MacLowlife wondering about the high life

[dowofbuchanan]

Glen Coe is just part of the Campbell/MacDonald feud that goes back well before the massacre. In fact, whilst the Campbells had minor part to play in that awful affair, the real blame lies elsewhere.

i know, and the real blame goes to william of orange. also the lord who took the macIan oath of fealty. still a great song by a great group.

[MacLowlife]

Oooh, ah forgot- What about the Bias cut? It breaks up the "grid" look, I think, but may make us look like walking Test Patterns. Thanks,

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Oooh, ah forgot- What about the Bias cut? It breaks up the "grid" look, I think, but may make us look like walking Test Patterns. Thanks,

Cut on the bias, in my opinion, generally looks better than tartan cut "on the grid" as you have put it. That said, I think it really depends on the tartan, the colours ("old", "modern", "weathered", etc.), and of course, the cut of the doublet.

But as Jock has said, you should stick with only one tartan. So, if your name is Lindsay Scott Munro you are best advised to have your whole suit in Munro tartan rather than a Munro kilt, a Lindsay waistcoat, and a Scott tartan doublet.

Now suppose for a moment that your clan has several distinct tartans: Dress, Ancient, and Hunting. There would be nothing to prevent you from using two or even all three of them-- although most would advise having the doublet and kilt in the same tartan. It's really your choice, and it comes down to how comfortable you will feel wearing a "full tartan" Highland suit.

[Bugbear]

I was just thinking about a tartan Sheriffmuir cut on the bias, and in my mind all of that looks much better with argyle or tartan hose... I'm not sure why, though.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Probably because it carries through the theme of the tartan, and makes it look like a single piece of work. That and the fact that it's cool.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The original post asked for pictures. I don't own a tartan doublet, but I do own two tartan waistcoats, and I'm happy to provide pictures of these, if they will help give some indication of what tartan on the torso looks like. No doubt others will cime in soon with images of tartan doublets.







Both of my tartan waistcoats are cut on the bias. Here's an example of one cut straight (worn here with a red velvet Sherrifmuir doublet).


I think the straight cut works here, but my personal preference is on the bias.

I also think the advice about mixing tartans is worth listening to, but understand it is more advise than "rules." I think the safest thing to do is, of course, make sure your tartans match. This is always going to look well put together. But do they have to? Can you wear different tartans? Well, sure, but you run the risk of doing it poorly. It takes a certain eye to choose tartans that work together, and dare I say it takes a certain personality type to pull it off.

Ruari Halford-MacLeod, president of the Clan MacLeod Society in Scotland, told me he once wore an evening outfit that had five different MacLeod tartans in it! Knowing him, I'm sure he pulled it off well. However, would I advise the general public to wear five tartans at once? No.

Here is a picture of took of retired kilt maker, and kilt historian Bob Martin at a Highland Games a couple of years back (he's on the left).


Bob is wearing a kilt in his personal tartan (R. W.'s fancy), a waistcoat in Campbell (his clan), cut striaght, a plaid in the Martin tartan, which he designed some years back, and cadadh in a muted Macrae (his wife's clan tartan). Part of the reason why I think mixing tartans like this works for him is because he's wearing a more or less historical outfit and Highlanders in history did often wear multiple tartans together. I also think it works because of who he is. Anyone who knows him wouldn't be surprised in the least to see him in such an outfit.

But again, would I advise anyone -- especially someone just starting out in Highland dress -- to mix and match tartans willy nilly? Of course not. Wearing one tartan and having all elements match is the safest way to go (fashionably speaking), and I would say deviate from that only when you know what you are doing.

[JSFMACLJR]

Well, time for me to step in and say that I have a tartan doublet, cut on the bias, and I love it! You don't see too many of them on this side of the pond--and not too many in Scotland, either. They are, though, quite popular in certain "sets" especially in the West Highlands and Isles.

[Phil]

Well, time for me to step in and say that I have a tartan doublet, cut on the bias, and I love it! You don't see too many of them on this side of the pond--and not too many in Scotland, either. They are, though, quite popular in certain "sets" especially in the West Highlands and Isles.

Very smart but as you say not often seen nowadays. It is important not to mix tartans although you can vary the sett size and whether it is ancient, weathered etc..

[lethearen]

Well, time for me to step in and say that I have a tartan doublet, cut on the bias, and I love it! You don't see too many of them on this side of the pond--and not too many in Scotland, either. They are, though, quite popular in certain "sets" especially in the West Highlands and Isles.

Sandy, you look stunning! I can't say I'm particularly fond of the all-tartan-all-over look, but you certainly pull it off better than I thought it could!

[Bugbear]

Probably because it carries through the theme of the tartan, and makes it look like a single piece of work. That and the fact that it's cool.

Ya, it just didn't seem quite right when I imagined solid color hose with the tartan doublet. I like the Argyle or tartan hose anyway.