Where to get a high quality Ghillie Shirt (100% cotton)

[jhockin]

Perhaps this might interest the OP?

https://reconstructinghistory.com/pr...ts-amp-drawers

[MacKenzie]

These are advertised as 100% cotton.

https://www.scotlandshop.com/us/clot...highland-shirt

[Jock Scot]

Dan of Marsden.

As you can see, you have not picked a popular subject for your first post. I am sorry about that, but thats the way it goes sometimes, perhaps you might try another subject?

[OC Richard]

I've always been interested in historical clothing, and specifically Scottish Highland Dress.

Anyone who has done any delving into historical clothing is aware that Hollywood rarely does things accurately.

Hollywood costume designers generally come to a consensus of how to costume various periods, and the public seeing certain periods depicted a certain way in film after film will begin to believe the Hollywood construct as being correct.

There's a very knowledgeable YouTuber Bernadette Banner who does annual reviews of the accuracy of the costumes of all the major historical films and television shows. One theme she's repeatedly ranted on is Hollywood's obsession with making everything in historical films fasten with laces.

Since we know that lace-up "pirate shirts" and "Jacobite shirts" didn't exist in any historical period in Scotland or the Caribbean or anywhere else the most likely culprit is Hollywood.

But the origin of Highlanders running around in shirts (and shirtless!) goes back to RR McIan, the pen-name of English actor, costume designer, and set painter Robert Jones, who did the illustrations of 'ancient Highlanders' for the 1845 book The Clans of the Scottish Highlands.



We have plenty of paintings of 18th century Highlanders and they didn't look anything like that. They wore jackets, they didn't run around in shirtsleeves or in waistcoats.

But those RR McIan illustrations influenced later illustrators and eventually Hollywood, as can be seen in various depictions of 'ancient Highlanders' in films going back into the 1930s to today.



And if they were to wear just a shirt without jacket, 18th century shirts didn't lace up. They looked like this. They closed with a button at the collar.



Very nice quality reproductions of 18th century shirts can be had.

In any case here's a thread I did a while back about one possible origin of the pirate/Jacobite shirts:

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...origins-98430/

[jsrnephdoc]

We have at least 2 threads going now that "cover" articles promoted as appropriate for wearing with a kilt that are roundly (and probably appropriately) dissed by contributors. One is this, about "Ghillie Shirts." My guess (pure guess—I have NO informed knowledge) is that modern buttonholes and drawstrings may not have coexisted with real Ghillies. In contrast, I suspect few of us maintain any romantic notions about Prince Charlie jackets existing back when Prince Charlie was attempting to motivate the clans, but clearly their use is widely accepted now—indeed, probably the standard—for formal events. MY question is about what to wear at decidedly INFORMAL events that would be respectful of recent Scottish history and custom, especially outdoors, when the temperatures are warm and the midges are biting. Certainly not a T-shirt emblazoned across the chest with "I went to Culloden, and all I got was this T-shirt."

Just what IS appropriate for covering one's upper body on those occasions? My guess is just an ordinary monochromatic button-front cotton shirt, or possibly even a collared and monochrome "rugby shirt," but I have no real idea.

I have similar thoughts about those "Ghillie" boots that appear as if they might have resulted from a pair of "high-end" business brogue shoes consorting with military fatigue boots, to the benefit of neither.

[jsrnephdoc]

I did not see OC Richard's brand new post while composing my own, but now that it precedes mine chronologically I'll apologize, except to wonder where one might find one of those shirts that might save one's arms from the midges.

[User]

Informal? I suppose you can wear whatever you like. Personally, I always wear a dress shirt. But that's just my sense of style. Tattersall is an old English shirt pattern that looks good with a kilt, and might be popular in Scotland due to proximity and age. But, you'd need the Scots on this forum to confirm or deny that. I'm just speculating.

[FossilHunter]

We have at least 2 threads going now that "cover" articles promoted as appropriate for wearing with a kilt that are roundly (and probably appropriately) dissed by contributors. One is this, about "Ghillie Shirts." My guess (pure guess—I have NO informed knowledge) is that modern buttonholes and drawstrings may not have coexisted with real Ghillies. In contrast, I suspect few of us maintain any romantic notions about Prince Charlie jackets existing back when Prince Charlie was attempting to motivate the clans, but clearly their use is widely accepted now—indeed, probably the standard—for formal events. MY question is about what to wear at decidedly INFORMAL events that would be respectful of recent Scottish history and custom, especially outdoors, when the temperatures are warm and the midges are biting. Certainly not a T-shirt emblazoned across the chest with "I went to Culloden, and all I got was this T-shirt."

Just what IS appropriate for covering one's upper body on those occasions? My guess is just an ordinary monochromatic button-front cotton shirt, or possibly even a collared and monochrome "rugby shirt," but I have no real idea.

I have similar thoughts about those "Ghillie" boots that appear as if they might have resulted from a pair of "high-end" business brogue shoes consorting with military fatigue boots, to the benefit of neither.

Some sort of casual button up shirt would be appropriate to wear with a kilt. Pullovers instead of jackets or less formal jackets.

One has to keep in mind the climate of Scotland. It’s often wet and cold, so to many in warmer climates, the Scots may appear overdressed for casual wear but the layering serves a practical purpose.

One of our resident Scots has shared photos of his own casual kilt outfits. On warmer days he wears tattersall shirts, no tie, and a panama hat. Simple and practical.

I’ve worn similar for my own warm climate. Checked button up shirt, no tie, Panama hat. My concession to climate is short sleeves as opposed to rolled up long sleeves since when it’s hot here, it’s hot the whole day. These days I tend to just save the kilt and other wool clothing for cooler months.

[FossilHunter]

Informal? I suppose you can wear whatever you like. Personally, I always wear a dress shirt. But that's just my sense of style. Tattersall is an old English shirt pattern that looks good with a kilt, and might be popular in Scotland due to proximity and age. But, you'd need the Scots on this forum to confirm or deny that. I'm just speculating.

Tattersall and other checked patterns are country clothing and along with tweed seem to be popular throughout Britain among those living/working in the country. Estate workers, country gentlemen, farmers.

[figheadair]

Informal? I suppose you can wear whatever you like. Personally, I always wear a dress shirt. But that's just my sense of style. Tattersall is an old English shirt pattern that looks good with a kilt, and might be popular in Scotland due to proximity and age. But, you'd need the Scots on this forum to confirm or deny that. I'm just speculating.

A casual day last summer. That said, the hose were new and I wanted to given them an outing. I'd normally wear plain hose for such days.FB_IMG_1721459791875.jpg