Elizabethan era?

[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.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Yes, the kilt pictured would be considered short by today's standards. Fashions change. Notice, too, you can see the bottom of his shirt underneath the kilt. He was more than likely wearing a long leine beneath the belted plaid. The leine itself would have served as his clothing on its own (see: http://albanach.org/leine.html) and the belted plaid would have served mainly as an outer garment over top of his clothing.

[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?

[davedove]

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

Generally, the commoners wore much the same styles of clothes, but much cheaper fabrics and no ornamentation. Although, if you were a servant of an aristocrat, you often dressed a bit better because you got the cast offs.