How many kilts would a Scot have had.

[jkdesq]

Clothing ownership and bathing as changed alot in one generation. My mother (born in the 1940's) claims that while she was growing up, she had three sets of clothes: Sunday best and two skirts and two blouses which she mixed and matched throughout the week. Saturday night was bath night. If we consider Scottish clothing and bathing practices of the past, we are without a doubt going to think the practices were substandard.

I wonder if any highlander had outright ownership of any one "kilt". The great kilt was merely a large piece of fabric that was wrapped around the waist by men and worn as a shawl by women. Could it be that a family would have several plaids (ie. the fabric peice that was worn as a kilt or shawl) and they were passed around on a need to wash or a need to wear basis.

As to smell, I think there is more than BO that could cause a smell that the English would notice. Could it be that wool spun in a croft by a different method that the English would retain the natural smell from the sheep. Lanolin is smelly. Maybe substances used to dye the wool could have distinctive and not necessarily offensive smells. I doubt any Scot could smell worse than an English person, peasant or lord. What could smell more like BO than Henry VIII or the Marquis of Bournemouth on a hot summer day? BO can only produce so much of a stench. So, either there was a smell from a different source or the English were just being anti-Scot bigots.

[davedove]

As to smell, I think there is more than BO that could cause a smell that the English would notice. Could it be that wool spun in a croft by a different method that the English would retain the natural smell from the sheep. Lanolin is smelly. Maybe substances used to dye the wool could have distinctive and not necessarily offensive smells. I doubt any Scot could smell worse than an English person, peasant or lord. What could smell more like BO than Henry VIII or the Marquis of Bournemouth on a hot summer day? BO can only produce so much of a stench. So, either there was a smell from a different source or the English were just being anti-Scot bigots.

A different diet can cause noticible differences in BO. Although I don't see the Scottish diet being that much different from the English. It was probably mostly bigotry.

[Mattg]

This is very interesting....I would think that a man of those days would not be too worried about having a wide selection of clothing

[pdcorlis]

This is very interesting....I would think that a man of those days would not be too worried about having a wide selection of clothing

Agreed - probably more interested in having a warm dry place to sleep and enough food to keep his family alive.

[Pour1Malt]

...
Could it be that wool spun in a croft by a different method that the English would retain the natural smell from the sheep. Lanolin is smelly. Maybe substances used to dye the wool could have distinctive and not necessarily offensive smells...

well kent in medieval days... ya wash oot the lanolin by soaking the wool over nicht in a bath of urine....

then, obviously, ya wash oot the urine....


dyes were maistly red onion skins, tubers, and the like....

a highlander would ha had one great kilt- as others hae said... it was his clothing, blanket, and backpack....