17th Century Scottish garb

**Tobus** · 21st April 11, 06:12 AM

Also, to be period accurate, you don't have to wear a clan tartan.

I'd take it a step further even than that. To be period accurate, don't wear a clan tartan. The modern clan tartans did not exist when great kilts were worn.

**jason10mm** · 21st April 11, 07:12 AM

Yeah, you are doing to die wearing 8 yards of fabric. I have a 4 yard long great kilt and it is a LOT of fabric to arrainge around you.

I'm using woodsheal's pic as a basis for my ren fair outfit as it is relatively cheap once you get the kilt and a lot of it can be hand made with only modest talent, plus at ren fairs in the south the less I can wear, the better

I do agree that I will look fairly shabby compared to other kilted fair-goers, much less the decked out hard core ones, but walk with some confidence and I have little doubt I will represent well. Just have to get that bonnet looking right....

**Ryan Ross** · 21st April 11, 02:34 PM

For ren type of affairs, I prefer to dress in modern kilt and kit, just as I would if going anywhere else. My own reasoning is that I like to wear the kilt, but history is also very important to me (history teachere here), and I don't have a full set of late 16th, 17th, or 18th century clothing. So rather that wearing a mish-mash of clothing from different periods and contributing to the idea that the kilt is a costume or something that William Wallace would have worn, I go the route of wearing my normal, modern clothes.

All that said, I also agree that for some folks, the dress up however you want and just have fun approach is the only way to go. As has been mentioned over and over, this is not the place for true living historians to strut their stuff.

Originally Posted by jason10mm

Yeah, you are doing to die wearing 8 yards of fabric. I have a 4 yard long great kilt and it is a LOT of fabric to arrainge around you.

I'm using woodsheal's pic as a basis for my ren fair outfit as it is relatively cheap once you get the kilt and a lot of it can be hand made with only modest talent, plus at ren fairs in the south the less I can wear, the better

I do agree that I will look fairly shabby compared to other kilted fair-goers, much less the decked out hard core ones, but walk with some confidence and I have little doubt I will represent well. Just have to get that bonnet looking right....

Sounds like a sound plan!

...but if you want the bonnet to look right, it has to be hand knit and felted.

**Nighthawk** · 21st April 11, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

Sounds like a sound plan!

...but if you want the bonnet to look right, it has to be hand knit and felted.

This one is excellent!

http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=250

It's hand knit, felted, breathes well in the heat, keeps my noggin warm in the cold, and if you soak it in water and put it on, it acts like a swamp cooler! Oh, and it makes for a great Indiana McJones look:

I just about killed the guy who interrupted my nap...

**Ryan Ross** · 22nd April 11, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

This one is excellent!

http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=250

It's hand knit, felted, breathes well in the heat, keeps my noggin warm in the cold, and if you soak it in water and put it on, it acts like a swamp cooler! Oh, and it makes for a great Indiana McJones look:

I just about killed the guy who interrupted my nap...

I hate to disagree with you, good sir, but those bonnets, fine as they are, are cut and sewn, not knit and felted, and are not really authentic to the 18th century.

I prefer these:

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/knit_bonnets.htm

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

I love the tunic, man! That looks sharp!

But on this point, I couldn't agree more! Really awesome tunic, Zac.

**Nighthawk** · 22nd April 11, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

I hate to disagree with you, good sir, but those bonnets, fine as they are, are cut and sewn, not knit and felted, and are not really authentic to the 18th century.

I prefer these:

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/knit_bonnets.htm

But on this point, I couldn't agree more! Really awesome tunic, Zac.

They sure have a hand knitted feel to them! The weave is really loose. Maybe the cloth is hand woven... Mine is deffinately felted, though. I can tell by the feel... I felted a pair of Locharron hose once, and these bonnets have the same feel. So I'm wrong on the knitted part- not the first time I've been mistaken. Thanks for pointing that out. (I still like the way they look, though, and the price- so I'll stick with them. Nah nah!

Especially given the fact that the ones at STM are over $100 after shipping! They preserve the illusion of being accurate, which is the thing I like best about them. They look good. They are, to be fair, fur trapper era bonnets.)

**The Thirsty Viking** · 22nd April 11, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

But on this point, I couldn't agree more! Really awesome tunic, Zac.

Thanks guys... My Lady made the tunic for me and did the embroidery by hand. You cant see in the pics, but I am also wearing a pair of awesome blue Rus style baggy trousers (4 yards of fabric!) that she gathered and sewed for me, along with the hat and undertunic. Basically, everything in this garb was made by her except the boots and necklace. She will be glad to hear the work is appreciated.

On the subject of bonnets, I think they both look great. I actually used to wear a JAS Townsend one when I was doing Golden Age of Piracy reenacting. And I cant wait for my hand made one from Ryan!

**Nighthawk** · 21st April 11, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by jason10mm

Yeah, you are doing to die wearing 8 yards of fabric. I have a 4 yard long great kilt and it is a LOT of fabric to arrainge around you.

I'm using woodsheal's pic as a basis for my ren fair outfit as it is relatively cheap once you get the kilt and a lot of it can be hand made with only modest talent, plus at ren fairs in the south the less I can wear, the better

I do agree that I will look fairly shabby compared to other kilted fair-goers, much less the decked out hard core ones, but walk with some confidence and I have little doubt I will represent well. Just have to get that bonnet looking right....

The more "decked out" ones would be more along the lines of clan gentlemen and lairds. You will look more like the majority of the Highland population. Or you could even simpler! A tradesman's look:

Like Thirsty Viking, Cliff doesn't feel particularly comfortable wearing his kilt around the forge... That's actually the style I'm going to start wearing this year. It would really suck to spill leather dye on a kilt...

**Mark E.** · 24th April 11, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by jason10mm

Yeah, you are doing to die wearing 8 yards of fabric. I have a 4 yard long great kilt and it is a LOT of fabric to arrainge around you.

I'm using woodsheal's pic as a basis for my ren fair outfit as it is relatively cheap once you get the kilt and a lot of it can be hand made with only modest talent, plus at ren fairs in the south the less I can wear, the better

Aw, shucks. Must be a short feller...I'm one of those 8-yard wearers, myself. 100 degrees in the Midwest down to 5 degrees in, well, the Midwest.

Realize also that you are at an event that never really happened in America, and, well, where else would folk wear such get-up?

Couldn't agree more with an earlier comment-the proper accessory always helps to shift picky eyes from any clothing issues you may have...

She is a ren-fair-EEEEEEE

**Ryan Ross** · 25th April 11, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by Mark E.

Aw, shucks. Must be a short feller...I'm one of those 8-yard wearers, myself. 100 degrees in the Midwest down to 5 degrees in, well, the Midwest.

Realize also that you are at an event that never really happened in America, and, well, where else would folk wear such get-up?

Again though, going back to the OP's original idea for the thread, we have nothing from historical sources that supports the idea that a feilidh-mor ever contained anywhere near 8 yards; this means that someone looking for historical accuracy (which the OP is) would not want to wear that much fabric. Also, very good studies by some esteemed members of this board indicate that four yard kilts are not only cooler in the heat, but also warmer in the cold; granted, you may be able to make a warmer bedroll from 8 yards, but how much time might one really spend in the field wearing this, today?

In short, for any folks who place the knowledge that they have twice the fabric in their garment as the other guys around them above comfort and historical precedent, an 8 yard feilidh-mor is exactly what they'll want. For folks that place comfort, practicality, and historicity first, four or five yards is all you're ever likely to need. To each their own.