Early-To-Mid Victorian Highland Wear

[RadioKen]

Well, I"m FINALLY getting the opportunity to respond! I had actually started a response yesterday (27 May) morning, but then we had some figurative fires at work that took the rest of the day and I never got to post it.

I guess the real question is whether you want to do this "correctly"[i.e. dress like a shopkeeper in London (or even a town in the Highlands) dressed at the time Charles Dickens was writing] or whether you want to wear a kilt. From the what I can glean on this subject, the two seem mutually exclusive.

Cordially,

David

I would say, sir, that you have neatly summed things up. This festival is only one of many that we attend as merchants every year, and is the only one that is Victorian-themed. My wife is reluctant to pour a lot of money (or even a medium-amount of money) outfitting ourselves with complete sets of correct clothing for a single two-day event that happens once a year. Most of our other "working clothes" are usable across a wider number of events (Renaissance festivals and Celtic music festivals/Highland games). I already happen to have an 1830's shawl collar vest in brown wool from Jas. Townsend and Sons, though I'm not entirely pleased with the way the collar lays when it's all buttoned up.

If I decide I need to be "correct", I may modify some existing clothing and maybe make a new waistcoat in brushed twill or canvas. That way the only "big" item I would need would be a coat, and I have several friends who are talented costumers who could certainly help me with that. Otherwise, I could be "somewhat-less-than-correct" and wear one of the wool kilts I'm planning on making (maybe in a tweed), then add to it a waistcoat and outer coat.

As you surmised, I was unlearned one way or the other as to the commonality of the kilt in Scotland during the Victorian Era, which is why I naturally asked on a kilt forum; if I could reasonably get away with wearing one, then I wanted to know what I should be wearing. I am not surprised to learn that the kilt was not at all common among the urbanites.

After reading everyone's opinion and thinking hard about this, what I may do is go ahead and be kilted anyway, in spite of the glaring error in period correctness. As was pointed out, this is not precisely a historical re-enactment event - I've seen a few of the merchants out there wearing their renfair garb - and it would be easier to use a kilt at other shows that we do. One thing I need to keep in mind is the weather - last year was bitterly cold. (In fact, the "period-esque" clothing we did wear last year was mostly covered up by a canvas Carhart chore coat on me and a dark blue peacoat on my wife. Nobody batted an eye.)

I'm looking at the paintings by MacLeay more for stylistic ideas than to copy verbatim. Simple band-collared white shirt with appropriate neckwear, waistcoat with matching (short) jacket, a hat of some kind, and sporran. Somebody mentioned going the Steampunk route, and, honestly, I had considered that. Those costumer friends of mine also do the Steampunk-thing, and I'm sure they would be delighted to help me. Though, really, a pair of goggles and some extra brass bits and gears added to the outfit somewhere would probably be sufficient for that! Plus it would give me something to wear if we decide to do any sci-fi or Steampunk conventions.

I'll be sure to post photos of the end result, whatever it might be.
~Ken

[Woodsheal]

I think I would wholeheartedly agree with Rex. The one thing I do know, from those that were born in the 1870's, yes I did know more than a few of those, the kilt was not in the realm of everyday(or evening) wear for many, including the majority of the population in the Highlands. To think otherwise is just wishful thinking.

And yet numerous paintings and other images from the mid-19th C. show working men such as shepherds and drovers wearing kilts during their daily pursuits (examples below). Are these merely romantic imagery, or do they reflect the fact that the kilt was still being worn as an everyday, working garment?

http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/genre/ansdell.html

http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museu...S/Droving.html

[Nighthawk]

You know how a trend gets tired, and you can kind of pinpoint where it went wrong? Well, after seeing $4 welder goggles rattle-canned with bronze Krylon for sale in the Museum Replicas catalog for $45, I'm calling Steampunk dead right here.

If it weren't Museum Replicas, I would agree. Those guys will sell anything and call it a replica. Most of it is garbage... including those goggles. I wouldn't base anything- at all- on what you see there.

[BoldHighlander]

http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/genre/ansdell.html

http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museu...S/Droving.html

From the site Richard Ansdell R.A. British Artist 1815 - 1885 (maintained by his great-great granddaughter):

"After he had discovered Scotland and had built his own Lodge there on the banks of Loch Laggan, he spent time north of the border whenever he could – painting many Scottish subjects – stags in glens, sheep on hillsides, moorland/mountain scenes, sheep-dipping, everyday scenes in a shepherd’s life, shooting parties."

While some of his paintings depicting highland life were indeed romanticized, I have always understood from my readings that those he painted of shepherd's & everyday life was based upon what he saw & experienced around Loch Laggan etc.

"Sheep washing in Glen Lyon"

[BoldHighlander]

I'm looking at the paintings by MacLeay more for stylistic ideas than to copy verbatim.

Hi Ken,

some MacLeay paintings that lean towards the more 'common' appearance during the era:





(the hose might be a bit 'dressy' but otherwise...)


the infamous William Duff who has been much discussed on here (do a name search & many posts will pop-up), here "tidied-up" by MacLeay:



and at least one photo of Mr. Duff (there's another in the Vintage Kilt gallery - he's in a group, the only one wearing a kilt), a daily kilt wearer whom contemporary eyewitnesses who knew him described as rather unkempt:



(Also to inspire you)
The following paintings from the book TARTANS by Christian Hesketh:

caption:
George Sterling Home Drummond at Abercairney, painted by J. M. Barclay in 1873, in everday dress


caption:
The Victorians wore plain, unostentatious Highland everyday costume and for shooting, campared to the riotous finery of their evening dress


Finally, here is a sepia drawing that was done by Queen Victoria in Sept 1847 of some children she encountered in the Highlands:



Have fun with it, & I for one can't wait to see the photos!

[BoldHighlander]

Finally Ken, if you haven't yet looked at the Show Us Your Vintage Kilt photo thread, then you really should.

While a large percentage of the photos are either military or piper in origin (most I post are 1st World War or military as that is what I mostly collect), there are some fine examples of 'everyday' Victorian era clothing.

Some of my favorites that I have posted:

Prince Alfred (1844-1900) Duke of Edinburgh,
second son of Queen Victoria.


‘Col. Walter Campbell [of] Skipness’


19th century Scotsman in mourning


Here's what one might call a more realistic look at every day rural highland wear during the later half of the 19th century /early 20th century:

the (above) image is of Donald MacDonald, Kinagarry, Arisaig, photographed by Miss M E M Donaldson about 1900-1910. He is dressed in tattered re-made garments representing the twilight of tartan as everyday wear of Highlanders
(from TARTAN by Hugh Cheape).

Victorian era children (circa 1890)


I hope this all helps in some small way

[Jock Scot]

[QUOTE=Woodsheal;886663]And yet numerous paintings and other images from the mid-19th C. show working men such as shepherds and drovers wearing kilts during their daily pursuits (examples below). Are these merely romantic imagery, or do they reflect the fact that the kilt was still being worn as an everyday, working garment?

I have told this true story before and perhaps you may have missed it first time around.

In the early 1950''s my father had occasion to go to Glasgow and as was always the way, spaces were made for locals to hitch a lift if it was a help as he had one of the few cars---a Bentley!So there was brother and I, father, and two elderly gentlemen(born in the 1870/80's) of the soil in Glasgow. There was an exhibition of "Landseer, Macleay, Ansdell type" paintings at the art gallery and it was arranged the we should all meet up there before we went home.

I think it had been decided from "on high" that viewing these masterpieces would be good for brother and me and an enjoyable hour or two for the adults to boot. Educated I was!

There I was staring at these wonderful paintings looking at the deer, salmon, and I thought how it all used to be and how wonderful it all must have been----------until these old gentlemen arrived.They looked politely at the pictures for perhaps 10 minutes and then they started laughing, as they moved from picture to picture the laughter turned to ridicule and swftly to anger and before long they were so angry that they were crying with anger and frustration as they stormed out------I had seen all too many adults weeping in my young life as we had just emerged from a World War, but I had never seen such deep, seething, bitter anger before.

Well that was the end of the trip to the gallery! On the way home these wonderful men were explaining to my father,who understood what was being said all too well, and to us boys how those pictures bore no relation whatsoever to the real, harsh,hard life of their youth. My education! They were realists, they had to be from an early age, but as far as they were concerned and many more that I spoke to afterwards the "Landseer, Ansdell type" pictures were an insult to the Highlands in general and the Highlanders in particular.

Its a dream and in fact that dream is still perpetuated in a small way today---by us Scots! If you came to shoot or fish here you would be met by the Keeper, stalker or ghillie all togged up in estate tweeds---very smart too, they will be. You may even take a heap of pictures and you will show the world how "THEY" do it in Scotland when out and about and you will be right-------but-----BUT what your pictures will not show, is the minute you left the gates and assuming no further guests were expected, off would come the tweeds and on would go, the jeans, realtree, and general working gear!

It would be a mistake to rely too much on any picture, even digital ones.

[Slag101]

You guys are still not getting it! The MacLeay images were put forth as suggestions for an imaginative kilted Highland look, to be worn in the somewhat fantastical setting of a holiday Dickens festival, NOT as representing the proper, authentic garb of a common shopkeeper.

Sheesh...!

I get it. From one re-enactor to another, just let them keep tottering on about it till the thread dies from loss of interest. You tried, and hopefully the original person can get the info they want.

I won't even go near the fact that a Dickens Festival is off, let alone one in the USA. Isn't being miserable, poor, dirty, and having a tragic back story a requirement to truly celebrate in the Dickens tradition?

Woodsheal, my main concern is what is the proper thread count on a Dickens era frock, and are the button holes hand sewn? (only the re-enactors will get this)

[Micric]

It appears on a thread like this, that despite what Jock and Thistledown have to say, that some will just keep plugging away until they Finally get the answer they were seeking all along!
A shopkeeper may well have worn an apron over his regular lowland clothes, and would try to dress within his station, and probably this would mean a provincial interpretation of current London trends.

[Woodsheal]

[QUOTE=Jock Scot;886772]

I have told this true story before and perhaps you may have missed it first time around....

QUOTE]

A great story, Jock. It's why I asked if the drawings/paintings were based in reality or not.

I find it somewhat astonishing that the kilt just totally died as an everyday, common man's working garment (if it truly did) after three or four centuries in such a role. What prompted such a change? The Proscription of 1746? That was rather short-lived and never heavily enforced, especially amongst the pro-Hanoverian clans. Lack of tartan wool? Hardly! By the early 1800s it was being woven in quantities never before seen.

What changed the kilt from being the poor man's garment to the rich man's indulgence?

This would be a good topic for a new thread...!