Shades of Saffron

[Blake Roth]

Alright, I'm budgeting for the first six months and I'm in the market for a saffron kilt.
Before I order one, I was wondering if anyone knew of any particulars in the Ancient saffron and the 'run of the mill' saffron that some vendors have on offer?
I remember researching the celtic revival and how some dyers managed to produce a more yellow shade of saffron. The two occassions may not have been contemporaneos, I don't recall precisely, it's just that I'm wondering if the turmoil at the time had anything to do with that and whether I'd start an argument if I were caught wearing the "wrong" shade in the wrong company (provided there is such a thing as the "wrong" shade when it comes to saffron). Hopefully, it's not that complicated because I rather like them both.
Advice is much appreciated.

[Zardoz]

Saffron colors tend to vary quite a bit depending on the source, type of material, and sometimes even the lighting. I know I've seen pipe bands where there was a noticable color variation between various members, with the kilts running from a camel or mustard yellow to orange-ish brown and a few in-between.
I have a good mental image of what I think it 'should' look like, I'll use offerings from Stillwater kilts for an example, to my eye the saffron acrylic standard kilt from Stillwater is a bit dark, with a more brownish tone than I'm used to. On the other hand, I like the Stillwater kilts saffron "shadow tartan" 'heavyweight wool' version better, it has a lighter tone, more mustard than brown. I'm sure there are similar differences in the wool (or other fiber) cloth from different mills as well.

I don't think there is such a thing as a 'wrong shade' of saffron avalible from any normal source. The "ancient" more yellow shades have more to do with dyed linen lienes than kilts of any kind.

So... depending on where you get it you are going to get some variation in color. If you have a strong opinion, and plan to order a wool tank, I would get some swatches before pulling the trigger.

[seanachie]

I agree with Zardoz re the darker shade of the SWK and getting swatches to avoid any disappointment. The SWK was the 2nd kilt I owned and I bought it to accomodate a tough time line for my wife's company Christmas party. I have since acquired a 16 oz wool saffron kilt, the fabric being from Marton Mills. John Hart of Keltoi was the kilt maker who made it for me and I am well pleased. The saffron is clearly lighter than the SWK and I like the shade.

[OC Richard]

If you're interested in knowing about saffron in regards to the ancient traditional clothing, there is mention of it in H F McClintock's Old Irish & Highland Dress (an indispensable book for anyone interested in traditional Irish and/or Highland costume).

In the chapter Summary and Conclusions. Modern Attempts at Revival. there is a subsection on Saffron which simply states

Saffron

This definitely meant saffron colour- a pure bright yellow. Not any of the brownish shades sometimes used nowadays in place of it.

Here is a 1521 illlustration of Irish dress (leine, brat, and ionar)



and the modern version, being worn by a piper of the Irish Rangers

[Riverkilt]

Methinks that in days of yore there were many shades of saffron too.

Has to do more with the fiber being dyed than the dye itself.

You're not too far from Rocky. Why not drive over and check out the difference between saffron wool and saffron PV with your own eyes in the daylight? Just a thought.

[creagdhubh]

I just ordered a pair of 'saffron' coloured traditional garter ties from House of Cheviot. This will be the only saffron I own, besides the cooking kind.

Cheers,

[dfmacliam]

I do not believe there is a wrong shade of saffron. If you wore a saffron kilt, it would be clearly identified as an Irish kilt...

[Blake Roth]

Swatches had come to mind. In a perfect world, I'd have one of the dark and one of the light, but seeing as I have a list like almost everyone else, I've got to stay thrifty. If I order it now, it would arrive in time for the warmer weather, so I probably ought to go the PV route.
I'd love to take the hours long journey to USA Kilts as a mini-holiday so I might just do that instead. It would seem to make the most sense and I'd get to see that fabulous wonderland of a store.
Thanks for the advisos chaps

[O'Callaghan]

Methinks that in days of yore there were many shades of saffron too.

Has to do more with the fiber being dyed than the dye itself.

You're not too far from Rocky. Why not drive over and check out the difference between saffron wool and saffron PV with your own eyes in the daylight? Just a thought.

That's the nub of it. Highland dress is derived from the Irish leine and brat, but the kilt is really derived from the brat (cloak), which was wool and probably often tartan (historically described as striped), whereas it was the leine (robe) that was dyed with saffron, when it was dyed atall. The leine was made from linen, which is hard to dye. Saffron was used because it was a strong dye, in the days before chemical dyes.

Ergo, as Riverkilt says, it was the fabric that affected the colour, rather than the dye. Linen tends to come out yellow, whereas other fabrics end up somewhere in the brown/orange spectrum.

Saffron kilts came about during the celtic revival of the 19th century. Just as previously unknown tartans were invented at that time for scores of Scottish clans, Irish national dress was reinvented in the form of the kilt either dyed with saffron as per the ancient Irish leine, or else dyed green as per the cockades worn in the hats of the rebels of 1798 (which is why the latter is arguably more contentious).

Chemical dyes were new back then, and I'm not sure if synthetic fabrics had yet been invented, so I suppose originally those saffron kilts would have been wool dyed with actual saffron, although the robes worn by Tibetan monks seem to be a similiar colour. Saffron probably dyes most things that colour - except linen!

Yellow kilts dyed to represent the actual colour of the leine would have come later, and are seldom seen, although I did see a Canadian firm offering them once.