SCA & RenFaires

[Woodsheal]

The first definitive description of a belted plaid does indeed date from 1594. There are a couple of earlier quotes that "might" refer to the garment. Anyways, lets stretch out the possibility of "great kilts" back to 1550 as the earliest start point. (I doubt some highlander first belted his mantle in 1594, and some scribe was standing by to record the occasion! Literate recorders of daily life were not growing on trees in the 16th C. Highlands, so the practice of belting plaids must have been going on for some time before someone set the fact down on parchment.)

Bottom line, "great kilts" are fine for RenFaire dress...!

[Alan H]

Agree'd..... but probably not OK if you're playing the role of a guard or noble in Mary, Queen of Scots court. Remember that Mary's lifetime was December 1542 – February 1587. So great kilts were probably in use during her lifetime. It's not "documented" for sure, but it's "likely". However, Marys court would be a *very* unlikely place to find a Great kilt.

However, if you want to play the role of some low-class peasant, or maybe a third-rank local "laird", then a great kilt is probably just fine.

If you're just attending the Faire for fun, and not part of a re-enactment Guild, then wear any flippin' thing you want.

[Gryphon57]

If you're just attending the Faire for fun, and not part of a re-enactment Guild, then wear any flippin' thing you want.

Alan has the right of it. If you are going to an official SCA event, then by all means be as period correct as possible. Depending on the event, some of these people will quibble over your choice of buttons. On the other hand, if you are going to a RenFaire for fun, wear your great kilt, your modern kilt, dress like a pirate, but have fun. At faires I've seen everything from reenactors that were totally period correct to folks dressed as fauns, fairies, and things I've yet to figure out. It's a big costume party with a theme. And not everyone wears a costume. It's all for fun.

[Woodsheal]

Right, Alan! The seperation that existed between Highlanders and other Scots at the time should not be forgotten. Highlanders were remote mountain-dwellers wearing odd clothes and speaking a foreign "Irish" language! Lowland Scots inhabited an entirely different culture and as Alan says, Scottish courtiers, knights, townsmen, etc. would not have been seen in belted plaids or other elements of Highland dress....

[ScotFree]

Right, Alan! The seperation that existed between Highlanders and other Scots at the time should not be forgotten. Highlanders were remote mountain-dwellers wearing odd clothes and speaking a foreign "Irish" language! Lowland Scots inhabited an entirely different culture and as Alan says, Scottish courtiers, knights, townsmen, etc. would not have been seen in belted plaids or other elements of Highland dress....

How very unromantic ...

[Alan H]

How very unromantic ...

Yes, and as I once told my Guildmistress ....though I'm barely involved in the Guild any more... was trying to be tactful, you see......

"We walk a fine line between re-enactment and giving the Muggles what they expect to see."

[Deirachel]

One thing these very history-conscious Ren Faire people do, is avoid using any modern Clan tartans, as they did not exist in the 16th century. They go to a fabric shop and buy random plaid wool in patterns which look vaguely tartanlike but are not any modern recognisable tartan.

The SCA has a second reason beyond the history of the clan tartan being "out of Period". It's part of the same reason one's persona can not be an actual historical, legendary, or mythological person. The SCA is based on actual history, but it is fiction. So, it is preferred (at least in the Kingdoms I've been in: Meridies, Atlantia, and Trimaris) to use non-clan tartans (i.e. fashion plaids in the period colors) to keep people from confusing a persona with an actual person and/or offending someone specific (i.e. the Kilt Kops)

[Zardoz]

In my time in SCA, (I bailed out in the early 80's) I don't think I ever saw a kilt, but the groups I was around mostly garbed more dark ages than early renaissance. Thanks for the reminders of why I got out!
But as has been said, at the renfaire wear what you like, and have fun.

[Cecil]

I see kilts all the time at Renaissance fest and Pirate days here in Florida. I guess everyone wants to fit in. Or its just a good excuse to wear your kilt.

[Rathmir]

Thank you, all, for the great advice. I infrequently play with SCA events (maybe 3 events per year max) and actually just got back from Lumberton, MS (site of Gulf Wars) where a few of us built a fence for our encampment. While there, another group was working on their camp and I took the opportunity to speak with them. Two of them played bag-pipes and several wear kilts at events. I was informed that if I were to wear a kilt it must be double width and 9 yards long. I just grinned and nodded as I had already read some of the guides here. My persona, if one can call it that, is Spanish and so I have 'garb' appropriate for it. My girlfriend, on the other hand, is Scot and so I was trying to fit in with her. From the sounds of it, I only need to make a leine and maybe a brat and forget kilts entirely for SCA events. For the upcoming Highland Games I will start with a Stillwater Kilt of low to medium cost just to try it out and go from there.