1820's style tailored plaid question

[Kitfoxdave]

I am looking for instructions / guidance / pattern for an 1820's style tailored plaid. I have seen some photos from the V&A exhibit of a couple of complete outfits that have these. Can anyone help with this?

Thanks in advance!

[Kitfoxdave]

This is the link to the V&A exhibit photos.
Interested in plaid for suit no 3.

https://www.nms.ac.uk/discover-catal...rgian-scotland

[Troglodyte]

The plaid in shown in the photos is more to give the impression of the old style, but as a more convenient and practical garment. It is intended to give the effect and appearance of the old feileadh mor or great kilt, but is separate from the kilt and is commonly called a 'belted laid'.

Your best bet would be to show the photo to a kiltmaker, and have them make up something similar - or try doing it yourself with an appropriate length (two to three yards) and stitching the pleats in place to hold them. This is no great task, and modest needle-and-thread skills are all that is necessary.

Pipe-bands who parade in what you might call full uniform often have their drummers draped in something similar - a pleated and stitched plaid that is held in place at the back, under the tunic, and secured at the left shoulder with a brooch. These often also have an additional piece of material to pass under the tunic epaulette and to which the brooch fastens.

Try asking at a Highland dress outfitters that supplies pipe-bands, as they will understand a 'drummer's plaid'.

If you are intending matching the plaid to your kilt, you will need to specify the weaver, cloth weight and colour-way (modern, ancient, etc) for your kiltmaker to source. You can work out a likely cost by pricing the yardage of the cloth and adding in a few hours' skilled work - £300 or $400us is likely to be the minimum. A purled fringe will add to the cost.

[Kitfoxdave]

Thanks for the reply Troglodyte, I will look into a drummers plaid as well. I have tartan fabric left over from making the kilt, and I will see how well I can reproduce the plaid.
If anyone has further guidance I would appreciate it.

Thanks

[kiltedsawyer]

You might check this out:

https://www.jhiggins.net/drummers-pl...AKFXcWqLsycL2j

Cheers,

David

[Pleater]

I don't think it is a drummers plaid.

I think it is a length of fabric pleated along the length with maybe a few pleats at right angles to shorten the top edge so it droops along the back of the waist like a Victorian lady' swags.
Once secured around the waist the lower edge is lifted up to the back of the left shoulder, either at the centre back or perhaps a little to the left of it.

The trick would be to sort out how the pleats are placed to get that fall of folds on each side.

At first assessment there are pleats at right angles to eachother which give the impression of there being more fabric than the actual measurements.

Anne the Pleater

[figheadair]

This garment is what I refer to as a Half Plaid. It is similar to, but not quite the same, as a Drummer's Plaid. Confusingly, at the time they were referred to as a Belted Plaid.

Here's an example of one laid out (Photo: NMS). It was worn in 1822.

Half Plaid - Robertson, NMS.jpg

They were made from a roughly 3 yard length of single-width cloth that was pleated on one of the long sides. That side was then bound with tapes that extended to form waist ties and a loop added about 2/3 along the other side. The loop fastened to a button on the coat shoulder. Finally, this particular example has a fringed end.

And this is how it looked from behind when worn.

HR Piper Malcolm McCallum, c.1822. NMS (A.1915.212)-3.jpeg

[Kitfoxdave]

Figheadair, thanks so much for helping clarify!!!! I have tried many, many searches over the past weeks to try to find an image like this. SO helpful.

I have some extra (gads acrylic plaid fabric) tartan that I can make several attempts to get the construction figured out. (The acrylic fabric was inexpensive, and the only available in the tartan I wanted, unable to get any response from many enquiries to tartan designer/seller so please don't judge me. )

Once I have a chance to get into this project, I will post pictures, and probably ask a whole lot more questions!

[Kitfoxdave]

Dearest Anne the Pleater, thank you so much for your insights on the layout/ construction... this will be a big help as well.

Are these belted / half plaids pleated to the sett or random? I find it a bit difficult to make it out from the images I have found on the interwebs...

I see an awful lot of basting stitches in my future... remnants of white thread invading my workspace....