Henry White Dress

"This is a Henry White coat-dress that I've had since the 1980s. My mother had a very keen eye and although she rarely treated herself, when she did the items were usually Irish-made, durable and of high quality. To this day seeing Henry White clothing reminds me of her. Henry White was born in Dublin in 1909 and at the age of 13, he was cycling around houses in Co Meath selling pencils and notebooks. Later, he travelled around in a pony and trap selling clothes. At the age of 20 he opened his first factory on Abbey Street in Dublin. In the 1970s and 80s Henry White became known for its use of Alcantara, a washable suede much in vogue at the time but which is long-gone. One of White's friends and associates was Jack Clarke, who started another well-known brand, Richard Alan, in 1935 and was also involved in the clothes trade for many decades. "