"Jacobite" garb

[SteveB]

Living History can be a hard sell.
The Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum of the landing of the Pilgrims and the Native People that met them. The Native People on the site are true Native Americans, and portray the common member of the nation they represent. There are no large feathered bonnets and the Watu is very basic. The visitor next enters a 1627 village of people doing 1627 things in 1627 garb. Very basic, no frills. Many, many myths are shattered.
This Thursday you may want to think about it. There was no Turkey on the table on the original "Thanksgiving" day harvest feast. Another Great American Myth.

Slainte,

[jhockin]

[quote]:"Sadly, if we all turned out as we probably should we wouldn't get the "visitor" interest that we get as few are interested in the humble crofter." [quote]

One really shouldn't be too surprized (though I agree with being saddened), as our kulture(s) teach use to regard "HISTORY" as the story of the rich and famous, not the 99.99% of the ordinary working people/"the humbly". 'History is written by the victors'"/ and the 'rich'.

[Sir William]

Living History can be a hard sell.
The Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum of the landing of the Pilgrims and the Native People that met them. The Native People on the site are true Native Americans, and portray the common member of the nation they represent. There are no large feathered bonnets and the Watu is very basic. The visitor next enters a 1627 village of people doing 1627 things in 1627 garb. Very basic, no frills. Many, many myths are shattered.
This Thursday you may want to think about it. There was no Turkey on the table on the original "Thanksgiving" day harvest feast. Another Great American Myth.

Slainte,

What? No Western Plains warbonnets? And no turkeys for the Pilgrims?

I am truely shocked! Shocked, I say!

(all said very tongue in cheek)

Next you'll be telling me that all Scots don't wear kilts!

Some years ago a British friend was visiting Mt Vernon with his young son. A man in front of them was tellilng his own son that George Washington was the man who fought the Civil War and freed the slaves. My British friend suggested that the man meant Abraham Lincoln, and that George Washington fought the American Revolution and became the Father of the United States. The man replied, "You're not from around here are you? Don't go trying to tell me my own history."

It's difficult to disabuse people of what they believe, or want to believe.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Think of the philabeg worn by Rob in the film Rob Roy: unpressed box pleats, narrow front aprons, no fringe, etc. Highland dress historian Peter MacDonald was the costume consultant for that movie, and that's what he believes early "little kilts" were like.
The notion that the first philabegs were hand-pleated each time by the wearer is a "reenactorism" unsubstantiated by any period documentation or image. Did they have a drawstring or belt-loops? Were the pleats stitched into place from the get-go? We simply don't know, as none survive from the period of earliest use. The earliest surviving philabegs date to the 1790's and feature sewn-in box pleats. Does this represent earlier practice? Probably, but again,we don't know for sure....

As the feilidh-mor (the garment from which the feilidh-beag evolved) was an untailored garment, it is generally thought that the earliest versions of the feilidh-beag would have been untailored, as well.

However, there is a logical reason for leaving the feilidh-mor untailored. It was basically a blanket, and was used as such when not being worn. Having the pleats sewn in would take away from its functionality.

The same could not really be said of the abbreviated feilidh-beag, though. Being narrow in width, its use as a blanket would be limited, at best. It's primary purpose was for clothing.

So I can well imagine that it would not have taken long after its first introduction before people started to wonder, "Why am I pleating this thing up every time I put it on? Wouldn't it be easier to sew these into place?"

The first tailored kilts were very likely sewn up at the waist only. Later on they were sewn from waist to hip, as we know them. This is speculation, though. The truth is we do not really know. As Brian said, we only have surviving examples from the 1790s. The earliest kilt for which a date can be documented with any certainty is a Gordon Highlanders regimental kilt from 1796. It has less then four yards, and is box pleated with the pleats sewn from waist tio hip -- no tapering, no lining, no fastening, self-fringe on the aprons.

The fact that we have no surviving examples from before then does not prove whether the early feilidh-beag was tailored or not. But it does suggest not. One of the reason we don't see surviving feilidh-mor is that it was an untailored garment -- a large blanket. When the cloth began to wear thin and no longer be usable as a garment, it was likely repurposed. Any usable parts of the cloth may have been used for other garments, anything unusable may have been used for rags or thrown away. The same could be said for the fate of any untailored feilidh-beag.

[Woodsheal]

The same could not really be said of the abbreviated feilidh-beag, though. Being narrow in width, its use as a blanket would be limited, at best. It's primary purpose was for clothing.

So I can well imagine that it would not have taken long after its first introduction before people started to wonder, "Why am I pleating this thing up every time I put it on? Wouldn't it be easier to sew these into place?"

Plus - from what I've observed at reenactment events - the loose, hand-pleated version doesn't always stand up too well to active use! Your belt, which holds the whole affair together, is right at the top of the garment with only two or three inches of fabric above it. Running and leaping about, as during a battle, can result in an embarrassing heap of tartan around your ankles as the philabeg comes undone. I've seen this happen to more than one red-faced laddie!

The stitched-up version (or perhaps with a drawstring?) has more structure, and remains in its proper place around one's waist more reliably....

[Sir William]

Plus - from what I've observed at reenactment events - the loose, hand-pleated version doesn't always stand up too well to active use! .... The stitched-up version (or perhaps with a drawstring?) has more structure, and remains in its proper place around one's waist more reliably....

Quite so. This is why I've been more inclined to wear the full feilidh-mor as it is more likely to stay in place once donned.

Some of our group wear a feilidh-beag when the weather is particularly hot and muggy, as it tends to do in during Virginia summers, and almost all have sewn the pleats in at the waist - but with no effort to pleat to the sett or line.

[jmercier]

I think that's what i'll be doing for my philabeg, right now i'm still using a modern (though relatively obscure, the strathclyde district) tartan for my philabeg, so iv'e been able to get away with it. Iv'e got some nice generic wool tartan (if a bit light in color, but probably just fine) that I want to make a new one with.

[Lachlan09]

Perhaps the unraveling effect might help explain the descriptions of 17th Century Highlanders, at for instance Killiekrankie, before battle disrobing themselves, leaving their breacan feile on the ground and fighting only in their shirts. That would be worth a re-enactment !

BTW, I am sorry to divert the topic to another era, but are there ACW re-enactment groups who depict the 54th Mass, Corps D’Afrique (USA and the CSA New Orleans version) or regiments of USCT ?

[Sir William]

Perhaps the unraveling effect might help explain the descriptions of 17th Century Highlanders, at for instance Killiekrankie, before battle disrobing themselves, leaving their breacan feile on the ground and fighting only in their shirts. That would be worth a re-enactment !

Actually, the reason they dropped their feilidh-mor is for freedom of movement. Easier to fight without interference and also less likely to snag on something, or offer a purchase point for your opponent. Easy enough to pick up what you'd discarded after the fighting was over - if you still lived.

As for the second question, yes there are - quite a few actually. I know there is one 54th MASS here in the Mid-Atlantic as I've met some of their members. Have you tried to doing a google search?

[WClarkB]

Actually, the reason they dropped their feilidh-mor is for freedom of movement. Easier to fight without interference and also less likely to snag on something, or offer a purchase point for your opponent. Easy enough to pick up what you'd discarded after the fighting was over - if you still lived.

As for the second question, yes there are - quite a few actually. I know there is one 54th MASS here in the Mid-Atlantic as I've met some of their members. Have you tried to doing a google search?

Precisely as warriors always done when they had the chance; dropping gear behind the lines before going into battle from Gaugamela to Gettysburg.