Solid Color Kilt in "Mrs. Brown"

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 27th July 06, 04:46 AM

Ron,

Solid kilts go way back. The oldest portrait I've seen of anyone in a solid kilt is 1634 (I think I'm remembering that date correctly -- still on my first cup of coffess this morning!).

But they were rather popular in the Victorian era. John Brown himself was famous for wearing a solid black kilt, vest, and jacket. In fact, I recently saw a vendor on line marketing a solid black kilt suit as a "John Brown" suit.

You can see a portrait of him here:
http://www.tartansauthority-shop.com...Household.html

(Looks grey).

I have recently written an article for the Scottish Banner about solid color kilts. I haven't added it to my archives as of yet, but it will (soon) be listed here:
http://albanach.org/banner.htm

I'm just posting the link for future readers!
Aye,
Matt

**Cawdorian** · 27th July 06, 05:11 AM

It is my understanding that Queen Victoria commissioned the modern red, blue and black "Brown" tartan specfically for John Brown.

**MacWage** · 27th July 06, 05:35 AM

To add to Mr. Newsome (don't get to say that often), Bob Martin spends a good bit of his kilt book on victorian era tweed kilts. In the back cover is a picture of a group in full tweed kilt suits.

Inded, Mr. Tweedy of Chicken Run might own a tweed kilt (wouldn't that be his "clan tartan"-> Clan Tweed) :rolleyes: !

**Cawdorian** · 27th July 06, 05:38 AM

Couldn't Mr. Tweedy wear the Tweesdale tartan?

**MacWage** · 27th July 06, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by Cawdorian

Couldn't Mr. Tweedy wear the Tweesdale tartan?

I guess Mr. Tweedy could where whatever tartan Mrs. Tweedy lets him!! :rolleyes:

(Just don't tell James that

)

By the way, the chickens are organizing an escape!!!!!!!!!

BACK TO TOPIC!!!! (though I got us off it

)

**Planopiper** · 27th July 06, 07:43 AM

Notice that Mr. Brown also wears a horsehair sporran. I believe I've seen at least one other portrait with him wearing a white horsehair sporran. We don't do that much now, but the precedent for wearing one with non-military dress is there.

He also wore a glengarry, which is unusual when it's not part of a uniform. He may have been in the military and kept it from the old days. Not many people can pull it off with non-uniform dress, though.

**Ruanaidh** · 27th July 06, 08:37 AM

The caption also stated that John Brown was wearning a "plain 'mourning' tartan". I searched the index but couldn't find it. Anyone know which tartan it was?

**cavscout** · 27th July 06, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Planopiper

Notice that Mr. Brown also wears a horsehair sporran. I believe I've seen at least one other portrait with him wearing a white horsehair sporran. We don't do that much now, but the precedent for wearing one with non-military dress is there.

He also wore a glengarry, which is unusual when it's not part of a uniform. He may have been in the military and kept it from the old days. Not many people can pull it off with non-uniform dress, though.

Interestingly, all the men in civilian clothes are wearing the horse hair sporrans in those pictures.

Normally I'm not a fan of the look, but that is usually because the person doing it has hodge podged together a "highlander outfit" with bits from a ren fair and the victorian period and the contemporary styles and has the sporran hung too low so it hangs below the bottom edge of the kilt :rolleyes:

The crispness of the entire outfit that Mr. Brown is wearing (and the others) makes the whole thing work to my eye. I still don't think I would try to pull it off but it is surprisingly decent looking.