Took the plunge

[Alan H]

Cognoscenti, I'll pass along a recommendation... I had a good experience purchsing a 1750's-style waistcoat and a banded-collar shirt from Folklore Fashions on ETSY

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FolkloreFa..._shop_redirect

Rosalind was good to work with and she made a few adaptions to her patterns to suit me. For example, she cut the shirt extra-long. She asked for measurements to tailor the waistcoat and shirt to me, personally. Now, she got the neck of the shirt very slightly tight, but it's a five minute job to move the buttons.

For hardcore re-neactors, her stuff will not do. It's machine-sewn...the buttonholes for example are machine-sewn. There are obvious machine-sewn hems. The buttons are plastic, not bone, wood or metal. On the waistcoat I ordered, it came with pocket flaps, but no actual pockets. The material is a nice medium-to-lightweight cotton, not wool.

For me, this is perfect. Her prices are half of what the "real" re-enactors stuff costs, like stuff from Jas Townsend. I'm going for the basic "look" not exact replicas. Considering that the other men in the guild will be wearing something that's not even vaguely period-correct, I figure that I'm ahead of the game already. I don't want to spend a mint on stuff that I'm going to wear to two events a year and Halloween. Besides, Pleasanton will be in the 90's this year. It's often 100+ degrees F. The last thing I want to wear is a full-on wool tartan period jacket. I thought about getting a sleeved waistcoat and figured I'd probably expire during the weekend if I did that.

OK, so with that...here's my question. See the lad on the far right?



That's more or less what I'm trying to achieve, minus the claymore, hair () jabot and cuffs. So gents, how do I get my 4-yard long, 60-inch wide plaid to belt around the hips like that? I know how to get it over my shoulder, but not how to do as illustrated here.

NOTE: I may just bail on the big plaid and wear my box-pleated 4-yard kilt.