Early-To-Mid Victorian Highland Wear

[davidlpope]

Last year we managed to throw together some appropriate-enough clothing from my accumulated historical clothing, but this year we want to do things more correctly. <SNIP>
So, what would a common Highland Scots shopkeeper or merchant wear in the 1840's or 1850's?

I guess the real question is whether you want to do this "correctly"[i.e. dress like a shopkeeper in London (or even a town in the Highlands) dressed at the time Charles Dickens was writing] or whether you want to wear a kilt. From the what I can glean on this subject, the two seem mutually exclusive.

Cordially,

David

[auld argonian]

I guess the real question is whether you want to do this "correctly"[i.e. dress like a shopkeeper in London (or even a town in the Highlands) dressed at the time Charles Dickens was writing] or whether you want to wear a kilt. From the what I can glean on this subject, the two seem mutually exclusive.

Cordially,

David

Yeah, but, as Zardoz pointed out, it's not like they have to adhere to a strict historical accuracy...it's not like they're military re-enactors who have somebody going around with a ruler to make sure that their buttons are exactly the correct diameter or they get sent home. Thus, my earlier devilish remark about trousers probably being the most accurate accoutrement for a Victorian shopkeeper was meant as a sort of, "literally, this is what you should do but, hey, it's fantasy-land anyway, so if you want to wear a kilt, I'm sure that you'll figger out a way to do it and make it look good".

I can easily see a sort of "Scottish Sam Drucker" look.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Drucker

(...citation included just in case any of our European members haven't seen "Petticoat Junction" or "Green Acres" on the telly....no, no...don't thank us...the USA takes great pride in the quality of the deep, literate tv shows that we export to the rest of the world.)

Tweedy vest, collared shirt. Maybe some totally mega-muttonchop sideburns. (If I had a good photo of me back in college, I could show you what I mean!) I'd think that the folks would get a kick out of seeing you make change out of a sporran. By all means, have a blast, put together a good kilted outfit and fer sure post photos.

As I said, if there's any way that I can get my sorry @ss down there, I'm dying to get to the Dickens on the Strand event. Maybe I'll get to see the final product in person.

Best

AA