An honest question

[MacKenzie]

While the first part of the following post, the "history" part, is a bit jocund (because you all know it), the question at the end is sincere.

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In the 17^th and 18^th centuries the folks that lived in the Highlands of Scotland wore a “garment” that consisted if a piece of cloth 4-5 yards long and 50-60 inches wide. Half of this blanket (plaide) was wrapped around the waist and secured with a belt. The rest was thrown over the shoulder and secured with a pin or brooch, or pulled up the back and over the head to form a cape and hood, or let hang over the belt and down the back of the legs. How this “belted plaid” was worn really all depended on the weather and the need. It could even be used as a bedroll… or a shelter perhaps.

Somewhere along in here there was a hot spell and someone said, “This thing is hot!”, cut his blanket in half, wrapped one half around his waist, put on the belt and left the other half in the castle. We now have the “short kilt”.

Somewhere along in here the word “tartan” was introduced, not sure where from, and became synonymous with “blanket” and/or “plaid”.

Fast forward to 1746: The Jacobites were defeated at Culloden (hate that part). After which one of the Kings advisors declared that, “All of the members of this and that Clan were all wearing the same tartan.” (Ya think? They all got their “blanket” from the same loom) and declared these tartans “Clan colors.”

The civilian wearing of tartan is banned. But the British keep the short kilt and tartan alive by designing military uniforms around them, and Highland regiments are sent all over the world to keep them out of trouble.

1782: The civilian ban on wearing of tartan is lifted. Kilts and tartan is back. Sir Walter Scott pours gas on the fire. Clans adopt “Clan tartans”.

1822: Sir Scott advised the king about his pending trip to Edinburgh, “You wear a kilt and they’ll love ya, man.” G4 thought it was such a good idea that he declared that the whole entourage would wear kilts. (Seems that the folks in E-Town had to scramble to get themselves likewise outfitted. Minor detail.)

Now Kilt = Scotland… by god.

Short Kilt, that is.

Fast forward to today: The short kilt is the de-facto standard, from casual to very formal. For the most part, here on this forum and elsewhere, the belted plaid (or “great kilt” as it’s now mostly known) is looked down upon, called “sloppy”, and deemed, “OK for a Ren Fair, but not a real kilt.”

Why?

Sure, not for a wedding or black tie affair.

Otherwise… why?

:::donning the Nomex suit now::::

[Nathan]

It's an interesting question and one I have pondered. Your history is good, but the reason is because it's out of style and has been for a couple of hundred years. It therefore looks like a period costume rather than a traditional garment. For something to be traditional it has to be passed down from generation to generation. It can evolve through the generations and what's traditional this generation is defined by how the true tradition bearers are doing it now.

At that time, it was the custom all over Europe for men of a certain station to wear powdered wigs. Since that tradition has been broken for some time, it would be considered odd for a gentleman to start sporting a powdered wig like Bonnie Prince Charlie wore. Unless he was a UK Barrister of some sort (and even those wigs are different) he would appear to be in a period costume. If people had kept on wearing the feileadh mor from generation to generation, it wouldn't be odd. Since they stopped, it is. It's the same reason we don't wear collars like Shakespeare did - they fell out of use.

We can't arbitrarily dress as if the past 200 years just didn't happen without looking a bit eccentric.

Also, why pick 1746, our darkest hour, as the moment in time? Why not dress in a leine and brat with skin tight trews in true Gaelic fashion? The reason is because you would look absurd out of context. What about chain-mail armour? My clan loved that for a while if the statues and grave inscriptions are to be believed.

In contrast, the little kilt does have an unbroken tradition. 1) Proscription wasn't that long and lots of people lived to see it come and go. 2) The military had been wearing little kilts since well before Colloden. 3) The kilt has existed in pretty much its current form for the past 200+ years. The idea of Clan tartans sprouted from somewhat spurious soil but it was a good idea and it caught on. Certainly the idea of clans was well established in the Highlands and tartans have proved a unifying force for disparate and displaced kin.

So that's your answer. It's strange to wear beaver pelt top hats, knee length britches, Elizabethan collars, and togas unless you're at a costume party of some kind. A ren fair provides the necessary context to dress as if you're in another century. If you want to dress like a Highlander from this century, it would be best to take a look at how other Highlanders actually dress today.

[figheadair]

An interesting question but your synopsis contains some inaccuracies.

While the first part of the following post, the "history" part, is a bit jocund (because you all know it), the question at the end is sincere.

Somewhere along in here the word “tartan” was introduced, not sure where from, and became synonymous with “blanket” and/or “plaid”.

The word tartan was certainly in use by the 16th century. It is thought to derive through French to an Old Spanish word that described a type of cloth irrespective of the design.

Fast forward to 1746: The Jacobites were defeated at Culloden (hate that part). After which one of the Kings advisors declared that, “All of the members of this and that Clan were all wearing the same tartan.”

I think you're mixing up Sir Walter Scott's organisation of King George IV's visit to Edinburgh in 1822. He urged the chiefs to turn out in their true clan tartan but by that time commercial weavers had already started to move from setts with District names to Clan one. There was no immediate change to clan setts post Culloden.

The civilian wearing of tartan is banned.

No, the ban was on the wearing of Highland clothes, including the belted plaid and kilt, by males other than those in the Army.

1782: The civilian ban on wearing of tartan is lifted. Kilts and tartan is back. Sir Walter Scott pours gas on the fire. Clans adopt “Clan tartans”.

See above comment about the ban. Scott's influence was some 40 years later.

Fast forward to today: The short kilt is the de-facto standard, from casual to very formal. For the most part, here on this forum and elsewhere, the belted plaid (or “great kilt” as it’s now mostly known) is looked down upon, called “sloppy”, and deemed, “OK for a Ren Fair, but not a real kilt.”

Nathan has effectively answered this.

[Pleater]

Having bought a bolt of cloth I used part of it for a belted plaid, but having access to needle thread and scissors it gradually altered - having pleats sewn in, then the top modified, sleeves cut out - before long it was a dressing gown with pleated feature. It would have been fine as it was if I'd been roaming vast tracts of open country but for indoor living in a modern environment, draped and hanging folds are just too cumbersome. They snag on door handles and the backs of chairs, sweep low tables clear of coffee cups and magazines and make boiling an egg into a form of Russian roulette - just not practical.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Chas]

“sloppy”

I think you have answered your own question.

[Domehead]

There is a thread on XMTS which discussed at length the orthography (spec: etymology, semantics & pragmatics) of Traditional v. Historic Highland Dress.

In that thread, the primary example used to set the foundation was the Roman Toga.

[MacKenzie]

Thanks for the replies.

[MacLowlife]

Walking is usually more convenient and less complicated than maintaining a jet airplane- and cheaper than using someone else's. All I have to do to walk is to stand up and stir my stumps. No costly fuel, no safety checks, no elaborate runway clearance procedures. But if you want to get from Edinburgh to Charlotte with a half dozen bottles of Whisky, you will probably absorb the expense and inconvenience and buy a plane ticket.

Here are some things to consider, not all of them consistent with each other:

1) As has been noted, the Great Kilt is cumbersome
2) People like simplicity and even with drawstrings, sewn pleats, etc., putting on the Great Kilt is not that simple.
3) Actually WEARING the Great Kilt requires more active management than most garments- if you intend to look smart.
4) At some level, people like the idea of having their garments tailored for them- actually sewn to fit- and there is little or no sewing in the short bolt of fabric that is a Great Kilt.
5) Tartan fabric is expensive and a great hunk of it, as you will need to have a Great Kilt, is too costly for many.

It is interesting that you mention weddings, because Saxon formal wear is generally a little anachronistic. too ( score one for the Great Kilt and you). There are archaic elements there that do not appear elsewhere, particularly if one adds in military and other ceremonial garments. But look at who really does the heavy lifting in popularizing the kilt today- football fans and rental shops. A hard-drinking football fan doesn't want to mess with a Great Kilt, not if he wants to avoid getting arrested or otherwise entangled. And the rental shop clerk can't come to your house and supervise you pleating the thing- he wants convenience and reliability. And he wants to hand it to you and walk away. Preferably with a pair of white hose and a large receipt.

If you want to wear a Great Kilt for some ceremonial occasion, have at it. I think you will find it offers all of the svelte convenience of an academic gown, combined with the ease of use of a tailcoat or a dress with a train. It may be wise to have a few extended dress rehearsals so that you will be familiar with the need for occasional adjustment, etc. Mind that elevator door.

But wearing it will get you past the people who disdain the fly plaid.

[Guinness>water]

Mackenzie,
I think Nathan has about the best answer. It looks funny(to others).

Have you worn a belted plaid? If not, try it. I also am very interested in the history, practicality, and I guess "romance" of the great kilt. I have owned two of them and wore them on several occasions. Out in the sticks while camping, hiking or hunting, it is great. In town, you get a whole lot of bad looks, laughs, and finger pointing. Imagine the attention you get with a little kilt x 10.

One of the guys on here(he left) was really big into 1700 era Highland reenactemnts. He had it down pat, the history, styles, how to wear it, everything. I talked with him a few times and we decided that anytime you wear the small kilt you could wear the great kilt. The only thing you change is the kilt. We thought it would be cool to reintroduce the world to the great kilt and I started wearing it pretty often. To tell you the truth, I couldnt handle the attention it brought. I had mall Security Officers following me around thinking I was a homeless guy, even though I was wearing proper highland day wear, or trying to steal stuff because of the baggyness of the kilt.

If you can handle the attention and dont mind being the town "weirdo", more power to you!

[Jock Scot]

Guinness>water.

"----------proper highland day wear------------". Hummm, I am really not at all sure about that. The great kilt may be historically correct , but I think not in a modern day context. These days I think most would think of the great kilt as more theatrical than anything else.