Wigs for Irish-Americans

If you’re an Irish-American in Philly, you know who you are! Having an Irish heritage is something to be proud of, and most Irish-Americans (a large population of which live right here in Philadelphia) cherish their heritage and pass it on with honor.

That’s one reason why Rosalind Stella’s Wig Boutique offers wigs in a wide variety of colors native to the Emerald Isle, including the popular “Irish redhead” shades. However, contrary to popular opinion, red is not the only – or even the most common – Irish hair color.

Irish Hair Colors

Although outsiders often think of the Irish as pale red-heads, only around 10% of native Irish have ginger-colored locks. One reason why the myth of the Irish redhead persists is because, although the percentage is small, it is higher than any other place on earth except Scotland.

A much larger percentage of Irish (up to 35% by some estimates) carry the gene for red hair, but are brunettes. Red hair is a recessive gene, which cannot show itself in the presence of genes for dark hair. However, when two of these recessive genes are inherited by an Irish child, the low melanin count caused by a mutation in the melanocortin-1 receptor on chromosome 16 causes a sharp decrease in the amount of dark pigment produced, allowing the red color to show through.

Consequently, and contrary to popular stereotypes, dark brown hair is actually the most common hair color in Ireland, closely followed by medium brown. These dark-haired Irish are often called “Black Irish” by outsiders, although their hair is not truly black. When people come to Rosalind Stella’s wanting to choose a wig that shows off their Irish heritage, we can honestly show some confusion. After all – most of these customers are talking about wanting a red wig, while most ethnic Irish should be looking for a dark one!

Finding the Right Wig

Because a person’s hair color is a large component of his ethnic “look” many Irish-Americans gravitate toward colors that reflect their heritage. This includes many shades of red as well as dark and medium brown. Finding the right wig is a matter of personal preference. However, we recommend that you first try on wigs that are within 1 to 2 shades of your natural hair color. This means that if you’re one of the naturally dark-haired Irish, you should be cautious about trying to go bright red. Likewise if you’re a redhead, you probably won’t want to try the “Black Irish” look, no matter what your family looks like. Hair color is closely tied to skin tone, and going too dark or too light can make your skin look washed out and unnatural.

However, the best way to tell the right color for you is to try on some wigs. Here at Rosalind Stella’s we carry wigs in both of these ethnic colors, for a perfect match that reflects both your individual personality and your group heritage.

Visit us at our Bustleton Avenue location or call us for more information at (215) 725-3930.

Rosalind Stella’s Wig Boutique is proud to serve the people of Philadelphia, including South Philadelphia, Center City, Northeast Philadelphia, and Main Line, as well as Jenkintown, Abington, Cheltenham, and the surrounding communities.

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