The Day Plaid wrapped and pinned in Victorian era

[Stewart of Galloway]

No, that was a thread by Tobus - Making a Day Plaid (Laird's Plaid) - Tutorial He's a Colquhoun - pistols at dawn I should imagine.

Thanks Peter What's your opinion regarding what appear to be Day Plaid's pinned by a broach at the shoulder in the Macleay paintings?

[figheadair]

Thanks Peter What's your opinion regarding what appear to be Day Plaid's pinned by a broach at the shoulder in the Macleay paintings?

i'm not a fan of pins. Pins = holes to my mind.

[Stewart of Galloway]

i'm not a fan of pins. Pins = holes to my mind.

A very sensible approach 😀

[Pleater]

One year when attending Sidmouth Folk Festival which is a week long camping expedition, it was very wet. It didn't just rain, it poured.
Luckily I had several wool kilts and a couple of long plaids as I found I overheated underneath waterproofs, so I decided that I would just get wet.

A couple of times I was in pubs - where the sessions were held and see steam rising in the mirrors - it was me drying off.
The long plaid can be opened up and wrapped around, completely enclosing me - I am 5ft 5 - just, and wet wool becomes more windproof than it was when dry.

Several times I arrived back at the van soaked to the skin late at night broke out a change of clothes, hung up the wet ones and then drove to the campsite. By the time I arrived I was perfectly warm and could go to sleep with no danger of the bedding getting wet. Others were trying to keep warm in soaking sleeping bags.

I secured the plaid with a cord around both layers on my left shoulder and tied on the right side, not pulled so tight that it was all bunched up, it needed to be able to spread out in ordinary style or swiftly deployed when the rain started.

It was certainly rather testing, and rather than waiting for Saturday morning to go home I set off after the fireworks on the Friday night and arrived home in the small hours. Of course the weather changed to brilliant sunshine on Saturday morning and I managed to bleach one of the plaids slightly when drying it out.

Tunic, kilt and plaid certainly proved to be a practical outfit for moving around in bad weather. I did have some berets with me too - large enough to get all my hair into so stopping that nasty cold trickling down the back sensation.
There were several quite bad cases of hypothermia amongst those wearing jeans that week.

[Tobus]

I rather like this day plaid look to tell the truth. Certainly the wrapped day plaid without a broach looks very proper with a traditional walking out outfit.

I agree. Whilst the day plaid simply worn folded over the left shoulder can be somewhat of a burdensome fashion accessory, it becomes very useful if one expects any sort of inclement weather. I made mine primarily for wearing to Highland Games when it would be cold, windy, and/or rainy. I have been known to stay home when it's too cold for me (I have a low tolerance for frigid temps), and decided to take advantage of the traditional Highland solution.

It definitely takes some practise to get used to wearing a plaid, especially for being able to convert it on-the-go from one configuration to another without assistance. For instance, if wearing it as a simple over-the-shoulder day plaid and wanting to do a chest wrap, one has to handle a large length of cloth without dragging it on the ground, getting it neatly around one's chest and back over the shoulder. Then there's a lot of tugging at the jacket and plaid to get it all to lay comfortably and be able to move freely. The first few times you do it, it feels like a battle, but it gets easier.

Since making my tutorial, I bought a plaid brooch but haven't used it. For one thing, I'm still hesitant to put holes in the cloth, and for another the wearing of a brooched plaid takes a lot of fussing about in front of a mirror to get perfect. I think I'm more of a mind to just wear it casually and wrap it around my chest, flipping the end back over my shoulder freely as needed. No brooch. Just a more natural and casual wrapping. I probably wouldn't use the brooch unless I were trying to do a more formal wearing of the plaid.

In terms of plaid construction, I rather tend to think there's no difference between the plaids worn in MacLeay's portraits and a modern day plaid. Lengths can vary depending on user preference, and configurations of the plaid on the body are limitless. The beauty of the plaid is that it's just a piece of tartan and can be used lots of ways.

The one thing I haven't quite figured out, though, is how to get the plaid to look like MacLeay's portraits, in terms of the diagonal lay of the plaid with fringe cascading down the sides. The image below is but one example. You can clearly see that as the plaid goes around his chest, the tartan pattern is folded in line with the length of the cloth. But as it drapes down his left side, it's folded at a diagonal and the fringe at the end of the plaid is coming down nicely in a wavy manner. It's not just all hanging flatly and crudely at the bottom of the draped end. This diagonal configuration is a very pleasant aesthetic, but I haven't experimented with how to get it to display like that. I'd be curious if anyone else has tips on this.

[Jock Scot]

The late Euan Macpherson of Glentruim used to regularly wear a day plaid wrapped around his person and without a noticeable pin. He would even spend a day out on the moor grouse shooting dressed thus. In my experience he was a slightly "old world" and eccentric dresser(and we are probably talking about 1950's/60's and perhaps the 70's) and a really sound fellow and was the only person that I have ever met, or have seen, dressed that way on a regular basis. A quick google might bare fruit with some pictures? Failing that, I seem to recall that there are a couple of pictures and a brief discussion about him in the long thread called; "Too Traditional" which should be available in our website archives.

[OC Richard]

EDIT: very uncommon, but I did find a Victorian photo of a gent wearing a plaid in the modern "day plaid" manner



What one generally sees is the traditional long plaid wrapped around the body:







sloppy ones





Here with a brooch. Note the plaid isn't gathered, but flat





Getting the plaid to look like it's on the bias was mentioned, here it is



The same was worn in the army. Here in 1855, note how loose the plaid is



By around 1900 the military piper's plaids had become more tightly wrapped, but no more precise



Contrasted with modern military plaids which are carefully pleated to the stripe, and the pleats sewn in

[Stewart of Galloway]

One year when attending Sidmouth Folk Festival which is a week long camping expedition, it was very wet. It didn't just rain, it poured.
Luckily I had several wool kilts and a couple of long plaids as I found I overheated underneath waterproofs, so I decided that I would just get wet.

A couple of times I was in pubs - where the sessions were held and see steam rising in the mirrors - it was me drying off.
The long plaid can be opened up and wrapped around, completely enclosing me - I am 5ft 5 - just, and wet wool becomes more windproof than it was when dry.

Several times I arrived back at the van soaked to the skin late at night broke out a change of clothes, hung up the wet ones and then drove to the campsite. By the time I arrived I was perfectly warm and could go to sleep with no danger of the bedding getting wet. Others were trying to keep warm in soaking sleeping bags.

I secured the plaid with a cord around both layers on my left shoulder and tied on the right side, not pulled so tight that it was all bunched up, it needed to be able to spread out in ordinary style or swiftly deployed when the rain started.

It was certainly rather testing, and rather than waiting for Saturday morning to go home I set off after the fireworks on the Friday night and arrived home in the small hours. Of course the weather changed to brilliant sunshine on Saturday morning and I managed to bleach one of the plaids slightly when drying it out.

Tunic, kilt and plaid certainly proved to be a practical outfit for moving around in bad weather. I did have some berets with me too - large enough to get all my hair into so stopping that nasty cold trickling down the back sensation.
There were several quite bad cases of hypothermia amongst those wearing jeans that week.

I love a real practical story, thanks for sharing your adventure 😀 It's very interesting that you say that a wet plaid and kilt holds the heat in better, I used to surf a lot in winter and it's amazing how warm the wetsuit gets out in the cold water whilst it is freezing to wear one whilst dry on land.
The natural experience and solutions of the Highland people living in very cold conditions should be taken as old wisdom and you have proved it.

[Stewart of Galloway]

I agree. Whilst the day plaid simply worn folded over the left shoulder can be somewhat of a burdensome fashion accessory, it becomes very useful if one expects any sort of inclement weather. I made mine primarily for wearing to Highland Games when it would be cold, windy, and/or rainy. I have been known to stay home when it's too cold for me (I have a low tolerance for frigid temps), and decided to take advantage of the traditional Highland solution.

It definitely takes some practise to get used to wearing a plaid, especially for being able to convert it on-the-go from one configuration to another without assistance. For instance, if wearing it as a simple over-the-shoulder day plaid and wanting to do a chest wrap, one has to handle a large length of cloth without dragging it on the ground, getting it neatly around one's chest and back over the shoulder. Then there's a lot of tugging at the jacket and plaid to get it all to lay comfortably and be able to move freely. The first few times you do it, it feels like a battle, but it gets easier.

Since making my tutorial, I bought a plaid brooch but haven't used it. For one thing, I'm still hesitant to put holes in the cloth, and for another the wearing of a brooched plaid takes a lot of fussing about in front of a mirror to get perfect. I think I'm more of a mind to just wear it casually and wrap it around my chest, flipping the end back over my shoulder freely as needed. No brooch. Just a more natural and casual wrapping. I probably wouldn't use the brooch unless I were trying to do a more formal wearing of the plaid.

In terms of plaid construction, I rather tend to think there's no difference between the plaids worn in MacLeay's portraits and a modern day plaid. Lengths can vary depending on user preference, and configurations of the plaid on the body are limitless. The beauty of the plaid is that it's just a piece of tartan and can be used lots of ways.

The one thing I haven't quite figured out, though, is how to get the plaid to look like MacLeay's portraits, in terms of the diagonal lay of the plaid with fringe cascading down the sides. The image below is but one example. You can clearly see that as the plaid goes around his chest, the tartan pattern is folded in line with the length of the cloth. But as it drapes down his left side, it's folded at a diagonal and the fringe at the end of the plaid is coming down nicely in a wavy manner. It's not just all hanging flatly and crudely at the bottom of the draped end. This diagonal configuration is a very pleasant aesthetic, but I haven't experimented with how to get it to display like that. I'd be curious if anyone else has tips on this.

Great to get your experiences of wearing the plaid, it rarely ever gets even as cool as mid summer in Scotland where I live (Queensland, Australia) but after several years down south I learnt how important it is is to kept your chest warm in actual cold and especially windy conditions. It seems so obvious that this is how one would wear the day plaid on a cold blowy day, draped over the shoulder 'just in case' and thrown around the body when needed.
I guess it's the difference between a costume just for show and an outfit that you feel at home in that is practical and useful.
I think that that Campbell gent looks fantastic! A very handsome look.
Regards the hang of the plaid I wonder if perhaps people would iron pleats and even a stitch or two in for more formal wear (such as being immortalized by the Queen's commissioned painter)?
Personally when I get my plaid made (waiting for the weavers to start up in Scotland and then how long to get the cloth sent out??) I will be experimenting and playing around with it as per these Scots from MacIan's paintings

[Stewart of Galloway]

The late Euan Macpherson of Glentruim used to regularly wear a day plaid wrapped around his person and without a noticeable pin. He would even spend a day out on the moor grouse shooting dressed thus. In my experience he was a slightly "old world" and eccentric dresser(and we are probably talking about 1950's/60's and perhaps the 70's) and a really sound fellow and was the only person that I have ever met, or have seen, dressed that way on a regular basis. A quick google might bare fruit with some pictures? Failing that, I seem to recall that there are a couple of pictures and a brief discussion about him in the long thread called; "Too Traditional" which should be available in our website archives.

Great story Jock, I like the sound of Mr McPherson indeed 😀 Nice to be Old World and do things like dress as a Scot from the Victorian era or read Sir Walter's or Stevenson's novels or eat haggis or do barmy things like play pipes and drums ha ha.
Here's to us eh! I will go looking for him