Took the plunge

[Alan H]

Alan,

Glad you went to a seamstress to get a fairly accurate 1740's shirt. As a long-time reenactor (who now does a Jacobite impression), I can tell you that having machine-sewn seams on the shirt is no great sin, unless you feel like forking over mega-bucks for it. My linen shirts have machine-sewn seams - only the few seams that can be seen are hand-worked. As to the three gentlemen pictured, they look pretty good. The only things I would fine to criticize are the plaid brooch on the left fellow (didn't have men's brooches then), whereas the middle fellow is using a correct bodkin to secure his plaid. All three gentlemen are obviously wearing modern knitted hose - 1740's hose would have been made from cloth. You can learn how to do this - it's not hard.

A few years ago I found some "tartan" (it's not a twill weave) semi-stretchy wool. It's actually a wool/acrylic mix with some elastic sewn in. I made myself a pair of cadadh from the stuff. So now I need to find some knitted ties to wrap around the upper part. I just tried on the cadadh and the thin inner socks I wear with them, with my uber-cheap chinese-made buckle brogues. Well, it's a bit tight over the instep, but it'll do.

Also the fellow on the left has chains on the by-knives in his dirk scabbard - I've never seen a representation of this until the 19th c. Also, their waistcoats (with the "V" openings at the bottoms) are in a 1770's style - in the 1740's the waistcoat bottoms would have been straight. Just niggling, but you know reenactors - the average member of the visiting public won't have a clue!

The waistcoat I've got is V'd at the bottom. Honest truth is that I'll probably open up the cutaway a bit more when I have time. It's flopping all over the sporran right now. However, for this weekend, it's going to be fine.

As to putting on the plaid, it is probably best that you practice putting it on at home by spreading it on the floor and doing the pleating yourself. If your hips are large, the pleats don't have to overlap, thus giving you more to play with. If you plan to turn out often in your plaid, you can install drawstrings to enable you to put it on quickly standing up.

I have a 4 1/2 yard plaid and I've cheated by sewing in about 10 pleats in the back! It'll need a touch of ironing, I'm afraid. When I chose the pattern I tried to be careful about the colors. You can see a picture of it, and me "in theory" doing a "late 1500's" Guild a few years ago here:



Never mind the "dirk" / "dagger". It's the only edged weapon I had, having won it at a Games a few years ago. It's quite pretty and has nothing whatsoever to do with Scotland!
Anyway, I know how to fold/put on the plaid, just not sure how to get it tucked in around my hips.

The When putting my plaid on at home, I use a full-length mirror to help me make any adjustments - or your wife can do that for you. But if you look like a walking laundry pile, that's okay, since original 18th c. Highlanders (except the gentry) probably looked that way more often than not. Also, original 18th c. Highlanders were reported to wear their plaids with the hemline high (like a mini-kilt), which is something not many do today. It doesn't leave much to the imagination.

I'm a bit modest for that! LOL