The Ghillie Shirt

[Allan Thomson]

Patrick....

The thing is you keep talking about "Jacobites" but the "Jacobite" period covers over 50 years from at least 1690 to 1746. Fashion massively evolves over a 50 year period.

So your Highlander beating Mckay's Army at Killiecrankie (or getting thrashed at Dunkeld…) probably only wearing a shirt with his plaid discarded) was equipped and dressed in a different way to those who faced (and fought in too) the Government Army at Drumossie Moor.

Around the late 17thC the amongst well to do highlanders depicted in portraits the vogue was predominantly for doublets of one colour (as opposed to Tartan though I have seen images of some heavily embroidered ones) with (and this was anachronistic at that time) lots of slashes in it to show off the fine lace that was beneath (and with your tie hatred I have to break it to you that a lace jabot would have been included as well as a show of wealth).

Later jackets tended to evolve to become more like cut down for kilt length versions of the 18thC Frock Coat generally made from tartan (as the 45 army used Tartan as a sort of uniform standard amongst the none French Loaned Troops), still worn with a jabot and from what I can discern as said by other posters the shirt worn was a button up Grandad style with slightly fuller sleeves which would have included lace at the front and a jabot. Not a huge oversize collar and laces to fasten (the oversize collar reminding me more of Early to Mid 17th C fashion personally rather than anything in what I would consider to be the "Jacobite period")

Anyway that's wandering off topic slightly but I think that you get my point about what you're wearing not actually resembling anything from the "Jacobite" period in the way you're wearing it.

So you have to ask yourself what are you trying to achieve?

You seem to say you wish to represent your national dress in what you perceive to be a purer form of it than you believe it has become?

In that case you should discard the Glengarry as that's a later invention post 45, a product of the military period of Highland Dress.

Bin the Ghillie brogues because they look nothing like a proper pair of Carrans (indeed I don't understand why the standard for Highland Wear hasn't evolved to Brown Ghillies and Black Buckled shoes because most genuine Carrans are either rawhide, a lot with the fur still left on?). Maybe you could get a cobbler to fashion a pair for you, there are still examples about?

Scrap the White Hose and get some tartan ones cut and fitted on the diagonal from woven cloth. Or at least some coloured ones. (I don't have a problem with white hose myself and will wear them and think the snobbery is a little OTT probably due to the kilt hire stigma but it's not really accurate for the period).

Wear a at least a slashed doublet with that shirt and lots of lace. Or get a Grandad shirt and tartan jackets.

Wear your plaid in a fashion which matches the period - belted about your middle and pinned to one shoulder if wearing a jacket or draped over one arm to form a cloak or over both arms with or without the hood. Or both ends brought up to meet at the shoulder in the "sash fashion".

I'd suggest closely studying what contemporary images you can and building a detailed understanding of the fashion of the time.

If on the other hand you want to create your own style but not appear anachronistic then why not look at the open at the neck short sleeve shirt in a colour suitable for the kilt and nice wooly jumper style which is good for smart casual daywear?

Want to be even more modernistic and revolutionary and you can consider going down the modern fabrics mixed with the kilt option. An example would be for say hill walking use a close fitting wicking long sleeve zip neck top coupled with a softshell gilet and a close fitting waterproof (yes if the waterproof is a quality short one such a berhaus packlite with the drawcord drawn in it can actually look ok, you might want to couple this with a fleece scarf (or a woollen Tartan one). You could wear your glengarry with that and pull it off I think. (we'll not get into the conversation about footwear and sock scrunching, personally I think boots and kilts need puttees to look right and sock scrunching just looks scruffy - rolled may be ok under some circumstances but it's not to my taste). There's actually a few hiking socks with larger turnovers which can double up as nice kilt socks.

At the very least if you want to continue in your current ghillie shirt style I'd say when in phillabeg (without plaid worn in the true belted or sash fashion) then ditch the glengarry if not wearing a jacket and roll up the sleeves plus get a pair of conventional brown brogues for the relaxed situation. But that's my view and you can wear what you want.

I will confess I do own a Ghillie Shirt and a Slashed Doublet and did use to pair them up with belted plaid (or plaid and phillabeg) from my much much younger days and I did wear them to go to a girlfriend's 6th form leaving promenade as well as occasionally wearing it going nightclubbing or to parties (tbh though I found the Phillabeg is much more comfortable and convenient when on the dancefloor in a hot sweaty nightclub than in full plaid). So I don't totally hate them but I think you have to be spot on to pull it off and it's not for everyday wear.

ps I think from personal observation I've had more positive feedback from the ladies when kilted in tweeds and conventional shirt with or without a tartan tie than I recollect in my "pirate shirt", or at least the interaction was of a better quality (not just a drunken what's under your kilt groping) That may be environment specific though.....