Period Correct Scottish Kilt etc.

[Prof. Bullspit]

Whenever I have a historical question this is the place I come. I want to put together a dressy outfit and my thoughts have turned to honoring my Scottish ancestors. A kilt is obvious and not that difficult. My question is, what else do I need? What style of shirt, shoes, hat etc. is most appropriate for our time period?

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Howdy!

I wore my kilt to a match this weekend. I thought I might look "dorky" with it and my boots, but I got tons of style points for it.

I don't think traditional Scottish high wear has changed in centuries, so if you find a good kilt vendor, they'd be able to give you the details.

I got mine from Clansman Knitwear, and the kilt was custom made from Lochcarron fabric, in Scotland. Their website shows several examples, from formal to casual wear.

http://www.scottishclansman.com/


I was hoping to see them at the Potomac Celtic Festival this weekend as I would like to order a green with purple kilt (WartHog and Gunfighter, doncha know. ) but I don't see them listed as a vendor there. My experience with them was top-notch.

AnnieLee

 

[litl rooster]

Howdy!

I wore my kilt to a match this weekend. I thought I might look "dorky" with it and my boots, but I got tons of style points for it.

I don't think traditional Scottish high wear has changed in centuries, so if you find a good kilt vendor, they'd be able to give you the details.

AnnieLee

 

Annie, what would proper Boots be with a kilt?
Your right about them not changing in style for centuries. Have given thought to the Kilt thing my self, but being of Irish decent I'm awful light complected, The Sun and the Irish, are like stickn' a fork in a mircowave oven ....

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[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Litl Rooster, the Potomac Celtic Festival is this weekend, in Leesburg VA at the Morven Park Equestrian Center. http://www.potomaccelticfest.org/

I called Clansman yesterday and Ralph ( I think his name was Ralph, his brogue was so thick I wasn't certain, it sounded kinda like "Olf.") said they would be there. My son Will has been asking for a kilt for years, but he is also very fair skinned so I'll be asking them about headwear other than tams.

I read on the SASS Wire that one of the pards wears a Utilikilt to matches. Utilikilt will also be at the Festival so we'll be talking to them as well. "No, Will, you can't have a cammo kilt!"



AnnieLee

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy, Perfessor!

Annie has mentioned a couple vendors.  How authentic do you want to be?  My wife is from Scotland, and I've looked into getting a whole outfit.  Ya got a spare 3 grand or so layin' around?  That stuff is EXPENSIVE!  There's the Kilt, which (as shown in the movie Braveheart) is wool and wraps around the waist and up over the shoulder.  I seem to remember that with the proper pleats and folds and such, it's about 7 yards of premium Scottish wool!  Yeah, they make 'em now that are more like skirts, but still, there's lotsa wool in those "authentic" Kilts.  And what is authentic now really hasn't changed much in the centuries.  There's the Sporran, socks, shoes, pins and clips, shirt, Skihn Dubh [pronounced skeen doo, and there are various customs about that - the sock knife, or most correct - black knife]  and a host of other little details.  If a Soldier, a Dirk and Claymore (basket Hilt version) would also be proper.  There's WAY more than I know or have time to type about.  There are some fascinating facts associated with the full outfit, as each piece has its own history.  And I don't want to be a party pooper, but a woman in a kilt and cowboy boots wouldn't be very authentic - BUT!  There are modern women's kilts, and since I'm not the Grand Poohbah Authenticity Expert on Scottish Women's Fashions in History ... well, Miz Annie can get all the style points she wants with her Kilt and boots!

I wish I could refer you to some really authentic sites - the prices will make you run out and buy a couple Colt pistols to save money!  If you want, PM me and I'll call and discuss it over the phone, 'cause even with my limited knowledge, I could probably talk for an hour or type a whole day!

Miz Annie, I humbly do hope that you DON'T take what I wrote as a personal insult!  Just trying to explain the difference between Scottish authentic and Americanized clothes.

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

No offense taken, Steel Horse Bailey!

I know the boots threw my authenticity out the window for the day. (But this wasn't a Level 3 NCOWS event. )  I do have a pair of brogans to wear, but the morning of the match I couldn't find the socks to go with them and went with the boots. This is one area where the men's accessories far outnumber those of the ladies. I don't have to be concerned about a sporran or the dinglebobs hanging from my socks. Much like anything else, a person can go the minimum and keep the price reasonable ( the cost on Clansman for an 8 yd men's kilt is $400) or he can go ALL OUT and pay a small fortune.

It's still fun.

AnnieLee

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Some additional thoughts...

Professor, dressing Highland does not mean one has to arm himself for the 1200's. A Scotsman in our time period would arm himself accordingly. The SASS Wire also has a thread going about kilts (odd that two kilt threads showed up in the days before I was going out to get a new one), that has its share of dissention, but also has some excellent information about the Scots' history in our West. It can be found here:

http://sassnet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8958&st=0


AnnieLee

[RowdyBill]

I hear NCOWS won't allow modern underwear to be worn beneath the kilt?  Is that true?

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Rowdy Bill, I don't know about NCOWS, 'cause there's no mention of Kilts in the NCOWS authenticity rules.  HOWEVER, no underwear is authentic under a man's Kilt.  EVER!  That's by Scottish rules, not NCOWS.

[litl rooster]

Rowdy Bill, I don't know about NCOWS, 'cause there's no mention of Kilts in the NCOWS authenticity rules.  HOWEVER, no underwear is authentic under a man's Kilt.  EVER!  That's by Scottish rules, not NCOWS.

  Talk about saddle sores....I am still curious what a 19th century Scotsman/cowboy would have wore for footwear...I am not doing sandals

[Prof. Bullspit]

A big thank you to Steel Horse Bailey! I enjoyed our conversation today about Kilts and other things Scottish. You've put me on track to a few items I had questions about and I hope to someday put together something to show for it!

If our paths cross, the first round or two is on me sir!

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Rowdy Bill, I don't know about NCOWS, 'cause there's no mention of Kilts in the NCOWS authenticity rules.  HOWEVER, no underwear is authentic under a man's Kilt.  EVER!  That's by Scottish rules, not NCOWS.

  Talk about saddle sores....I am still curious what a 19th century Scotsman/cowboy would have wore for footwear...I am not doing sandals

Talk to Steel Horse Bailey, Litl Rooster, evidently, I am an idiot on this topic!



AnnieLee

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Perfesser, I'll gladly take you up on your kind offer.

Annie Lee;  again - I'm not raggin' on you, but NO woman in Scotland would wear a man's kilt - with or without boots.  HOWEVER, there are ladies skirts made like a kilt that are worn, I just don't know what they call them.  (A skirt, I suppose)  And I think it has only started after WWII.  As I said, I'm NOT the Ladies fashion expert!

 

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Of course a woman would not wear a man's kilt. 

But a wrap around kilt skirt is made for women and is historically accurate. So are hostess kilts which have a longer length. For men, there are also a variety of styles of kilts, depending on the event to which it will be worn.

That's why I pointed the professor to the pros.

AnnieLee

[Silver Creek Slim]

On Sunday, my better-half's aunt showed me a piece of a Barclay tartan that supposedly came over from Scotland during the family's immigration. It has a dark orange background with black stripes.

This site has a nice history of the clans. http://www.scotclans.com/index.html

Slim