I have various books - and I had more before I became more cautious about lending them, which claim to be comprehensive guides to garments from antiquity to modern times covering all nations - not one has a Scotsman. Not one has an Englishman in a smock or knitted gansey - many of those joining the English Civil War societies have had to be told that they are wearing garments way above the station of an ordinary man or woman of the time.

My own limited research soon revealed that museums tend to be gifted or inherit (or in some cases steal) the garments which are special and striking - so hopefully as more things are digitised it will be possible to discover and analyse the everyday clothing of the masses.

Anne the Pleater