"Saffron" colour of Irish kilts?

[O'Callaghan]

Wow this thread was just happening over the last couple days and who should walk by yesterday but a group of around ten monks!

Most of the robes were the usual "saffron" colour, but one guys' robe was indeed a brownish shade, and one was a brilliant glowing orange.

Monks and mordants aside, McClintock lays out all the evidence available to him (in the 1940's) all of which points to the saffron colour of the old Irish leine being a light clear yellow.

Nobody has yet to put forth any evidence which conflicts with his conclusion, that the brown-orange colour used in modern Irish kilts has no historical basis.

I don't think that the colour has any historical basis earlier than the 19th century (except for buddhist monks' robes!), but the dye does. Just look at the traditional (although modern) Irish linen jacket. They are normally undyed, or if dyed, then they are dyed with synthetic dye and probably include some synthetic fabric as well. This speaks to the difficulty of dyeing linen. The same dye will turn a linen leine yellow and a woolen kilt orange/brown.

There is, as I recall, a kiltmaker on Prince Edward Island, in Canada, who will supply kilts in a shade of yellow designed to match the ancient leine, if one is so inclined. I can't really see it catching on, though.