historical kilt wearing question...

[MacWage]

First
I had not noticed that these are your posts 1, 2, and 3!

Actually, several of our members are Welsh! They call it a Cilt and a common poster (with pics) is Derek, our cardboard cutout (note how the pose is IDENTICAL in so many posts), and there are Welsh tartans too.
Matt Newsome (owner of the site mentioned by CajunScot and referenced by me above) is the curator of the Tartan Museum. He is free to many, many questions. I have pestered him quite a bit, as have many fellow X Markers. Feel free to call him.

[tashaar]

First
I had not noticed that these are your posts 1, 2, and 3!

Actually, several of our members are Welsh! They call it a Cilt and a common poster (with pics) is Derek, our cardboard cutout (note how the pose is IDENTICAL in so many posts), and there are Welsh tartans too.

Welsh have tartans? Neato. Not sure if there'd be a family tartan - the name is Lewis.

Matt Newsome (owner of the site mentioned by CajunScot and referenced by me above) is the curator of the Tartan Museum. He is free to many, many questions. I have pestered him quite a bit, as have many fellow X Markers. Feel free to call him.

I'll drop him an email at least! Thanks!
--tashaar

[starbkjrus]

Welsh have tartans? Neato. Not sure if there'd be a family tartan - the name is Lewis.
--tashaar

The Lewis tartan shown on the Wales Tartan Center's ( http://welshtartans.bpweb.net/ ) website looks quite nice.

from Northern Virginia.

[Livingston]

Welsh have tartans? Neato. Not sure if there'd be a family tartan - the name is Lewis.



I'll drop him an email at least! Thanks!
--tashaar

Welcome to XMarks, cousin. That is, assuming your husband is related to Meriweather Lewis who is my 1st cousin 7 times removed.

Couple more questions.

The wedding I mention takes place in late December in London. I know kilt-wearers tough it out, but he hasn't worn a kilt regularly since he was a teenager (he's 48 at the time of this marriage - his second). He might just be so gung ho he does it anyway, but do kilts keep one warm enough in winter, or is there something he'd wear underneath?

Also - the Welsh have tartans? I wonder if my hubby has a family one. The surname is Lewis...
--tashaar

I've worn my 8 yard, 13 oz kilt outside in a 20-25 degree F snowstorm at 6500 ft altitude with wool kilt hose and a typical leather jacket. Never noticed the cold.

[tashaar]

Thanks for the welcome. As for being related to Meriweather Lewis, I'm not entirely sure. I'm not entirely sure he is sure either. But it would be cool to find out!

Quick question - when you say "hose" you mean essentially the stockings that go to the knee, right? Just making certain I've got the right terminology.

And thanks for all the terrific links, guys. This is really helping me a good deal. Especially the old images!

BTW, the story I'm writing is a Sherlock Holmes tale. The Scot in question is his friend--Dr. John H. Watson, MD, late of the British Army Medical Department, 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot & 66th (Berkshire) Regiment.

;)

The going convention is that he was born in Edinburgh, raised in Australia and then England, received his first degree at University of Edinburgh, received his MD at University of London. He may be a British gentleman, but he's also Scots through and through--with a darned pretty family tartan, if I may say so.

About darn time someone put that man in a kilt. It's gonna be me. I hope.
--tashaar

[Livingston]

That would be correct. In our modern world, basically any knee high plain heavy socks could be used.

[tashaar]

Couple more questions.

The wedding I mention takes place in late December in London. I know kilt-wearers tough it out, but he hasn't worn a kilt regularly since he was a teenager (he's 48 at the time of this marriage - his second). He might just be so gung ho he does it anyway, but do kilts keep one warm enough in winter, or is there something he'd wear underneath?

Also - the Welsh have tartans? I wonder if my hubby has a family one. The surname is Lewis...
--tashaar

[MacWage]

Since you asked:
Here is a bit on the history of Welsh tartans.


First,he is reacting to false histories dating the tartans to much further back than they actually go and was in a series on others claiming kiltes MUCH older than they actually were in history.
From Matt's blog, back in Friday, April 15, 2005 on
http://blog.albanach.org/archive/200...r_archive.html

(Article text removed. Without the indentions, it is confusing and may led to misundrstanding what Matt said and what he was addressing.)

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Welcome to the forum!

I just wanted to chime in and echo those who have suggested reading Erskine's book, The Kilt and How to Wear It. It will tell you excatly what you need to know about what was considered proper Highland Dress from the period in question. You can purchase it here:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/books.htm
(About mid-way down the page).

Also, on my blog entree dealing with the history of the Welsh tartans, I'd reccomen you go to the actual article on my web site, which is at:
http://blog.albanach.org/2005/04/welsh-tartans.html

In the version that MacWage posted, part of the text is quoted from the Welsh Tartan Centre's article, and part is my response to it. In my blog entree, the quoted portions are indented, so there is no confusion over who is saying what!

Aye,
Matt

[davedove]

but do kilts keep one warm enough in winter

I have found that the kilt is quite warm in the winter, especially a heavier weight kilt with good hose. The only thing I have noticed was when I was standing still and a breeze was blowing. Then, my knees would get a bit chilly, but that stopped as soon as I started moving.