Great Kilt, Little kilt Historical information wanted

[KnittedReenactor]

I tend to remember the difference this way:
-Feileadh Beag is smaller, so you're 'begging' for more cloth. Therefore, single width.

-Feileadh Mor has 'more' cloth to begin with. Therefore, double width.


And to my knowledge, the Feileadh of the period would typically only have maybe 4 yards of material, whether single or double width. The 'whole 8 yards' kilts didn't really come into use until the latter Victorian era (1880s-90s). And the same for pleating to the sett; most were to the stripe or so roughly pleated as to have no pattern to the pleats, until that latter period. Soldiers would have been issued at most 4 yards of fabric annually, which was made into the kilt. Apparently those with sewn pleats picked them apart quarterly, hunted any cooties, turned the fabric, resewn on the fresh edge (to combat wear) and repeated on the opposite face in three months.
If this is an out of date understanding, I welcome any corrections.

[OC Richard]

Beag and mor are merely Gaelic for little and big, keeping that in mind helps.

The "philebeg" is mentioned in the 1746 proscription.

And there's the story about Rawlinson inventing it around 1730.

Seems that the philabeg was worn in the 18th century Highland regiments for fatigues etc.

Barnes says that the philamore was only worn by officers after 1794, Other Ranks having a small plaid (belted plaid or fly plaid, a decorative garment) to wear with the philabeg in Full Dress.

Not long after the officers followed suit.

What people sometimes forget is that on campaign and in action officers would be mounted, wearing riding breeches and Hessian boots. Generally officers were only kilted on parade with the regiment, or in Levee Dress.