The ideal time for the black argyll

[OC Richard]

I have a question. In those old catalogs that Richard has generously shared with us it really appears that the bottom of the jacket, although rounded to accommodate the sporran, appears longer like a Saxon jacket. Am I missing something? In one illustration it seems to clearly come below the fell line. Has the length of jackets evolved that much?

You see, in the 19th century, more variety, jackets cut like modern Argylls and quite long Saxonlike ones both.

So, here is one in The Highlanders of Scotland



Oh, you say, but MacLeay was just making everything up! Nobody actually wore stuff like that. Ah, no. Everything shown in Highlanders of Scotland can also be seen in large numbers of photos taken at more or less the same time, like this



and this... my most recent acquisition, from Ebay, a lovely portrait

[TheOfficialBren]

Thank you, Richard, for sharing.

Look how small the sett is on the last man's kilt!

[Nathan]

Thank you, Richard, for sharing.

Look how small the sett is on the last man's kilt!

And look how low all of them are wearing their kilt selvedge.

[Highlander31]

You see, in the 19th century, more variety, jackets cut like modern Argylls and quite long Saxonlike ones both.

So, here is one in The Highlanders of Scotland

Warning: A minor detour in the thread is about to happen.

This gentleman's boots are interesting. The sole looks to have small nubs for presumably traction in soft ground. Reminds me of a pair of tennis shoe like boots I used years ago for ops.

Detour over, thank you for your patience.

[Downunder Kilt]

Warning: A minor detour in the thread is about to happen.

This gentleman's boots are interesting. The sole looks to have small nubs for presumably traction in soft ground. Reminds me of a pair of tennis shoe like boots I used years ago for ops.

Detour over, thank you for your patience.

And you can still get your very own pair from here
http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footw...led-boots.html

[Grizzly]

And you can still get your very own pair from here
http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footw...led-boots.html

Yes indeed Mike and known in Scotland as tackety boots. Hobnails were screwed into a triple leather sole to increase durability of the sole. Excellent on soft ground but would be like ice skates on a tarmac or concrete surface.

[Highlander31]

And you can still get your very own pair from here
http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footw...led-boots.html

Thanks DK, those do look similar to the print. I would wear those boots on a construction site any time.

Though that's not what we wore on ops. Those shoes were more like the Solomon trail runners or their Quest boots in materials, lightness, and construction.

[Derek Conley]

I really quite like these longer jacket styles. Pretty interesting.

[OC Richard]

Thank you, Richard, for sharing.

Look how small the sett is on the last man's kilt!

Thanks! You can see in The Highlanders of Scotland and in old photos that sett sizes were all over the map back then. By comparison they're more standardized now, with 16oz kilting cloth having fairly large setts (but not as huge as some of the old ones). As in so many areas the army is old-fashioned and uses rather larger sett sizes than civilians do nowadays.

I'm speaking of ordinary tartans; yes there are exceptional tartans which use huge sett sizes now.

[creagdhubh]

Excellent piccies by the way, Nathan, thanks. I've been struggling over gauntlet cuffs vs braemar cuffs, and it's been a great help to have seen your recent piccies showing both versions and in the same excellent composition. Much obliged.

Both styles are quite smart!