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NEO-JACOBITE ATTIRE
©2007 Matthew A. C. Newsome, FSA Scot., GTS
published in the Scottish Banner, November
2007
It
is autumn in the northern hemisphere, and in many regions the Highland Games
season is drawing to a close. A friend of mine recently shared with me one of
his pet peeves after attending such an event, He was bothered, he said, by
all of the historic dress that he saw being worn with the kilt.
I asked
him to explain further. Surely he didn’t mean re-enactors shouldn’t be a
presence at Highland Games? No, that is not what he meant. People who
research and recreate the dress of the past provide a great educational
service and do much to convey the history of Scottish culture and tradition.
What my friend meant was the mix-and-match of pseudo historic clothing worn
with the modern day kilt. I know just the look that he means.
What
bothers my friend about this is that it runs the risk of making the kilt look
more like a costume than an article of traditional clothing. I tend to agree,
with certain reservations.
I think
any of us who have attended a Highland Games or other Scottish festival will
recognize the look I’m speaking of. Many of us may sport such a look
ourselves! The most characteristic element of this look is the so-called
“kilt shirt,” “highland shirt,” or “Jacobite shirt” (it goes by other names).
This shirt is very common as casual day wear with the kilt, and many think it
an essential part of Highland attire. The fact is, however, that it is a
fairly recent innovation.
This
shirt is actually not a true recreation of an historic style. Rather it is a
modern shirt that has certain historically inspired elements. And I’d say
it’s been a part of Scottish attire for about 40 or 50 years, at best. If any
readers have recollections of people wearing such a shirt with their kilts any
earlier than this I’d love to hear about it.
The
first mention I can find of this style is in J. Charles Thompson’s excellent
book, So You’re Going to Wear the Kilt, the first edition of which was
published in 1979. He illustrates the type of kilt outfit I’m referring to in
figure 7b, for those with a copy at home. This figure is wearing a modern
kilt, solid knit hose, garter flashes, and ghillie brogues; all elements of a
modern Scottish outfit. Then he wears a traditional drawstring pouch sporran,
a kilt shirt as described above, and what Thompson calls a peitean,
which is a waistcoat resembling an historic jerkin or doublet.
So
while certain elements of this outfit are historically inspired, one cannot
truly call it “historic dress.” It is not a recreation of the style of any
one period. Rather, one looks like a Scottish Errol Flynn, or “Robin MacHood!”
Let’s call it, “Neo-Jacobite,” for lack of a better term.
Now
please do not get me wrong. Such an outfit, if done well, looks rather
dashing. It is certainly romantic! And there is no question that the Neo-Jacobite
style is now common and accepted at the Highland Games. So what is the
issue? I think it runs the risk of making the kilt into a costume piece if we
are not careful.
One of
the exceptional things about the kilt is that it is not a “folk
costume.” By folk costume I mean those traditional clothing styles that have
been preserved (if in a modernized style) and worn when performing traditional
dances or other cultural activities. German leiderhosen or the Norwegian
bunnad would be examples.
But the
kilt is not a folk costume. It is a national dress, which is something
different. Rather than being a remnant of the past that is put on when
dancing for tourists, the kilt is a part of the living tradition of Scotland.
It is an article of modern day clothing – albeit one with a rich cultural
history – and should be worn as such.
Now
certain elements of the Neo-Jacobite outfit that Thompson pictures can easily
be incorporated into a modern kilt outfit without looking costumish. For
example, the soft-leather drawstring pouch sporran is a very nice choice for
daywear and can easily be worn with a modern casual shirt. In fact, the
sporran that I wear most frequently is an eighteenth century style with a
hinged metal cantle.
Other
elements of historic style can be incorporated into a modern kilt outfit with
equal ease. A hand knit broad bonnet is just as practical today as it ever
was. Traditional cadadh, hose cut and sewn from tartan cloth, can add
a bit of historic flair and romance to a modern formal outfit – and can be
worn with equal style for daywear, as well.
If it
sounds like I have double standards, perhaps I do! So much of this is a
matter of personal taste. But if I had to justify myself in this matter I’d
say that what defines a Neo-Jacobite style is what is worn on the torso.
Other elements aside, it is the “highland shirt” and historic doublet that
transform the outfit from clothing into costume.
I’m not
alone in my opinion. Thomas Gordon Mungall III, in his on-line article,
“Wearing Highland Attire,” writes, “One of the worst items that I've seen is
the Highland or gillie-style kilt shirt… I know I am treading on some
people's toes, but in my opinion these shirts are inappropriate...” Mungall is
certainly no rigorist when it comes to Highland attire. Elsewhere in his
article he advocates wearing cotton soccer socks for warm weather, or even
forgoing the socks entirely and wearing sandals with the kilt (for casual wear
only, of course!).
I’ve
talked with others about this issue, and the field seems to be divided. Some
hate the “highland shirt” and others love it. While the Neo-Jacobite style
has firmly established itself as acceptable and even fashionable at Highland
Games, it is what I would call “festival wear.” One wouldn’t wear it out on
the town, to a church service, or to work, for instance.
And the
tendency, I fear, is to turn the Highland Games into a costume party. It
seems that more and more I am seeing a hodge podge of unrelated styles worn
without care at the Highland Games – I’ve seen faeries, Vikings, German beer
maids, and lately even pirates (more Johnny Depp than Edward Teach).
I’m
interested in reader’s thoughts on this issue. Does Neo-Jacobite attire
encourage people to think of the kilt as a costume? We’ll explore some of the
reasons why people wear the kilt next month.
TOP
IMAGE: A Neo-Jacobite kilt shirt.
BOTTOM IMAGE: A traditional pouch sporran incorporated successfully into
a modern day-wear outfit.
