Unusual Kilt

**Grisa** · 19th September 17, 09:02 AM

Hello!

So, I have a situation - or rather my cousin has a situation. His wife purchased him a kilt from the Minnesota Renaissance Festival a few years ago. However, neither of them have a clue how to properly put it on. They were shown the day they purchased it but now that its been a few years they don't have a clue.

I went to the Festival with them this past weekend and was giving him a hard time for not wearing it and came to find out they didn't know how to put it on. After hours and hours of searching, I can't find anything that looks like what she bought him. However, the deed is done and this very expensive material is just gathering dust. I am hoping I can find a solution here and surprise them with a solution so he can wear this

This looks nothing like a great kilt nor any other variation I've been able to find online. It measures:

Length: 17 feet or about 5.6 yards
Width: 27 1/2 inches
It has some pre-sewn pleats which are 24 inches worth of pleats

I'm going to try to attach a picture I took of it on the end of my bed so you can see how short it is. There isn't really a way to fit the entire length in a photo so I just snapped where the pleats were. Its just super narrow compared to everything I'm seeing and crazy long as well.

Do any of you have any idea how to wear this? It did come with a very simple leather belt and a broach type pin which I believe they intend it to be fastened at the shoulder (I can not think of the proper name at the moment).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!Kilt.jpg

**uncle remus** · 19th September 17, 09:21 AM

I couldn't tell you how to put it on. My recommendation is to contact the vendor for instructions, if they have a website you could find them there with illustrations.

**Grisa** · 19th September 17, 09:30 AM

I had tried that but they are no longer in business as far as I can tell

I looked up the name and it redirects to a different shop under a different name that no longer sells kilts.

**The Wizard of BC** · 19th September 17, 09:49 AM

This appears to be one of those kilts sold a "Historical kilt" or "Ancient kilt". It is wrapped around the body in much the same way as a regular kilt. (Sometimes in the opposite direction).

The long outer apron end is then brought around the back and up to the shoulder. It will look sort of like you see the great kilt at ren faires made out of single-width modern kilt fabric. This one just has some pleats sewn in so you do not have to lay it on the ground, hand fold it and lay down on it.

**Grisa** · 19th September 17, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC

This appears to be one of those kilts sold a "Historical kilt" or "Ancient kilt". It is wrapped around the body in much the same way as a regular kilt. (Sometimes in the opposite direction).

The long outer apron end is then brought around the back and up to the shoulder. It will look sort of like you see the great kilt at ren faires made out of single-width modern kilt fabric. This one just has some pleats sewn in so you do not have to lay it on the ground, hand fold it and lay down on it.

So perhaps instead of it meeting in the front of the shoulder where the pin goes it would wrap up the back first and then brought forward over the shoulder and fastened under the belt at the hip? I had seen something like that on a youtube video but then it got me wondering where the pin would come into play. There is just so much fabric left over. Perhaps it would need to be more baggy in the back? And here I thought some womens clothing was frustrating haha. I've never had more difficulty than with this piece

**The Wizard of BC** · 19th September 17, 11:01 AM

Here is a description from one company that sells these.

...is basically a Phillabeg with an extra 2-3 yards of fabric attached. The extra tartan is there to be worn as a sash or a fly plaid, once the kilt is pleated...

Some people bring the extra fabric around the back, some pull it up the front. It can be pinned at the shoulder or tucked into the waist.
There is no one or correct way to wear these. Take a look at the pictures on the Celtic Croft website. (one of our top banner advertisers) They sell something very similar.

**OC Richard** · 20th September 17, 05:29 AM

Wow, it seems to be an attempt to reproduce the costumes from Braveheart, more or less.

It seems to be that the Braveheart costumer saw old portraits showing the Great Kilt, and other old portraits showing the Philabeg, the person also wearing a long plaid wrapped around the body. He/she didn't realize that he/she was seeing two distinct forms of dress, and trying to make sense of it all, created a hybrid or conflation of the two.

Of course nothing like that existed, before Braveheart.

**llyd** · 21st September 17, 07:56 AM

perhaps not helpful...but I would probably bust out the sewing maxhine and put proper aprons on it and call.it good....

**Piobair** · 21st September 17, 01:39 PM

Shouldn't the extra material be added lengthwise rather than widthwise? I'm having a hard time figuring out how the apron would be positioned. It looks sort of like it could be wrapped around so the pleats are in the back and then there's a long underapron that runs to the back and is pulled up from under the waistband. I feel like that might look a little weird - you'd either have too much material hanging under the apron pleat or not enough.

In other words - what a weird thing.

Edit: Actually, I think I see what Richard is talking about. The "Braveheart rustic wool ancient kilt" (oh boy) from Celtic Croft appears similar - on theirs, it looks like the apron just gets wrapped up the body (sort of). Is there some kind of liner in the photo? Are we looking at the interior or exterior in that photo?

**derosa** · 21st September 17, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Wow, it seems to be an attempt to reproduce the costumes from Braveheart, more or less.

It seems to be that the Braveheart costumer saw old portraits showing the Great Kilt, and other old portraits showing the Philabeg, the person also wearing a long plaid wrapped around the body. He/she didn't realize that he/she was seeing two distinct forms of dress, and trying to make sense of it all, created a hybrid or conflation of the two.

Of course nothing like that existed, before Braveheart.

I belive you are slightly incorrect, a friend and I worked a booth at the local ren faire in the early 90s and made us kilts if this fashion based off a plan she had. Braveheart was 95 and i believe she made them in 93, maybe as late as 94. Second rate costumes have long been the staple of faires and comi-cons, wouldn't be surprising if some dope working on braveheart costumes ripped off the design thinking it was real.