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Vintage Kilts and Sporrans
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What we think of as a kilt began as a garment known as a belted plaid (also called feileadh-mhor or "a great kilt"), which was similar to a toga in that it covered the torso as well as the upper legs. Worn exclusively by men in the Scottish...
What we think of as a kilt began as a garment known as a belted plaid (also called feileadh-mhor or "a great kilt"), which was similar to a toga in that it covered the torso as well as the upper legs. Worn exclusively by men in the Scottish Highlands, the belted plaid was basically a piece of plaid, or checked, wool fabric known as tartan, that was tied around the waist with a rope or belt. The Highlanders, who lived in tribal groups known as clans, were known for their rugged, subsistence lifestyle and their skills in battle. The Highland-warrior dress kept their legs exposed so they could move easily through marshlands without making the wool fabric wet and heavy. The chiefs, however, preferred to ride horses, and wore tartan trousers known as "trews" instead of kilts.
Despite the popular misconception, ancient Highlanders did not have particular tartans—or colorful wool fabric woven into plaid patterns known as "setts"—associated with specific clans. The men simply wore tartan kilts woven from the natural dyes available in their region, which might come from plants, insects, or imported material. Women didn't wear kilts but a tartan garment known as an earasaid, or arisaid, which evolved into an outer garment known as the "tartan screen" or "tartan shawl."
The male Scottish dress as we think of it today first developed in the Highlands in the 18th century, and became a widespread trend in the 19th century. To understand why, you have to know a little political history: In 1603, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in the Union of the Crowns, and he and his descendants ruled two separate, sovereign states, until 1689, when the Catholic monarchy was overthrown by Protestant leader William of Orange, who became King of England and installed a parliamentary government in both nations. In 1707, the parliaments of Scotland and England agreed to unite into one kingdom called Great Britain.
The British government decided it was best to organize the Highland's fierce warriors into local militias, which became regiments of the British military in 1739. The first Highland Regiment of Foot was known as the Black Watch, and as a uniform, the soldiers wore a great kilt made of a green, blue, and black tartan, known as the Black Watch or Government tartan. Other Highlander regiments based their tartans on the Black Watch tartan, adding a stripe of white, red, or yellow to match the thread on the "facing" like buttonholes of their coats. The fighters from Clan Gordon, for example, added a yellow stripe to their tartan.
The lower or skirt portion of the kilt became a separate garment called feileadh-beag, or "little kilt," around the same time. The first known remaining example of a "little kilt" is from the 92nd Regiment of Foot, or the Gordon Highlanders, dates to 1794. These kilts were much smaller than today's kilts, with only 3-4 yards of fabric, as opposed to the 7-8 yards of fabric you see in modern-day little kilts.
The kilt became a symbol of rebellion around the same era: Between 1689 and 1745, the Jacobites—or groups of Highlanders devoted to Scotland-born and Catholic deposed King James III of England, also known as James VIII of Scotland—fought against the new Protestant and parliament-led government. As a result, in 1747, the Act of Proscription, meant to disarm the radical Highlanders, banned men and boys in that region from wearing their traditional warrior dress. However, during this time, it was popular for British gentry, including Highland chiefs, to have their portraits painted while wearing rich red tartan kilts and coats. In 1778, Highland chiefs came together in London to form the Highland Society of London, which pushed for the repeal of the Act of Proscription. They succeeded in 1782. In 1816, the Highland Society began to catalog "clan tartans" for the first time ever.
At the turn of the 19th century, Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott became enamored with the heroic stories of the Jacobite Risings. His novels, "Waverley" (1814), "Guy Mannering" (1815), "Rob Roy" (1817), and "Ivanhoe" (1820), as well as his 1816 poem "The Field of Waterloo," sold the romance of the Jacobites to the greater Scottish—and British—public. A weaving company known as Wilsons of Bannockburn started to market tartans named after Scott's well-loved characters. They also produced the official tartans for Highland clans.
When King George IV announced he would visit Edinburgh in 1822, Sir Walter Scott announced that every man in Scotland should arrive in his "clan tartan." The problem was men in the Scottish Lowlands had never worn kilts or tartans before. The Lowland Lairds—or lords—went to Wilsons of Bannockburn and asked them to create clan tartans for their surnames, too. That's the moment when kilts became the Scottish national dress.
In 1831, James Logan published a book called "The Scottish Gaël" in which he described specific tartan thread counts according to Wilsons. John Sobieski Stewart and Charles Edward Stewart, who claimed to be descendants of Jacobite heir “Bonnie” Prince Charlie, then published a book in 1842 called "Vestiarium Scoticum," which they claimed to have sourced from an ancient manuscript. They listed a number of clan tartans for Lowland clans, but historians later discovered their claims were false. However, at the time, Lowland Lairds embraced their supposed tartans, making them a tradition. Wilsons, seeing a marketing opportunity, began to churn out these tartans, as well.
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria bought Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1848. Victoria was particularly enamored with Sir Walter Scott's stories, and she and Albert covered every inch of the castle in tartans. Their favored tartan was the Royal Stewart tartan, a deep red plaid with stripes of blue, green, black, yellow, and white. For a time, no one was supposed to wear the Royal Stewart tartan without the express permission of the Queen of England. More than 100 years later, the Royal Stewart tartan became a favored fabric in the British punk scene.
Today, modern Scottish dress for men includes a kilt with the hem touching the top of the keep cap, a plain white shirt, a coatee, and a vest. A sporran or purse is worn over the kilt, and on the lower legs are kilt hose held up by garters, with a Sgian Dhubhknife tucked into the kilt hose. Brogues are accepted footwear.
Contrary to rumors, the Scottish Tartans Authority explains that modern men do wear underwear with their kilts, stating, "'You're not a real Scot unless you're bare under your kilt' should be thrown into the same wastepaper basket as 'You're not a real Scot unless you put salt on your porridge.'" However, the original Highland warriors did go commando back in the day.
Continue readingWhat we think of as a kilt began as a garment known as a belted plaid (also called feileadh-mhor or "a great kilt"), which was similar to a toga in that it covered the torso as well as the upper legs. Worn exclusively by men in the Scottish Highlands, the belted plaid was basically a piece of plaid, or checked, wool fabric known as tartan, that was tied around the waist with a rope or belt. The Highlanders, who lived in tribal groups known as clans, were known for their rugged, subsistence lifestyle and their skills in battle. The Highland-warrior dress kept their legs exposed so they could move easily through marshlands without making the wool fabric wet and heavy. The chiefs, however, preferred to ride horses, and wore tartan trousers known as "trews" instead of kilts.
Despite the popular misconception, ancient Highlanders did not have particular tartans—or colorful wool fabric woven into plaid patterns known as "setts"—associated with specific clans. The men simply wore tartan kilts woven from the natural dyes available in their region, which might come from plants, insects, or imported material. Women didn't wear kilts but a tartan garment known as an earasaid, or arisaid, which evolved into an outer garment known as the "tartan screen" or "tartan shawl."
The male Scottish dress as we think of it today first developed in the Highlands in the 18th century, and became a widespread trend in the 19th century. To understand why, you have to know a little political history: In 1603, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in the Union of the Crowns, and he and his descendants ruled two separate, sovereign states, until 1689, when the Catholic monarchy was overthrown by Protestant leader William of Orange, who became King of England and installed a parliamentary government in both nations. In 1707, the parliaments of Scotland and England agreed to unite into one kingdom called Great Britain.
The British government decided it was best to...
What we think of as a kilt began as a garment known as a belted plaid (also called feileadh-mhor or "a great kilt"), which was similar to a toga in that it covered the torso as well as the upper legs. Worn exclusively by men in the Scottish Highlands, the belted plaid was basically a piece of plaid, or checked, wool fabric known as tartan, that was tied around the waist with a rope or belt. The Highlanders, who lived in tribal groups known as clans, were known for their rugged, subsistence lifestyle and their skills in battle. The Highland-warrior dress kept their legs exposed so they could move easily through marshlands without making the wool fabric wet and heavy. The chiefs, however, preferred to ride horses, and wore tartan trousers known as "trews" instead of kilts.
Despite the popular misconception, ancient Highlanders did not have particular tartans—or colorful wool fabric woven into plaid patterns known as "setts"—associated with specific clans. The men simply wore tartan kilts woven from the natural dyes available in their region, which might come from plants, insects, or imported material. Women didn't wear kilts but a tartan garment known as an earasaid, or arisaid, which evolved into an outer garment known as the "tartan screen" or "tartan shawl."
The male Scottish dress as we think of it today first developed in the Highlands in the 18th century, and became a widespread trend in the 19th century. To understand why, you have to know a little political history: In 1603, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in the Union of the Crowns, and he and his descendants ruled two separate, sovereign states, until 1689, when the Catholic monarchy was overthrown by Protestant leader William of Orange, who became King of England and installed a parliamentary government in both nations. In 1707, the parliaments of Scotland and England agreed to unite into one kingdom called Great Britain.
The British government decided it was best to organize the Highland's fierce warriors into local militias, which became regiments of the British military in 1739. The first Highland Regiment of Foot was known as the Black Watch, and as a uniform, the soldiers wore a great kilt made of a green, blue, and black tartan, known as the Black Watch or Government tartan. Other Highlander regiments based their tartans on the Black Watch tartan, adding a stripe of white, red, or yellow to match the thread on the "facing" like buttonholes of their coats. The fighters from Clan Gordon, for example, added a yellow stripe to their tartan.
The lower or skirt portion of the kilt became a separate garment called feileadh-beag, or "little kilt," around the same time. The first known remaining example of a "little kilt" is from the 92nd Regiment of Foot, or the Gordon Highlanders, dates to 1794. These kilts were much smaller than today's kilts, with only 3-4 yards of fabric, as opposed to the 7-8 yards of fabric you see in modern-day little kilts.
The kilt became a symbol of rebellion around the same era: Between 1689 and 1745, the Jacobites—or groups of Highlanders devoted to Scotland-born and Catholic deposed King James III of England, also known as James VIII of Scotland—fought against the new Protestant and parliament-led government. As a result, in 1747, the Act of Proscription, meant to disarm the radical Highlanders, banned men and boys in that region from wearing their traditional warrior dress. However, during this time, it was popular for British gentry, including Highland chiefs, to have their portraits painted while wearing rich red tartan kilts and coats. In 1778, Highland chiefs came together in London to form the Highland Society of London, which pushed for the repeal of the Act of Proscription. They succeeded in 1782. In 1816, the Highland Society began to catalog "clan tartans" for the first time ever.
At the turn of the 19th century, Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott became enamored with the heroic stories of the Jacobite Risings. His novels, "Waverley" (1814), "Guy Mannering" (1815), "Rob Roy" (1817), and "Ivanhoe" (1820), as well as his 1816 poem "The Field of Waterloo," sold the romance of the Jacobites to the greater Scottish—and British—public. A weaving company known as Wilsons of Bannockburn started to market tartans named after Scott's well-loved characters. They also produced the official tartans for Highland clans.
When King George IV announced he would visit Edinburgh in 1822, Sir Walter Scott announced that every man in Scotland should arrive in his "clan tartan." The problem was men in the Scottish Lowlands had never worn kilts or tartans before. The Lowland Lairds—or lords—went to Wilsons of Bannockburn and asked them to create clan tartans for their surnames, too. That's the moment when kilts became the Scottish national dress.
In 1831, James Logan published a book called "The Scottish Gaël" in which he described specific tartan thread counts according to Wilsons. John Sobieski Stewart and Charles Edward Stewart, who claimed to be descendants of Jacobite heir “Bonnie” Prince Charlie, then published a book in 1842 called "Vestiarium Scoticum," which they claimed to have sourced from an ancient manuscript. They listed a number of clan tartans for Lowland clans, but historians later discovered their claims were false. However, at the time, Lowland Lairds embraced their supposed tartans, making them a tradition. Wilsons, seeing a marketing opportunity, began to churn out these tartans, as well.
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria bought Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1848. Victoria was particularly enamored with Sir Walter Scott's stories, and she and Albert covered every inch of the castle in tartans. Their favored tartan was the Royal Stewart tartan, a deep red plaid with stripes of blue, green, black, yellow, and white. For a time, no one was supposed to wear the Royal Stewart tartan without the express permission of the Queen of England. More than 100 years later, the Royal Stewart tartan became a favored fabric in the British punk scene.
Today, modern Scottish dress for men includes a kilt with the hem touching the top of the keep cap, a plain white shirt, a coatee, and a vest. A sporran or purse is worn over the kilt, and on the lower legs are kilt hose held up by garters, with a Sgian Dhubhknife tucked into the kilt hose. Brogues are accepted footwear.
Contrary to rumors, the Scottish Tartans Authority explains that modern men do wear underwear with their kilts, stating, "'You're not a real Scot unless you're bare under your kilt' should be thrown into the same wastepaper basket as 'You're not a real Scot unless you put salt on your porridge.'" However, the original Highland warriors did go commando back in the day.
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