Elizabethan era?

[Arizona Scot]

Is that kind of like a skiddish monk? Were they afraid of something in particular or just generally jumpy? :-)

And what did felonious monk wear. Sorry couldn't help myself.

[Bugbear]

Ha ha ha, felonious monk was a wild one so who knows... broken pieces of a piano.

And what did felonious monk wear. Sorry couldn't help myself.

[James MacMillan]

Wearing kilts is a nice Habit!

[pdcorlis]

My wife and I just finished watching Mary of Scotland - Katherine Hepburn and Fredric March, 1936. If you want to see lots of kilts and hear plenty of bag pipes rent it. If you're after historical accuracy - avoid it!!!!!

[Bugbear]

I've kind of wondered what the traditional men's hair styles were for the scottish around the time the belted plaid began to be used.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The earliest illustration of a Highland Scot in a kilt that we know of comes from the first decade of the seventeenth century. See:


If you are looking for sixteenth century sources, we have certain written descriptions of Scottish Highland dress, but nothing visual. So any visual depictions of Scottish highland clothing of that era will be modern impressions of what people wore, based on those written descriptions, and so your accuracy may vary.

Regarding the specific dating of your period, I think what others have been alluding to is that Queen Elizabeth was queen of England from 1533 to 1603. She never reigned in Scotland. Therefore it doesn't really make sense to speak of the "Elizabethan era" in Scotland. I know a lot of people today use that phrase as nearly synonymous with the sixteenth century, as her reign covered most of that time frame (much the same way as people use "Victorian" to mean the whole of the nineteenth century). But during that time you had three different monarchs ruling Scotland.

Also, it does make a difference whether you are speaking of Highland (Gaelic) or Lowland (Anglo) Scotland. The two cultures were very distinct, then moreso than now. The Highland Gaelic culture (and consequently their clothing) would be much more akin to the Irish. The Lowland culture would be more akin to the English.

I really reccomend the reconstructinghistory.com web site for good information on clothing from the era.

[emolas]

The earliest illustration of a Highland Scot in a kilt that we know of comes from the first decade of the seventeenth century. See:

I often thought this picture odd. That kilt isn't even low enough to be considered mid-thigh. I think the length falls more along the lines of "mini-kilt" than kilt by today's standards.

[Bugbear]

Thanks for pointing that out.

I often thought this picture odd. That kilt isn't even low enough to be considered mid-thigh. I think the length falls more along the lines of "mini-kilt" than kilt by today's standards.

[turpin]

I often thought this picture odd. That kilt isn't even low enough to be considered mid-thigh. I think the length falls more along the lines of "mini-kilt" than kilt by today's standards.

You have to take into account the painter's artistic license.

EDIT: never mind, Matt has spoken.

[sharpdressedscot]

OK, I've seen some soldiers, knights, and aristocrats...any idea on how the commoners dressed? Or was it relatively the same thing?