Early-To-Mid Victorian Highland Wear

[RadioKen]

At the beginning of December every year in Galveston, Texas, there is a weekend festival called "Dickens On The Strand". My wife and I manage a stall for a company that sets up there. 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. We're starting this project now to allow plenty of time before we need it.

So, what would a common Highland Scots shopkeeper or merchant wear in the 1840's or 1850's?

~Ken

[auld argonian]

I'm guessing trousers...

Zardoz has posted his photos from this event a couple of times...I'd love to get down there for it as it sounds wonderful. I think that Zardoz would be a good source of info on this one.

Best

AA

[Zardoz]

Since Dickens on the Strand tends to be a fancy dress deal, I go for a "well dressed" 1890ish Highlander look, last years photos here;
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...estival-55495/

Honestly, since these fashions have not changed a whole lot in 150 years, it is basically my normal dressy daywear, with a tall collar shirt and formal sporran to dress it up a bit. I usually pick the tartan to match my wife's outfit, X-Marks last year.

How historically accurate is it? I'm not that sure, but I think it's more accurate than the modern PC rigs many kilted gents wear down there. (And is comfy in the fairly cold temps we've had there the last couple of years)

I would think a "common shopkeeper or merchant" would wear a similar getup, Maybe with a plainer sporran, shirt, cloth coat or vest, I'm thinking a 'grandfather' shirt and a 1830's waistcoat; http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=469 , and maybe a flatcap .

[ThistleDown]

There was very little difference between Highland, Lowland and English shopkeeper and merchant classes clothing by the 1840s and 1850s. Except, perhaps, in the matter of headwear. All men wore hats, but positions in society were easily identified by what was worn on the head. Labouring class chaps and most farm workers wore cloth (now called flat) caps, and this included lower-end shopkeepers and most household servants. Upper-end shopkeepers and upper level servants and some merchants wore bowlers. Most merchants wore top hats with even the height and quality of those adjusting with their social standing. Crofters and some farmworkers continued to wear a form of bonnet that has evolved into the Balmoral of today.

Scottish townies did not wear the kilt even at Inverness, the "capital" of the Highlands.

I think that may be disillusioning, but you said you wanted to do things more correctly than you were able to do last year. The best thing to do is to research clothing of the 1820s and 1830s London era, keep that as a style but go to a rougher form. The clothing styles of England and the Lowlands had changed what folk wore in the Highlands, but there were no surplus pennies in the shopkeeper class with which to buy the products of the new clothing industry. The result was that styles hung around longer and coarser cloth was used.

[Jock Scot]

There was very little difference between Highland, Lowland and English shopkeeper and merchant classes clothing by the 1840s and 1850s. Except, perhaps, in the matter of headwear. All men wore hats, but positions in society were easily identified by what was worn on the head. Labouring class chaps and most farm workers wore cloth (now called flat) caps, and this included lower-end shopkeepers and most household servants. Upper-end shopkeepers and upper level servants and some merchants wore bowlers. Most merchants wore top hats with even the height and quality of those adjusting with their social standing. Crofters and some farmworkers continued to wear a form of bonnet that has evolved into the Balmoral of today.

Scottish townies did not wear the kilt even at Inverness, the "capital" of the Highlands.

I think that may be disillusioning, but you said you wanted to do things more correctly than you were able to do last year. The best thing to do is to research clothing of the 1820s and 1830s London era, keep that as a style but go to a rougher form. The clothing styles of England and the Lowlands had changed what folk wore in the Highlands, but there were no surplus pennies in the shopkeeper class with which to buy the products of the new clothing industry. The result was that styles hung around longer and coarser cloth was used.

I think I would wholeheartedly agree with Rex. The one thing I do know, from those that were born in the 1870's, yes I did know more than a few of those, the kilt was not in the realm of everyday(or evening) wear for many, including the majority of the population in the Highlands. To think otherwise is just wishful thinking.

[Zardoz]

I've no doubt, and will not dispute that Rex and Jock are correct about what folks might have actually worn in that situation. Although the "Highland Romance" (Highlandism) fad was in full swing in those days it was largely the province of the wealthy. And unlikely to be on display in Victorian London (the time and place the Dickens fest is supposed to be) in any event.

But "wishful thinking" as Jock said, does play into this situation. Just as we are pretending that the Victorian era section of Galveston is 19th century London, we also idealize how those folks might have dressed. So most people that do go for some feeling of "period correctness" tend to dress with a little uppercrust fancy. Just like at renfaires, where everyone wants to be a lord or lady, not the 80 or 90% of the population that worked for them!

[ThistleDown]

Yes, no doubt no doubt. Ren Faires, Costume Balls and Dickens' London -- good fun. What I was trying to answer, though, was the specific question asked and that was "to do things correctly...what would a common Highland Scots shopkeeper or merchant wear in the 1840's or 1850's?"

At Inverness "the gentlemen, magistrates, merchants and shopkeepers are dressed after the English manner, and make a good appearance enough according to their several ranks. Their women of fashion go seldom abroad, but when they appear they are generally well dressed in the English mode."

In order to pretend a thing you really do need to know what is real; perhaps that is why RadioKen asked his question the way he did. If he chooses to dress himself in a PC and a top hat in his booth he will now know that he is not more incorrect than wearing a 5-yard pv kilt and a rabbit sporran as a shopkeeper down to Dickens' London from mid-19C Highland Scotland.

[Woodsheal]

I think I would wholeheartedly agree with Rex. The one thing I do know, from those that were born in the 1870's, yes I did know more than a few of those, the kilt was not in the realm of everyday(or evening) wear for many, including the majority of the population in the Highlands. To think otherwise is just wishful thinking.

And yet numerous paintings and other images from the mid-19th C. show working men such as shepherds and drovers wearing kilts during their daily pursuits (examples below). Are these merely romantic imagery, or do they reflect the fact that the kilt was still being worn as an everyday, working garment?

http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/genre/ansdell.html

http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museu...S/Droving.html

[BoldHighlander]

http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/genre/ansdell.html

http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museu...S/Droving.html

From the site Richard Ansdell R.A. British Artist 1815 - 1885 (maintained by his great-great granddaughter):

"After he had discovered Scotland and had built his own Lodge there on the banks of Loch Laggan, he spent time north of the border whenever he could – painting many Scottish subjects – stags in glens, sheep on hillsides, moorland/mountain scenes, sheep-dipping, everyday scenes in a shepherd’s life, shooting parties."

While some of his paintings depicting highland life were indeed romanticized, I have always understood from my readings that those he painted of shepherd's & everyday life was based upon what he saw & experienced around Loch Laggan etc.

"Sheep washing in Glen Lyon"

[Jock Scot]

[QUOTE=Woodsheal;886663]And yet numerous paintings and other images from the mid-19th C. show working men such as shepherds and drovers wearing kilts during their daily pursuits (examples below). Are these merely romantic imagery, or do they reflect the fact that the kilt was still being worn as an everyday, working garment?

I have told this true story before and perhaps you may have missed it first time around.

In the early 1950''s my father had occasion to go to Glasgow and as was always the way, spaces were made for locals to hitch a lift if it was a help as he had one of the few cars---a Bentley!So there was brother and I, father, and two elderly gentlemen(born in the 1870/80's) of the soil in Glasgow. There was an exhibition of "Landseer, Macleay, Ansdell type" paintings at the art gallery and it was arranged the we should all meet up there before we went home.

I think it had been decided from "on high" that viewing these masterpieces would be good for brother and me and an enjoyable hour or two for the adults to boot. Educated I was!

There I was staring at these wonderful paintings looking at the deer, salmon, and I thought how it all used to be and how wonderful it all must have been----------until these old gentlemen arrived.They looked politely at the pictures for perhaps 10 minutes and then they started laughing, as they moved from picture to picture the laughter turned to ridicule and swftly to anger and before long they were so angry that they were crying with anger and frustration as they stormed out------I had seen all too many adults weeping in my young life as we had just emerged from a World War, but I had never seen such deep, seething, bitter anger before.

Well that was the end of the trip to the gallery! On the way home these wonderful men were explaining to my father,who understood what was being said all too well, and to us boys how those pictures bore no relation whatsoever to the real, harsh,hard life of their youth. My education! They were realists, they had to be from an early age, but as far as they were concerned and many more that I spoke to afterwards the "Landseer, Ansdell type" pictures were an insult to the Highlands in general and the Highlanders in particular.

Its a dream and in fact that dream is still perpetuated in a small way today---by us Scots! If you came to shoot or fish here you would be met by the Keeper, stalker or ghillie all togged up in estate tweeds---very smart too, they will be. You may even take a heap of pictures and you will show the world how "THEY" do it in Scotland when out and about and you will be right-------but-----BUT what your pictures will not show, is the minute you left the gates and assuming no further guests were expected, off would come the tweeds and on would go, the jeans, realtree, and general working gear!

It would be a mistake to rely too much on any picture, even digital ones.