Semple approach to Traditional Highland Dress

[OC Richard]

A couple examples of ghillies. (Not trying to start something. Just an observation.)

All the bonnets are blue. Some lighter, some darker.

Agreed on both counts!

The Semple shoes are a mix of ordinary brogues, Ghillie brogues, Mary Janes, and the "kiltie" shoes with the decorative flaps over the laced portion. (I don't know what those shoes are properly called. I've seen the flaps sold separately as well.)

And yes nearly all the Balmorals are blue. I would have worn a plain dark blue one if I had such. It's a traditional Highland dress essential! (If one comes up on Ebay in my size I'll grab it.)

There are two non-blue Balmorals in my 1930s edition: MacEwan (sort of Khaki Drab) and Graham of Menteith (a neutral colour somewhere in the middle of Lovat Green, Fawn, and Khaki Drab).

[Pleater]

A couple examples of ghillies. (Not trying to start something. Just an observation.)

All the bonnets are blue. Some lighter, some darker.

I make bonnets, simple crochet, in a few 'traditional' colours, black, grey and various shades of blue.
These days I usually wear one when away at folk festivals and over the last few years I have done fairly well selling the one I am wearing to those wanting to know where I got it. I suspect that as time passes there are fewer and fewer outlets for such things.

Of course as time passes more and more people think that 'Outlander' costumes are the real thing.

Anne the pleater

[OC Richard]

Of course as time passes more and more people think that 'Outlander' costumes are the real thing.

It's tragic how many people think that the Outlander costumes are authentic.

About the brown and grey look, there's a thing with Hollywood historical films to make everything dull and drab, be it the Middle Ages or Renaissance or the 18th century, when actual paintings from those periods show bright colours. (They show ancient Rome with entirely white buildings too, but let's not go there.)

As we know the brown & grey weathered tartans didn't appear until 1949. I think a lot of the blame for using those tartans in historical films goes to Rob Roy. Here are the Rob Roy and Outlander costumes compared to actual 18th century Highland clothing.

(Both the Rob Roy and Outlander costumes show the Hollywood costumers confusing the breacan-an-feileadh with long plaids wrapped around the body, worn by men in trews in 18th century portraits.)

[Janner52]

It's tragic how many people think that the Outlander costumes are authentic.

About the brown and grey look, there's a thing with Hollywood historical films to make everything dull and drab, be it the Middle Ages or Renaissance or the 18th century, when actual paintings from those periods show bright colours. (They show ancient Rome with entirely white buildings too, but let's not go there.)

As we know the brown & grey weathered tartans didn't appear until 1949. I think a lot of the blame for using those tartans in historical films goes to Rob Roy. Here are the Rob Roy and Outlander costumes compared to actual 18th century Highland clothing.

(Both the Rob Roy and Outlander costumes show the Hollywood costumers confusing the breacan-an-feileadh with long plaids wrapped around the body, worn by men in trews in 18th century portraits.)

Most of the illustrations of 18th century Highland dress tend to depict soldiers or the at the higher end of the social strata. There are very few images of the lower orders. Additionally a lot of the drawings are slightly caricaturist and unrealistic. So therefore likely inaccurate.
Some may also have been drawn from memory.

Clearly not the case in the examples above.

[figheadair]

I think a lot of the blame for using those tartans in historical films goes to Rob Roy. Here are the Rob Roy and Outlander costumes compared to actual 18th century Highland clothing.

(Both the Rob Roy and Outlander costumes show the Hollywood costumers confusing the breacan-an-feileadh with long plaids wrapped around the body, worn by men in trews in 18th century portraits.)

I was the tartan advisor for Rob Roy and proposed a number of historically suitable tartans, including the so-called MacGregor of Glengyle. Whilst the costume team were enthused and very keen to use on or other, they were overruled by the director. As a perfect example of a lack of appreciation of historical tartans he was reported to have said of the Glengyle sett 'I'm not having Liam Neilson wearing pink'!

My minor success was to have a plaid (which I dyed and wove) worn by the Duke of Argyll in some scenes. As an aside, unknown to me, the costume was sold off at the end filming. Had I known, I'd have bought the plaid back. I wonder what happened to it.