18th century reenactment

[Richard_D]

Hello to everybody

Been a while since my last post but hey better now than never.
I would be looking for information on the following subject:

I practise 18th century reenactment and I have become bored to the american long hunter style that I have been doing for quite a sometime now and would like to turn scottish man of 18th century for the summer happenings to come.

My question is , since I am a lowbudget guy, at the website www.kilts-n-stuff.com I found many decent looking great kilts but then again they had something called "Ancient kilts" that looked allmost the same but not quite.
If I practice 18th century which one would be more historically accurate?

More or less they are both wrong (I guess) but which one is less ?

Thank you for your time

Richard_D

[sharpdressedscot]

Ancient kilts are inspired by the movie "Braveheart" they aren't necesarily accurate, but they kinda look like great kilts. Mind you they're single width not double width like the great kilt.

[Nick the DSM]

great kilt would be more accurate but so are the phillabegs.

[sharpdressedscot]

Yeah, but the phillabegs are good if you're a Regular, not a militia.

[Woodsheal]

Are you thinking of a military, i.e. Highland regiment (F&I War or Rev War) impression, or perhaps 1745 Jacobite?

BTW, the "ancient kilts" are not even close to anything historical....

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

As everyone seems to do 18th century military or Jacobite rising, I'd be inclined to go with late 18th century civilian-- the look and style of a highland laird would be an awesome thing to recreate.

[Woodsheal]

As everyone seems to do 18th century military or Jacobite rising, I'd be inclined to go with late 18th century civilian-- the look and style of a highland laird would be an awesome thing to recreate.

Awesome, yes, but what would be the context? Portraying a late 18th C. civilian in Scotland would be a lonely endeavour (no one else does it), and there would be no events or venues in N. America where one would "fit in."

There ARE 1745 events in N. America (2 or 3 per year), and of course numerous French & Indian War and Rev War events and sites to participate in....

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Actually, you'll no doubt be surprised to learn that there is a group in Edinburgh who do celebrate the Enlightenment of the 18th century by re-enacting the 18th century as civilians. In the USA there is a pretty active Regency dance network (the Los Angeles group meets weekly, and dresses the part monthly). I've no idea where Richard_D lives, but if it's "out west" he's apt to find more Cowboy Action Shoots than French-Indian Wars re-enactments.

Re-enacting is, ultimately, all about fun. So, if a context is needed I'd say that context is: JUST HAVING FUN.

[Woodsheal]

I looked at Richard's old posts, and he lives in ....... Finland! (I certainly fell victim to the old "assume" truism, eh?)

Richard, why aren't you portraying a Viking ....

[Nighthawk]

I personally am a pre Culloden reenactor. There was a ban on highland dress ennacted in the mid 17th century. Highland dress didn't really enjoy a resurgence in anything other than regimental form until the 1900's. Also, most of the original tartan designs were lost because they were made by oral tradition and apprenticeship. The ban killed off the last generation of "authentic" tartan weavers with no real record of thread counts, setts, etc, being left. So if you're an 18th century military reenactor, the little kilt is most accurate. If you're a civilian, it's trousers, for the most part. Mat Newsome at http://kiltmaker.blogspot.com/ has some excellent information regarding Highland dress. You may be able to get some more details there.