Gen Z is Blown Away by 'Almost Comical' Irish Knitwear From 'The Banshees of Inisherin’

Apart from nine separate nominations for the Oscars, The Banshees of Inisherin also appears to have kickstarted a new trend. The striking signature fishermen's knits worn by the protagonists became a sensation overnight after the release of the film as per The Irish Times. These sweaters were worn by Pádraic played by Colin Farrell and Colm played by Brendan Gleeson throughout the film. Knitwear stores in Ireland have noticed an increase in sales of traditional jumpers since the film's debut. Gen Z is also catching on to the new trend and having fun with it. There are videos of Generation Z exploring thrift stores for similar woollies.

The film is set in 1923 on a fictional Irish island, and costume designer Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh says she and director Martin McDonagh both sought to avoid any Irish trope. Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh, whose filmography includes Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes The Barley, was already familiar with period clothing but went on aerial surveillance of the two islands where the film was shot, Achill off the coast of county Mayo and Inis Mór, on the edge of Galway Bay and the largest of the Aran Islands. The film shows “the island that existed in McDonagh’s head,” per The Guardian. That was also the reason why Mhaoldomhnaigh rejected Aran jumpers with designs dating back to the 1890s.

Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh says: “They are now in fashion. I felt they were expected. I was worried they could come across as almost comical.” During the shoot, she recalls how she learned to keep the style uniform for the entire cast. She also described the detailing and background which went into the designs: “They were fishermen, farmers and turf cutters, wiry and athletic people. It was hard work. Clothes were built to last but they still had beautiful detailing." McDonagh wanted the visual to be reminiscent of classic American westerns as Pádraic and Colm's small-scale story unfolds against a huge and wild environment.

This was reflected in the pointed collars and Colm's long billowing garment as well as the scholars who traveled the country documenting Irish writings. To portray the islanders' lifestyle, Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh aged the pieces by sanding and tying them together. Sharing about the color scheme she says, “Colors nowadays are quite bright so we dipped everything to tone it down.” The coloration of the jumpers was crucial to the film's hyperrealism. Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh had to combine the vibrant green and blue scenery with more subdued settings like the candlelight bar. That's why she wanted to utilize Irish fabrics that appear "slubby on screen" instead of flat.

In the 1950s and 1960s, actors Steve McQueen, Grace Kelly, and Marilyn Monroe were all seen or filmed wearing Aran-inspired knitwear. Actor Chris Evans wore one of the chunky traditional knits in the 2019 film Knives Out and sparked similar interest in the Aran sweater. And with the film, The Banshees of Inisherin, it looks as though the trend is back with a bang. Fans and viewers are mesmerized by these outfits which were lost in the fast-changing spiral of fashion trends.