Kilted in 18th Century

[Richard_D]

Hello dear kilted members.
Help me out here if you can, please!

Currently summer is coming up someday and I need to prepare for the starting re-enactment campaigns. We re-enact the living in the 18th century and I was hoping to dress up like a Scot´s man of the time. But here comes the problem:

I have managed to get the hold of knowledge what people in general wore that particular time period but when it comes to kilts I havent been as lucky. I have understood that particular clan tartans didnt exsist yet and that the tartans where much more simpler coloured. But what kind of tartan should I go looking for? two coloured or what?

Or will just lets say scottish style made long woolen blanket (with red base and black stripes) do?

Thank you for your help!

Best regards, Richard

[Woodsheal]

Check out some of the articles and pix here:

http://www.kezarcelts.net/jacobite/nsindex.html

Clan tartans did not exist, but not all setts were simple. Some in fact were quite complex and differed in warp and weft. Colors could be quite vibrant, but still softer than those derived from modern chemical dyes. Red background tartans were popular with the well-off, who could afford expensive imported dyes. A belted plaid or philabeg is equally correct for the period, though perhaps the former being most common pre-1746....

[Chef]

I think you will find the articles by our own Matt Newsome very useful.

[haxtonhouse]

what part of the 17th century? are you portraying military or civilian?

[beloitpiper]

Woodsheal, that is an excellent site. I especially liked this article.

[davim19]

Try here http://www.lacewars.co.uk/ I used to be a member of this group and they do a lot of research and have many experts that are attached in some way. They have recently been used in the new Culloden Visitors centre film and publicity.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

If you are looking for commercialy available tartans in historically accurate colors, try these:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/historic.htm

[Pleater]

Writing as a former camp follower of John Lillburn's regiment of musket and pike, (English Civil War) when it comes to colours, a vat of strong tea can be your solution.

Even if a dye is correct for the time, the material to be dyed would most likely not have been bleached pure white as usual in modern times, so the end result is also too pure. The use of a browning agent can take a coloured item back several centuries in its tones.

You might already know this, of course, but just in case it can be of any help with getting the right look...

I'm assuming that you can find something suitable in design, but might need to adjust the clarity of the colours, or mabe want to make a garment look - for instance, as though it has been washed in water from a peaty or leafy stream and been affected by the tannin, or that it had belonged to your grandfather, or that you are a roughy toughy outdoor man stained by contact with nature in the raw.

You do need to experiment with the strength of the brew and the length of exposure to it, and remember you can always do another dipping for extra effect, but not so easily undo one that has been too long.