Anderson 1936 catalogue

[hylander]

For the record, none of my vintage catalogues list or illustrate "fly" plaids.

What they do list and illustrate are "belted" plaids, a rather heavy, complex, and expensive garment, one that is very labour-intensive to make (I know because I've made a few of them!)]

Thanks for the clarification. Looking at the catalogue illustration and then looking at your belted plaid photo I would have never guessed them to be one in the same, nice work by the way. Was the belted plaid intended to give one the "look" of the greatkilt?

[ThistleDown]

Well, we historians have to work with the sources we have. It would be irresponsible in my opinion to throw out the sources that do exist, and place our stock in theoretical sources.

BTW these catalogues are of brick-and-mortar shops which anyone could walk into and see the things in person... no one had to order "blind".

Perhaps you are aware that historians are now including oral histories as major resources at least as valuable as written documents. I chair such a university program.

My point, however, was that all the catalogues we are discussing are from Lowland cities -- and many of the finest examples of Highland dress in our museums and private collections were made by indivuidual craftspeople in the Highland towns and townships. Even as recently as the early forties, travel from the Highlands to cities such as Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow was infrequent and chaallenging. To visit a shop selling mass-produced products considered inferior to those made nearby was thought of as a foolish waste of time and money. In those days Tain and Inverness, for example, had their own proofmarks to apply to one-off works of art. But no catalogues. We must not ignore them because they had no catalogues to send far-off potential customers; they were the major suppliers to Highlanders.

[creagdhubh]

I love these old catalogues! Thanks for sharing, Richard. Now this is what I am talking about when it comes to traditional Highland dress! This approach to wearing the kilt is definitely my kind of style - a timeless, effortless, and simplistic manner of wearing "The Garb of the Old Gaul."

Cheers,

[creagdhubh]

They seem to be showing plenty of knee especially above the hose.

Show some knee boys

Well, that's how it's supposed to be done, mate.

Cheers,

[creagdhubh]

I think you need to remember that in our terms the 1930's is recent!

***

[creagdhubh]

Perhaps you are aware that historians are now including oral histories as major resources at least as valuable as written documents. I chair such a program.

My point, however, was that all the catalogues we are discussing are from Lowland cities -- and many of the finest examples of Highland dress in our museums and private collections were made by indivuidual craftspeople in the Highland towns and townships. Even as recently as the early forties, travel from the Highlands to cities such as Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow was infrequent and onerous. To visit a shop selling mass-produced products inferior to those made nearby was thought of as a foolish waste of time and money. In those days Tain and Inverness, for example, had their own proofmarks to apply to one-off works of art. But no catalogues.

***

The majority of my Highland dress wardrobe comes from Kinloch-Anderson (formerly called William Anderson & Sons) in Leith, Scotland. They still make fine products, though I wish they still made the wonderful sporrans, sgian dubhs, dirks, brogues, buckles, etc! I love the older styles!

Cheers,

[ThistleDown]

I certainly don't want to be coming across here as turning thumbs down on the catalogue business of the thirties to fifties, or the content of those catalogues. I am, after all, related to the old Wm Anderson in its third generation through my mother and am proud of the firm's ongoing standing among Highland outfitters. I just want to make it clear that Highlanders did not, as a rule, buy from these shops. As time went on the fashion styles produced by them became the rigid norm, just as the kilt-for-hire business and pipe bands made white hose the in-style of not so many years ago. Not in style in the Highlands, but in the Lowlands and elsewhere.

As an aside, my cousin still has a Kenmore doublet as it was originally designed by his family. A bit tattered and torn, mind you.

[Jock Scot]

I suppose its ever thus Rex.With military attire there are dress regulations to guide us and even then there are pitfalls for the unwary. It is a very different story with civilian attire and its here the differences between theory and practice of real life where the subtle nuances are, understandably, missed by those that have not lived the experience at first hand. It would be just the same if I tried to expound the theories of "Cowboys and their attire", yes I might get the ten gallon hat, yes I might get the jeans, yes I might get the boots, yes I might get the chaps, but the locals would shoot me down----nicely I hope---- on the details and the regional differences for sure.

[Father Bill]

I suppose its ever thus Rex.With military attire there are dress regulations to guide us and even then there are pitfalls for the unwary. It is a very different story with civilian attire and its here the differences between theory and practice of real life where the subtle nuances are, understandably, missed by those that have not lived the experience at first hand. It would be just the same if I tried to expound the theories of "Cowboys and their attire", yes I might get the ten gallon hat, yes I might get the jeans, yes I might get the boots, yes I might get the chaps, but the locals would shoot me down----nicely I hope---- on the details and the regional differences for sure.

... and anyway, most of that stuff would look ridiculous with a kilt! Chaps??????

[creagdhubh]

... and anyway, most of that stuff would look ridiculous with a kilt! Chaps??????

Hahaha! ***