Highland Dress

[Scot]

There is almost nothing in the LL on this matter. Admittedly it may be of a rather narrow interest but I wonder whether we could at least identify some good sources of information. I for one would be interested in finding out more about styles of coat to be worn with the kilt.

A quick browse of the internet revealed the following, not especially informative article:

http://www.tartansauthority.com/Web/Sit ... heKilt.asp

I have also come across a book by John Telfer Dunbar but this looks more like history than an essay on style and tailoring. If anyone has read this it would be interesting to see a review.

[Manself]

This is a subject close to my heart, as I'm a displaced Scot who's never found much of use on the internet on the subject. The only halfway authoritative source I'm aware of is a tattered pamphlet in Stewart Christie (the Edinburgh tailors) that contains a guide to the different forms of Highland Dress. I'm going to be in Edinburgh next week, so I'll endeavour to get my hands on this pamphlet and make a copy of it.

[Bethlehemtown]

For anyone interested in Highland dress Hugh Trevor-Roper's book "The Invention of Scotland: Myth and History" (Yale University Press, 2008) is vital. Trevor-Roper establishes rather conclusively that there is nothing ancient about Highland dress. The kilt was invented by "an English Quaker from Lancashire, Thomas Rawlinson" in 1727. Tartans were invented by two English brothers, John and Charles Allen (later known as the "Sobieski Stuarts") in 1842. I am not making any of this up.

[Bishop of Briggs]

Call Kinloch Anderson (http://www.kinlochanderson.com/home/), who hold the Royal warrants, for advice.

The FAQ may help for now - http://www.kinlochanderson.com/highland ... questions/.

Dege & Skinner is the London representative in Savile Row (http://degeandskinner.co.uk/tailoring/h ... dress2.htm).

[sartorius]

The kilt was invented by "an English Quaker from Lancashire, Thomas Rawlinson" in 1727. Tartans were invented by two English brothers, John and Charles Allen (later known as the "Sobieski Stuarts") in 1842.

This is highly amusing. If it is true. Which I very much hope, but very much doubt.

[Bishop of Briggs]

For anyone interested in Highland dress Hugh Trevor-Roper's book "The Invention of Scotland: Myth and History" (Yale University Press, 2008) is vital. Trevor-Roper establishes rather conclusively that there is nothing ancient about Highland dress. The kilt was invented by "an English Quaker from Lancashire, Thomas Rawlinson" in 1727. Tartans were invented by two English brothers, John and Charles Allen (later known as the "Sobieski Stuarts") in 1842. I am not making any of this up.

What a load of nonsense, typical of Trevor-Roper, that is debunked here - http://www.albanach.org/kilt.html!

[Frog in Suit]

Meyer and Mortimer (6 Sackville Street) have in their shop a large 19th century book of tartan samples, authenticated by a signature of approval by the various clans’ authorities. They have a lot of Scottish customers, probably because of the fact that Mortimer himself was a gunsmith from Edinburgh. They should be able to produce proper highland dress.

Frog in Suit