From "Normal" to "Formal" - the kilt's place as a Highland garment

[macwilkin]

Since the bloody British were still in charge over here in '46 I would imagine the the Jacobite refugees refrained from wearing the kilt in public. However, I can vizualize a battlion of Jacobites in thier full highland garb with broad swords charging the British forces during the revolution. It would be interesting to know what exactly the custom was at that time regarding the wearing of the kilt, maybe someone knows.
Angus MacDonald

The ex-Jacobites in the American colonies tended to side with the British, or at least attempted to remain neutral in the first American "Civil War". Duane Meyer's history of the Highland Scots of North Carolina discussed the reasons why they refused to side with their rebel neighbours.

It may fit the patriot myth to have these Heilan Laddies charging the Lobsterbacks, but in reality, they were Loyalists, fighting against the descendants of Lowlanders, who viewed the redshanks like they viewed Indians across the pond.

T.

[piperdbh]

Here's my two cents' worth:
The kilt or belted plaid may have fallen out of favor as more people worked in factories with machinery that could easily entangle stray fabric. (I used to work in a sawmill, and a tooth on the blade once caught my leather glove and could have chewed my arm into pulp. Thanks be to the Lord, the glove slipped off and left my hand unharmed.) Britches would have made more sense than kilts to wear in a factory, and used far less fabric, making them cheaper to produce.

Kilts and tartan may have come back into favor in the late 1800s because of new dyes which could produce bolder colors than the old plant-based dyes. From what I've read about Victorian culture, they liked color.

The end.

[Ancienne Alliance]

This thread is simply fascinating, gentlemen.

Thank you for your contributions.


Best,

Robert

[Micric]

I posted sometime earlier in this thread, that both Osgood Mackenzie, and Charles St John mention the kilt being worn. here are two brief quotes from C. St-John's book, "Wild sports and natural history of the Highlands" (1846)

Speaking of a group of poachers on the hill, spending a night in the heather, he says;

"...When a party of them sleep on the hillside, their manner of arranging their couch is as follows;-
If snow is on the ground, they first scrape it off a small space; they all then collect a quantity of the driest heather they can find.
The next step for all the party except one to lie down close to each other, with room between one couple for the remaining manto get into the ranks when his duty is done; which is to lay all the plaids on top of his companions, and on the plaids a quantity of long heather;
When he has sufficiently thatched them in, he creeps into the vacant space, and they are made up for the night. The coldest frost has no effect on them, when bivouacking in this manner. Their guns are laid dry between them, and their dogs share their master's couch."

End quote.
Now, I have a question!;
The plaids mentioned here; Are they the great plaids....great kilts? ore are they a kind of blanket carried by men wearing normal trousers, instead of carrying a coat?

Next quote from same auther and book, (1846);

"....I had a visit last week from a Highland poacher of some notoriety in his way.
He is the possesor of a brace of the finest deer-hounds in Scotland, and came down from his mountain-home to show them to me, as I wanted some for a friend.
The man himself is an old aquaintance of mine, as I had fallen in with him more than once in the course of my rambles."

He writes about his good looks and on how all the lassies say; Eh, but yon's a Bonnie Lad!"
.......... and goes on to say;

" he steps along the street with a good natured self satisfied swagger of a man who knows all the women are admiring him.
He is dressed in a Plain Grey Kilt and Jacket, with an otter-skin purse and a low scull cap with a long peak,....."
end quote.
.....and ends by saying he's not seen a finer fellow aywhere.

Ronald as he was called , was about 26 at the time, so not just an old leftover from an earlier age, yet it seems he wore the kilt, and knew how to! was he a rare exception? This was before the days when Queen Victoria brought kilting back into fashion.

Thanks for any answers!!

R.

[toadinakilt]

" he steps along the street with a good natured self satisfied swagger of a man who knows all the women are admiring him.
He is dressed in a Plain Grey Kilt and Jacket, with an otter-skin purse and a low scull cap with a long peak,....."
end quote.
.....and ends by saying he's not seen a finer fellow aywhere.


R.

Huh, a low scull cap with a long peak... sounds like a flat cap to me!

[ThistleDown]

Huh, a low scull cap with a long peak... sounds like a flat cap to me!

or an early form of ballcap? In fact, it was a fore-and-aft.

[McElmurry]

or an early form of ballcap? In fact, it was a fore-and-aft.

Would this be ala Sherlock Holmes. A tight fitting cap with a brim "fore and aft" and ear flaps tied up?

Edited: My bad...no it is like a Boy Scout cap which you can fold over your belt...yes?

[ThistleDown]

Would this be ala Sherlock Holmes. A tight fitting cap with a brim "fore and aft" and ear flaps tied up?

Edited: My bad...no it is like a Boy Scout cap which you can fold over your belt...yes?

The "fore and aft" is what Mr Holmes is popularly seen as wearing out-of-doors. The "deerstalker" has brims to and fro, as well, and ear flaps. A very practical form of headgear in the Highland climate. Ears nice and warm with the flaps down. If tied under the chin the heavy winds don't lift it off your head. The rear brim carries the water away over your collar. The fore brim keeps the water off your face and even protects your eyes from the brightness of the rain drops.

Rex

[ThistleDown]

I posted sometime earlier in this thread, that both Osgood Mackenzie, and Charles St John mention the kilt being worn. here are two brief quotes from C. St-John's book, "Wild sports and natural history of the Highlands" (1846)

Speaking of a group of poachers on the hill, spending a night in the heather, he says;

"...When a party of them sleep on the hillside, their manner of arranging their couch is as follows;-
If snow is on the ground, they first scrape it off a small space; they all then collect a quantity of the driest heather they can find.
The next step for all the party except one to lie down close to each other, with room between one couple for the remaining manto get into the ranks when his duty is done; which is to lay all the plaids on top of his companions, and on the plaids a quantity of long heather;
When he has sufficiently thatched them in, he creeps into the vacant space, and they are made up for the night. The coldest frost has no effect on them, when bivouacking in this manner. Their guns are laid dry between them, and their dogs share their master's couch."

End quote.
Now, I have a question!;
The plaids mentioned here; Are they the great plaids....great kilts? ore are they a kind of blanket carried by men wearing normal trousers, instead of carrying a coat?

Next quote from same auther and book, (1846);

"....I had a visit last week from a Highland poacher of some notoriety in his way.
He is the possesor of a brace of the finest deer-hounds in Scotland, and came down from his mountain-home to show them to me, as I wanted some for a friend.
The man himself is an old aquaintance of mine, as I had fallen in with him more than once in the course of my rambles."

He writes about his good looks and on how all the lassies say; Eh, but yon's a Bonnie Lad!"
.......... and goes on to say;

" he steps along the street with a good natured self satisfied swagger of a man who knows all the women are admiring him.
He is dressed in a Plain Grey Kilt and Jacket, with an otter-skin purse and a low scull cap with a long peak,....."
end quote.
.....and ends by saying he's not seen a finer fellow aywhere.

Ronald as he was called , was about 26 at the time, so not just an old leftover from an earlier age, yet it seems he wore the kilt, and knew how to! was he a rare exception? This was before the days when Queen Victoria brought kilting back into fashion.

Thanks for any answers!!

R.

Judging by the date (1846) I would think the plaids referred to were just that, "plaids" and not great kilts or anything else. As a matter of fact this form of warm and reasonably waterproof covering was used well into the 20C, too.

The second story is wonderful and I agree entirely with you. This man was not a hold-over from a bygone era. He was, however, a poacher and lived a risky life. His bravado on entering civilisation given the nature of his "occupation", his manner of living, and his style of dress may all combine to tell us much about the man.

Rex

[Micric]

Toad,
I think it was a ball-cap!!!