Difference between an Ancient and Great Kilt?

[cbiegel]

Is it true that men wearing the philabeg might still wear the top half for practical reasons like keeping warn etc?

[Caradoc]

Is it true that men wearing the philabeg might still wear the top half for practical reasons like keeping warn etc?

Today we call that a "fly plaid."

[cbiegel]

Ah, I thought that was much smaller; more of a decoration.

[MacWage]

Modern fly plaids are a smaller derivative of the upper part. I am not sure how it would be held in place, the older detattched upper part that is (though a reenactor may know more than I in this matter). Generally, I think they just adopted a wool or jacket, which then further pushed the replacement of the belted plaid by the philabeg and the modern stitched kilt.
I KNOW that is what happened in the Brit Army. It is reasonably safe to assume the same in the civi-world too.

A Piper's plaid is also another modern form, though held more like a folded blanket than the upper part of a belted plaid.

So, Oatmeal Savage, have we satisfied your curiousity, or shall we continue?

[Caradoc]

Modern fly plaids are a smaller derivative of the upper part. I am not sure how it would be held in place, the older detattched upper part that is (though a reenactor may know more than I in this matter).

I've never seen a two-part "belted plaid" in the wild. Just in Hollyweird.

[Andrew Green]

I think the ancient kilt Oatmealsavage is referring to is the one offered by the Celtic Croft. While it may be convenient for re-enactment or whatnot...as far as I can tell, it is not an accurate piece. The belted plaide/great kilt is however. If you poke around Matt's site, you should find that there is evidence of the feilidh beag dating back to around 1690...which means that while uncommon, I don't think that they would have been unheard of around the 1730s or so (whenever Rob Roy the movie takes place), I don't know if there is any evidence of them being seen in the '15 (around the time period of Rob Roy the novel). I could see people wearing the cut off upper portion of the belted plaide for warmth... although I think that is referred to as a plaide in later terms (nopt to confuse with plaide as in the whole thing). Although the time period when this was adopted, I have no idea.

Brings up some interesting questions. Hopefully what info I did add wasn't off the mark.

[MacWage]

I've never seen a two-part "belted plaid" in the wild. Just in Hollyweird.

I've been -"TOLD"- there ws such a thing, at great detail.

YET, like most things I am "TOLD," I like to confirm it with those who are more specialized in expertise on the relevant field. I suspect that any such thing would have been reused as someting else, like a philabeg, in relatively short order, as the people went to a jacket. Therefore, I suspect that the belted plaid and philabeg was all that were -generally- used in the overlapping decades.

[Woodsheal]

It's not a "two-part belted plaid." After the philabeg replaced the belted plaid as the common garment - mainly after the Proscription was lifted - Highlanders working or travelling in the countryside still utilized "plaids" as upper-body wraps and blankets (so did Lowlanders,actually). These were of a smaller dimension than the old full-sized plaid, and carried in the manner of an over-the-shoulder blanket roll. You can see this in this engraving circa 1770:



This is what you see being done in the "Rob Roy" film, perhaps too early historically. However, the costume advisor for the movie was Peter MacDonald - a very knowlegeable fellow regarding the history of tartan and Highland garb....