Analysis: Amid the crowd of male politicians in dark suits, Robinson stood out as a confident, powerful figure ready to change social norms
It is 35 years since Mary Robinson became the first female President of Ireland. At her inauguration ceremony in Dublin Castle in 1990, she wore a purple two-piece suit designed especially for that historic day.
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo in 1944, Mary Robinson was a barrister, academic and member of Seanad Éireann. A renowned supporter of human rights, she fought for legalising birth control and divorce in Ireland. In 1990, Robinson was nominated by the Labour Party and supported by the Green Party and the Workers' Party to run in the presidential election. Robinson became Ireland’s first woman president and in doing so, challenged and exceeded Irish society’s expectations of women at the time and inspired many other women to do the same.
However, like many female politicians, she faced gendered expectations, including those related to her appearance. This new, public facing role meant that Robinson had to consciously make changes, not only to her appearance, but her entire approach to constantly being in the public eye and in the spotlight of the media. In the 2025 documentary Mrs Robinson, she described these changes as 'opening up in a way that I hadn’t when I was a professional lawyer. I liked it because I was more open to people, more outgoing. I’m shy personally. I felt this was really me flowering under the intensity of the presidential campaign’.
As the campaign progressed, a new Mary Robinson emerged. She wore smart suits, always by Irish designers. A stylist gave her a fashionable haircut, and she began to apply some makeup. In her own view, Robinson reflected: ‘I saw myself less as the bluestocking and more the person trying to communicate that we have an office here that can represent what is modern about Ireland. I was so keen to get that across that I would have done whatever it took.'
Robinson’s inauguration as President of Ireland would take place in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle on 3 December 1990. What Robinson would wear at the inauguration mattered. Not because she would be obliged to be fashionable or on-trend, but because how she chose to present herself to the world would say something about the country. There was no set cultural precedent in Ireland to what a woman president looked like. The pressure for Robinson to look good that day was immeasurable and unfair, but it was inextricable from her role as President. This was something that she herself was aware of. In an interview with IMAGE magazine during her first year in office, Robinson said: ‘I think appearance and ceremony are the hardest elements of the position, but I take seriously the fact that, as a woman president, I must look well and wear Irish designs’.
As most politicians know, it is not advisable to spend a lot of money on clothes. And those that do, (particularly women) tend to be criticised for it. Maria Steen got a dressing down for wearing a Hermès handbag worth between €10,000 and €40,000 as she spoke to the media after her presidential bid came to an unsuccessful end, revealing a disconnect from the everyday woman. Politics is all about the optics – what politicians wear speaks to us as their constituents. How Robinson presented herself at the inauguration would send a powerful message of confidence, leadership, and identity.
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From RTÉ Archives, Mary Robins gives her victory speech as she is elected first woman President of Ireland
Designer Louise Kennedy was invited to the Robinson's home in Dublin to discuss the inauguration outfit. She designed a silk moiré, three-quarter length jacket, worn with a knee-length pencil skirt and black top. The deep purple colour matched the same colour worn by Robinson when she was officially declared winner of the election.
Purple has a special place for women in politics. The suffragettes often wore the colour in the 1900s while campaigning for women's right to vote. So Robinson’s suit had an underlying message – her breaking through the Irish political glass ceiling was the modern-day equivalent of suffragettes wearing purple, fighting for women's right to vote. Amid the crowd of male politicians in dark suits who stood behind her as she took her seat in the Presidential chair, Robinson stood out as a confident, powerful figure ready to change social norms.
In 2023, Bride Rosney, who was Robinson’s special advisor during her campaign and presidency, donated the inauguration suit to the National Museum of Ireland. Since the suit is now part of the national collection, it is treated differently to preserve it as a historical object. The suit is carefully stored in a controlled environment that is away from light exposure that causes fading and damage. After conservation by a textile specialist, it has been carefully prepared to go on public display for the first time in a new permanent exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. Its display gives the outfit additional longevity and historical significance. The famous purple suit demonstrates how, on her inauguration day in 1990, Mary Robinson became a national advocate, trendsetter, leader and role model.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
