An eBay Find

[figheadair]

​Fascinating. It certainly looked far flimsier than the kilts of the modern day. This one looks more like a Mason's Apprentice Apron than a kilt. The gentleman who commissioned the original kilt and coat was certainly a very slightly built man. I cannot help but wonder if research might reveal who he was and who his Tailor was. Given the prominence of the 1822 Levee, there must be written records of the Edinburgh and London Tailors of the day squirreled deep in some dusty archive somewhere.

This is classic Wilsons' hard tartan. You need to understand that it was essentially for dressing up rather than day wear and very much aimed at the gentry and townies rather than for wearing on the hill. I reckon that the owner was probably a 34" chest, not uncommon at that time. Many of these outfits were produced by George Hunter who had offices in Princes Street and London. That would be my starting point but we know that in the case of the MacGregors that the chief outfitted his clan, at great expense. The current chief may well know more - waiting to hear.

I also wonder if this kilt is pleated to any particular sett or pattern or, if like the 1790 MacDuff, it is pleated completely randomly to "nothing".

Unusually for the time, it's pleated to sett and is the earliest example I know of. It may have been pure coincidence because the sett is so simple it may have been the natural choice rather than to stripe.