Tartan, 1572

[Alan H]

I am, insane as it seems, considering joining up VERY part-time with a local re-enactors Guild. I picked them because a clan sister is one of the guildmistresses, and they're willing to let the big guy show up once a blue moon to play a Man at Arms. I cannot possibly spare the time to really get seriously involved, so it has to be a "show up when you can" kind of thing.

The setting is a smallish "noble house", Scottish, just discharged from Mary's court, around 1572.

I figure that I ought to be wearing the following...

A doublet, probably high-necked, possibly with a jerkin over the doublet. It could be slashed, but I doubt that a common soldier could afford such stuff, unless the House provided it.

probably NOT a ruffled collar, those had to be upper-class widgets, no everyday jock could deal with maintaining one.

Knee-breeches since I suspect slops are for the gentry... tights under those

a floppy round hat of some sort

soft shoes.

Weapons...possibly a swept-hilt rapier thought that's likely more of a civilian gentry weapon. A sidesword or other light-ish cut-and-thrust weapon, dagger and targe is probably closer to what this guy should carry.

The guildmistress says a kilt is OK. I am having problems with this. A half-kilt, in 1572, just discharged from Mary's court? I can't see it, no rough Highlander would have been anywhere near Mary's court and the half-kilt didn't make an appearance until much later. But then, if the mistress says a kilt is OK then it's OK, right? I dunno.

OK, so where in this assemblage of stuff might I incorporate some tartan? This of course is totally aside from WHICH tartan, I'll find some somewhat-muted green/blue thing on ebay.

Whether this all comes to pass is moot, I have NO time.