General: Interests: Faires & Reenactments, Characters
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The best comment I've heard on the subject says these are your clothes, not a costume. A great deal of research goes into character development and outfitting. There is a lot of information available, written accounts, paintings, etc. but in truth there is a great deal that is NOT known. There are things that cannot be easily done, and there are things that we know are dangerous to do. We take the facts we have and make our best guess with the rest... when we find new information we often need to make changes... like the kilt issue mentioned below. |
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Most of Northern Europe was experiencing a mini Ice Age during the 16th Century.. not well suited to California summers... unless your character is from the Mediterranean or a Moor! Reference on the typical Highlander (below) come from traveling Dutch artist Lucas deHeer. The original watercolor is in the collection of the pictorial archives of the University of Gent . Dear friend, Barbara Coole of B. Coole Designs, recently traveled to Holland and visited the museum. She returned with much lovely documentation on the authenticity of this watercolor. Dunbar describes the wild scot drawing (below) as having the look of something drawn from life. Above the blue shorts, there is yellow patterned or quilting jacket but the madder dyed mantle (brat or plaid) is noticeably plain. There is mention of a saffron jacket being commonly worn as a badge of honor by the leaders of highland military groups
Checking the text you may notice that it mentions that the drawing appears to be edited. There are at least three pages from deHeer's sketchbook in this set... including one of two naked early Britons. There are hap-hazzard pencil marks across the genitals on the Britons. That drawing is NOT noted as being edited. It has bee espoused that the shorts on the Highlander were drawn in by prudish Victorians. The two Britons are much more exposed than the Highlander. Going to the trouble of faking shorts on just one seems unlikely.Looking closely at the Highlander, you can see what looks like a shadow at the back out the calf... under magnification it appears the artist changed his mind about the size and placement of the back leg... i.e., editing. Just for the record: There is NO documentation to show that kilts were in common use until about 1590. The records do indicate that the Irish and the Scots were wearing similar linen shirts with long "jelly bag" like sleeves - dyed a saffron color - easily achievable from several other common substances, including weld and onion skins. (Brief dye History.)
The first known illustration of a belted plaid is of the MacKay clan while serving as mercenaries in Europe. Click on the photo for more costume related information, care of Reconstructing History. For more about the MacAoidh Clan see Clan MacKay
Historical sites, books, magazines and related materials are available in the Library. |
 Left & above: Duncan MacAoidh, youngest son of a 16th Century Scottish noble, has recently returned home after 15 years on the Continent. Educated by the clergy, he obtained a commission in the French army where he distinguished himself through his charitable acts, in addition to his proficiency with both sword and bow. The new middleclass costume makes a nice subject for sketching.
His new saffron linen (ignore the shoes) and her in the old version with kilt...
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This is what the fashionable were wearing in London at the time...
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... be sure to watch out for those dangerous Scot terrorists lobbing water balloons... trebuchet right, thanks to Jim and Tina at New Stirling Arms Here are some of deHeer's depictions of a fashionable women, galloglass (mercenaries), and Irish poor in the English controlled portions of Ireland, called "the Pale."
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 Another group by deHere below is often called "the Merry Wives of Winsor" after Shakespeare's play.
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And this lovely Medici lady
My character, Eileen O'Donnell, is the daughter on an Irish Lord and his Stuart wife. She was married off to a distant cousin to get her out of harms way in Ireland and give her a 'European education.' She's currently managing her fiance's affarirs and teaching young ladies courtly manners, as she and Duncan travel around the British Isles. My working class costume has been evolving... here I am melting in the 103° heat at Southern Fair 2003, and the Calaveras Celtic Festival 2005.
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Our characters both spent many years in and around the courts of France, where the Italian, Catherine deMedici was Queen. It's still just as expensive to outfit ones self appropriately ... especially when you are trying to do so in Pre-Industrial Revolution materials and techniques.
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New upper-class costumes are in the works for both of us.... as time and money permit. Playing in Photoshop helps visualize them... the outer wool dress is finished and I'm working on the rest of the pieces.
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