Irish Saffron Kilt

[michael steinrok]

Irish tartans are a modern innovation; check out this article on Matt Newsome's blog:

http://blog.albanach.org/2005/11/iri...artans-in.html

If you can trace your Irish ancestors to a particular area in Ireland, you could always wear one of the county tartans -- and there are also "general" tartans like the St. Patrick's, the Irish National, Ulster, etc.

Cheers,

Todd

Most all tartans are a modern invention. It all goes back to one english queens birthday party and a rush to recreate the once outlawed tartans.
It's a great story and I like to add that the irish were there too. We were serving :-P

Slainte ;-)

[michael steinrok]

Michael, check that caps lock, please. All capitals comes across as yelling in an online forum.

For reference, I do like the solid color kilts, and do not see why Sir Robert has any issue with anybody wearing and promoting the kilt.

I'm very sorry about the caps lock thingy. It was done in ignorrance not beligerence

Slainte

[Southern Breeze]

I'm very sorry about the caps lock thingy. It was done in ignorrance not beligerence

Slainte

Too late,we've already taken a contract out on you! :-D

[michael steinrok]

Too late,we've already taken a contract out on you! :-D

Oh hello, I see my asassins have failed

[macwilkin]

Most all tartans are a modern invention. It all goes back to one english queens birthday party and a rush to recreate the once outlawed tartans.
It's a great story and I like to add that the irish were there too. We were serving

Well...no. The Irish county tartans line from the House of Edgar (a Scottish mill, btw) were designed in 1996. The crux of Matt's article was that most "Irish" tartans were actually designed by Scottish firms! ;), although there are tartans being designed for Irish clans and families.

I think you're referring to Queen Victoria, who was known for her love of Scotland and all things tartan. Whilst Victoria is responsible for a lot of the tartan craze, she cannot claim the credit for the "recreation" of tartans for a birthday party (I'm not sure where that one is coming from).

However, you might also be thinking of the state visit to Scotland by King George IV in 1822, which spawned a major interest in Scotland and a very romanticised view of the Highlanders, with Sir Walter Scott leading the charge. Clan Chiefs and others rushed to by Highland "kit" in their "clan tartan" supplied by the tartan firms for the King's visit.

The tartan industry, as noted below in the articles, really takes off at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, naming tartans for clans & families, districts, towns, etc. -- tartan was around before this, though. It was worn at Culloden in 1746, and by the soldiers of the Black Watch, which was organised to police the Highlands in 1723. There are many examples.

And there are "old" tartans -- for example, what we know as the Ulster tartan, which was found in a peat bog in the 1950's:

http://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/tartanandkilts.asp

In addition, you might wish to read some articles on Matt's web site:

http://www.albanach.org/oldtartans.html

http://www.albanach.org/sources.htm

http://www.albanach.org/kilt.html

And, the Scottish Tartans Authorities' web site is worth perusing as well:

http://www.tartansauthority.com/Web/Site/home/home.asp

I guess it just depends on how you classify time; for Americans, the 18th century is "history", for the Scots, Irish, etc. that's "current events", given their much longer history! ;)

Cheers,

Todd

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I'm coming late to this thread, but I just wanted to point out one historical fact. The saffron color that we think of today in saffron kilts is a very muddy yellow color. However, the saffron color of the leinte of the sixteenth century, that the saffron kilts are supposedly inspired by, was actually a much brighter yellow -- what you might call a canary yellow.

This Dutch water color from 1574 shows the color fairly accurately.


There is also a good article on the saffron coloring at the Reconstructing History web site:
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/irish/saffron.html

Aye,
Matt

[GlassMan]

I'm coming late to this thread, but I just wanted to point out one historical fact. The saffron color that we think of today in saffron kilts is a very muddy yellow color. However, the saffron color of the leinte of the sixteenth century, that the saffron kilts are supposedly inspired by, was actually a much brighter yellow -- what you might call a canary yellow.

This Dutch water color from 1574 shows the color fairly accurately.


There is also a good article on the saffron coloring at the Reconstructing History web site:
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/irish/saffron.html

Aye,
Matt

Probably due to the differences in dye used (organic versus chemical), don't you think?

[Riverkilt]

I know its a stretch, but I really like my caramel Utilikilt Workman's for a "saffron" kilt.

There's a picture of it with my Irish National tartan baja at the top of page 9 of my gallery.

I'm also looking at a J Peterman "rust" colored shirt to maybe wear with the Ireland's National (?) kilt that Rocky at USAKilts is sewing up for me.

Hmm can't get it to come up as an image. its at www.jpeterman.com under men's shirts, khaki twill...its with the khaki shirt.

Ron

[Riverkilt]

Duh, think I figured it out. And, its on "sale" for $39 USD.