Cryptic crossword clue
Irish heading off to penetrate French novelist’s old protective garb 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word CORSELETTE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
R
S
E
L
E
T
T
E

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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does CORSELETTE mean?

CORSELETTE noun
  1. Armor for the body, as, the body breastplate and backpiece taken together.
  2. The entire suit of the day, including breastplate and backpiece, tasset and headpiece.
  3. A tight-fitting item of clothing which covers the body and not the limbs.
  4. A type of women's underwear, combining a bra and a girdle in one garment; a corselette.
  5. The thorax of an insect.

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