Old Gran explores one of Wales’ most recognizable symbols—the traditional Welsh woman’s costume that has come to represent the entire nation. This print came from my fascination with how working-class clothing transforms into national identity, and how the everyday becomes iconic.

This distinctive look: tall black hats, bedgowns, woollen shawls. It’s an outfit that’s now regarded as the costume of Wales, rooted in the practical clothing worn by working women in rural 19th-century Wales.

From Working Dress to National Symbol

The transformation of everyday rural women’s clothing into a national symbol tells its own story about how we choose to remember and represent ourselves. Used in political cartoons to represent Wales as a nation, the hat—known simply today as the “Welsh hat”—came to symbolize the happy, hearty, hard-working Welsh woman.

No one’s quite sure how it caught on back then. Like many aspects of national identity, the Welsh costume evolved organically, practical clothing becoming something more symbolic through repetition and recognition.

The Print

The print focuses on the weathered lined face of a rural Welsh lady. These were working women whose daily dress happened to become the visual shorthand for an entire nation.

P.S. This isn’t a portrait of my gran.