry one large group of tribes and bands is about this issue.)
* Some have even raised issues of appropriation for those with Celtic heritage (itself a difficult concept) here in the US.
Finding Your Ritual Clothing
Robes tend to be fuller in the body, so the drape of your fabric will be important.
Let’s Make a Simple Ritual Robe and How to Make a Robe Without Even Sewing
McCalls 3789- Medieval Wizard Robe / Jedi Tunic
Butterick B5626 – Unisex Robe and Collar. Out of production- search online for sellers.
McCalls 4627 – Knights Templar /Monk Robe (Monk’s robe with or w/o hood, capelet, and tabard)
Mcall’s M2339 – Christmas Robe (includes simple men’s tunics & open tunic)
McCall’s M4091 -Misses’ Chemise In 2 Lengths (an interpretation of an Irish leine). Out of production- search online for sellers.
Tunics & Tabards tend to be slimmer in the body, so fit is important.
One easy way to make a tunic: use one of your loose t-shirts as a pattern for your tunic.
Echna’s Celtic Re-Enactments Pinterest page – information on leines, cloaks, tunics, etc.
How to Make A Quick & Easy Tabard or T-Tunic– by Vaargard Malorius
McCall’s M5683 (2008) – Misses’/Men’s Medieval tabard and tunic. Out of production- search to find sellers.
Period patterns #16– Tunics
McCalls 2665- Mens Medieval/Reniassance slightly fuller tunic, vest, pants
Cloaks are very full, and work best with fabrics that drape well and are heavier in weight.
MoiRandall – 1300 – 1900 Cape Collection
Period Impressions – 1770’s Cloak with hood
McCalls 3339 – Medieval Wizard Robe & Cloak
Simplicity 9887 – Medieval Robe/Cloak
Shirts, vests, jerkins (like long fitted vests, some with sleeves), and the like can be layered.
Butterick 4828- Men’s Medieval Doublet & Shirt
A do it yourself open long maxi vest
Using a large pinned shawl for several styles of wrap tunic, etc.
An online search for ‘Druid robes for sale’ now yields many sources of ritual wear.
You can also search for tunics, robes, tabards, etc. Suppliers can also be found on venues like Etsy or Ebay, where they are more likely to make you a custom piece.
- ROBES
Robes tend to be fuller in the body, so the drape of your fabric will be important.Let’s Make a Simple Ritual Robe and How to Make a Robe Without Even Sewing
McCalls 3789- Medieval Wizard Robe / Jedi Tunic
Butterick B5626 – Unisex Robe and Collar. Out of production- search online for sellers.
McCalls 4627 – Knights Templar /Monk Robe (Monk’s robe with or w/o hood, capelet, and tabard)
Mcall’s M2339 – Christmas Robe (includes simple men’s tunics & open tunic)
McCall’s M4091 -Misses’ Chemise In 2 Lengths (an interpretation of an Irish leine). Out of production- search online for sellers.
- TUNICS & TABARDS
Tunics & Tabards tend to be slimmer in the body, so fit is important.One easy way to make a tunic: use one of your loose t-shirts as a pattern for your tunic.
Echna’s Celtic Re-Enactments Pinterest page – information on leines, cloaks, tunics, etc.
How to Make A Quick & Easy Tabard or T-Tunic– by Vaargard Malorius
McCall’s M5683 (2008) – Misses’/Men’s Medieval tabard and tunic. Out of production- search to find sellers.
Period patterns #16– Tunics
McCalls 2665- Mens Medieval/Reniassance slightly fuller tunic, vest, pants
- CLOAKS
Cloaks are very full, and work best with fabrics that drape well and are heavier in weight.MoiRandall – 1300 – 1900 Cape Collection
Period Impressions – 1770’s Cloak with hood
McCalls 3339 – Medieval Wizard Robe & Cloak
Simplicity 9887 – Medieval Robe/Cloak
- SHIRTS & JERKINS
Shirts, vests, jerkins (like long fitted vests, some with sleeves), and the like can be layered.
Butterick 4828- Men’s Medieval Doublet & Shirt
- WRAPS
A do it yourself open long maxi vest
Using a large pinned shawl for several styles of wrap tunic, etc.
- BUYING
An online search for ‘Druid robes for sale’ now yields many sources of ritual wear.
You can also search for tunics, robes, tabards, etc. Suppliers can also be found on venues like Etsy or Ebay, where they are more likely to make you a custom piece.
My Robes
Northwest California, US (September 2006). This is a full, belted robe. I made it out of off-white raw silk (silk noil), based on a choir robe pattern. ( I started with a pattern similar to this one.) Instead of putting in the sewn in front pleats I left them out and added a hood. I then lap over the two sides and wear it with a belt. I’ve used this robe for over a decade and it is still in excellent shape.
Your author at the Hill of Tara in Ireland, June 2004. I made this open robe without a pattern. It has pleats at the shoulders, and is made of 1940’s green and rose colored shot silk. The robe was easy to transport, but the antique fabric is weak now.
Publication Info
This Druid Robes page was originally published on December 20, 2015, and revised with a new section on robes in North America on September 3, 2019.