How many kilts would a Scot have had.

[davedove]

I would almost bet the the poorer folk only had one set of clothes, kilt or otherwise, much like the rest of Europe. If they had more than one of something, it would have been the shirt, as that was worn against the body and thus got dirty more often.

[macwilkin]

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.

Again, an astute observation. During the Civil War, before the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in early 1862, members of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade were given undeyed wool uniforms, which were cream in colour. The Missourians almost had to be forced by bayonet-point to wear the uniforms, because of the colour and the fact that when wet, they smelled like wet sheep, much to the enjoyment of fellow soldiers from other states!

Ironically, CW reenactors today pay top dollar for a reproduction of this uniform to be authentic. What would their predecessors say? :mrgreen:

T.

[Schultz]

Ironically, CW reenactors today pay top dollar for a reproduction of this uniform to be authentic. What would their predecessors say? :mrgreen:

T.

I think about this every single time I go to a CW reenactment of any kind and can't help but shake my head and laugh, because I know our ancestors would be doing the same thing!

[macwilkin]

I think about this every single time I go to a CW reenactment of any kind and can't help but shake my head and laugh, because I know our ancestors would be doing the same thing!

So do I, especially when someone brings out a reproduction of a weapon, uniform, etc. that the troops despised, such as the Austrian Lorenz Rifle, and reenactors go crazy.

Several years ago, everyone had to have a repro smoothbore M1842 Musket, even though the soldiers would have traded their eye teeth for a Springfield or Enfield rifled musket.

Sorry for the OT.

T.

[GMan]

Interesting thought. You can only wear one garment at a time so I would say only one Kilt. Easy for travel and getting around and your "luggage" would not get lost. And as far as smell, everyone would blend in to the surroundings, without that "fresh scent"

[Andrew Breecher]

I'll tell you, as a long-distance hiker, once you and everyone else you're with smells (and you smell BAD) it doesn't matter anymore. You stop noticing it, unless something extreme (like someone taking off their shoes) happens. In fact, you start to recognise individual people's natural smells, and can tell who's around you by that. You can start to smell "day-hikers" up to a mile away depending on the wind (for real!) by the soap/artificial scents they're wearing.

Andrew.

[Kilted KT]

I'll tell you, as a long-distance hiker, once you and everyone else you're with smells (and you smell BAD) it doesn't matter anymore. You stop noticing it, unless something extreme (like someone taking off their shoes) happens. In fact, you start to recognise individual people's natural smells, and can tell who's around you by that. You can start to smell "day-hikers" up to a mile away depending on the wind (for real!) by the soap/artificial scents they're wearing.

Andrew.

I agree with you completely. Having taken extremely large groups ( in excess of 100) 7th graders on week long camping trips without the niceties of "modern" society, people smell "bad" only when there are others wearing deoderant or other such things to hide their natural scent. after a few days, every smells "bad" and a day or so later, since everyone smells, no one smells.

Keep in mind that while we may think the scots of old smelled foul due to a lack of bathing or sanitation, they walked on the same roads that horses defecated on, indoor plumbing wasn't in every house.

I think Monty Python's "Holy Grail" explained this best.
"
LARGE MAN: Who's that then?

CART DRIVER(Grudgingly): I dunno, Must be a king.

LARGE MAN: Why?

CART DRIVER : He hasn't got (feces) all over him.
"

[Streetcar]

The smell might not be completely prejudicial.

Our duty pants are still wool. (Lord knows why!) When they get wet, they smell worse than a wet dog. The smell of a damp, wool kilt, might be distinctive enough to be recognized through the assorted B/O of the time.

[macwilkin]

The smell might not be completely prejudicial.

Our duty pants are still wool. (Lord knows why!) When they get wet, they smell worse than a wet dog. The smell of a damp, wool kilt, might be distinctive enough to be recognized through the assorted B/O of the time.

See my post about the CW soldiers. Same principle.

Sorry, I don't buy the "bigotry" reason as the only reason -- I'm sure a ploughman from Devon or Northumberland smelled just as bad as a lad from Forres or Ayr.

Cheers,

Todd

[Mattg]

See my post about the CW soldiers. Same principle.

Sorry, I don't buy the "bigotry" reason as the only reason -- I'm sure a ploughman from Devon or Northumberland smelled just as bad as a lad from Forres or Ayr.

Cheers,

Todd

I agree, a English peasant would smell as bad as a Scottish one. Though I'm sure that the English only thought it worse that the smelly person was Scottish, and the other way around!