** Fabrics Used in Boys' Clothing: Plaidd








Fabrics Used in Boys' Clothing: Plaid


Figure 1.--The garment most associated with plaid/tartan is the Scottish kilt. Plaid was, however, widely used in other garmernts as well as for decotrative trims during the 19th century, especially in boys' clothing. And continues to be worm today, only more for girl's garmrents, especially skirts.

Plaid is a fabric having a pattern of different colored stripes or even black and white crossing at right angles. It is usually a woolen fabric, but has come to mean any fabric of different colored yarn in a cross barred pattern. Plaid (pronounced "plad") is the name of the material which is used for making kilts. It isn't the name of the pattern on the material, this is called "tartan". In the United States, plaid is sometimes pronounced 'plaid' and usually refers to the material--plaid and tartan are interchangeable terms there, they aren't in Scotland. Plaid (pronounced "plad") is the name of the material which is used for making kilts. It isn't the name of the pattern on the material, this is called "tartan". In the United States, plaid is sometimes pronounced 'plaid' and usually refers to the material--plaid and tartan are interchangeable terms there, they aren't in Scotland. 'Plaid' is also the specific name for the tartan 'cape' worn over the shoulder in full 'highland dress', e.g. by pipers. Plaid is most commonly associated with kilts, but other garments were also made in plaids.

Terminology

Plaid (pronounced "plad") is the name of the material which is used for making kilts. It isn't the name of the pattern on the material, this is called "tartan". In the United States, plaid is sometimes pronounced 'plaid' and usually refers to the material--plaid and tartan are interchangeable terms there, they aren't in Scotland. 'Plaid' is also the specific name for the tartan 'cape' worn over the shoulder in full 'highland dress', e.g. by pipers. This was indeed called a "plaid" and not a 'plad'. Dwelly wrote in 1901 under the entry for 'fe/ileadh-bhreacain' The kilted plaid. This consisted of twelve yards or more of narrow tartan, which was wrapped around the middle, and hung down to the knees. It was more frequently fastened round the middle by a belt, and then it was called "breacain-an-fhe/ilidh" or "fe/ilidh-bhreacain". The breacain, or plaid part of this dress, was, according to occasion, wrapped round the shoulders, or fastened on the left shoulder with a brooch (brai\sd) of gold, silver or steel, according to the wealth of the wearer. By this arrangment there was nothing to impede the free use of the sword-arm

History

Plaid apperas to have ancient predecessors. The oldest example was found with the remains of “Cherchen Man,” a mummy of Caucasian descent found buried in the western Gobi desert. The modern palid appears to have origniated in Scotkland (16th century). The Scots called in tartan sand populrfized its use in Western fashion. It was first used not for kilts, but rather an outer layer of clothing worn across the left shoulder. Initially this was probably to keep warm, but evetually bacame more of a ecorative item. The main use of plaid bercmed the kilt. The tgerm trtan appeared wjn mericn znd British msznufcturers began producing plaid cloth. Plaid was a purely fashon item until the 18th century. Scotland beczame part of the United Kingdom by the Act of Union in pzart thriugh bribery (1707). Not sll Scotts were etralld with the idea. James Francis Edward Stuart’s 1714 rebellion against the now British English monarchy involved plaid-clad Scottish soldiers. Thus plaid want from Scottish family symbol to a military regalia. And even more serious rebellion ensued three decades later. The Scotts did not do as well as the Americans. Bonny Prince Charley's plaid clad army was crushed at Culloden Moor (1746). After which the English banned multi-colored plaids and kilts. Slowly they retrned, rather ironically in the British Army. Scottish regiments, the kilt, and pipes were present at Waterloo. A plaid known as Black Watch Plaid became associated with the Royal Highland Regiment, is one of the best known units in the British Army. Joined by Scottish poets and authors as well as a British princess helped chanbnge the image of plaid. Victgoria and Aalbert drssed th young princes in plid kilts creating a fahion xddnsation. And plid is an enduring fashion even to this day, lthough more for girls than boys.

Tartans

A tartan is a pattern, properly for a wool garment, having varicolored stripes or lines at right angles forming a distinctive pattern--particularly that worn by Scottish higlanders. Plaid and tartan both contain horizontal and vertical lines that intersect at 90 degree angles. The imprtantbdifference is tartan is plaid associated with a clan. Whereas plaid holds no association with a historic clan. While every clan has a tartan today, this is a relatively recent development. Most tartans were only adoprted in the 19th Centurty. Before that tartan patterns were more varied. Parti-coloured cloth was used by the Celts from earliest times, but the variety of colours in the breacan was greater or less according to the rank of the wearer. That of the ancient kingshad seven colours, that of the druids six, and that of the nobles four. In the days of Martin the tartans seemed to be used to distinguish the inhabitants of different districts, and not the members of different families as at present. He expressely says that the inhabitants of the various islands were not all dressed alike, but that the setts and colours of the various tartans varied from isle to isle. As he does not mention the use of a special pattern by each family, it would appear that such a distinction is a modern one, and taken from the ancient custom of a tartan for each district, the family or clan originally most numerous in each part eventually adopting as their distinctive clan tartan the tartan of such district. Martin's information was not obtained on hearsay, he was born in Skye and reared in the midst of Highland customs.

Garments

Plaid is most commonly associated with kilts, but other garments were also made in plaids.

Kilts

Scottish Higland kilts almost always have a plaid pattern. Each clan has developed their distibctive tartans. Irish kilts, however, are usually solid colors rather than plaid.

One term used for a kilt in Scotland was the "plaid" "philibegs". The original kilts were apparently about 6-8 yards of rectangular material. The kilt was worn in this way: 1. Find a space 6 yards long in a sheltered position. Stand at one end of the space. 2. Lay a belt out with the inside facing upwards and the buckle away from you 3. Lay the plaid out in a line with the near end on top of the belt. on top of the belt. 4. Kneel down at the end and grasp either edge of the plaid about 2 ft 6 in along the plaid. 5. Pull the two edges fairly taut and move your hands towards you to form a pleat of about 3 inches. 6. Continue like that folding the plaid over to form pleats. The pleats should overlap a lot but not be piled right on top of each other. 7. Continue to make pleats until there is about 2 feet left at the far end which is not pleated. Stop pleating! 8. You now have a pleated plaid except for 2 feet at either end. Lay on plaid with your feet to the right so that the pleats run head to foot. The bottom (formerly right hand) edge of the plaid should be about knee length. 9. Wrap over the two unpleated ends (corner 4 over 2) and, whilst lying prone, fasten your belt 10. Stand up! 11. Adjust the *plaid* for length so that your knees are just showing. 12. Take the top half of the plaid which is hanging down over your belt and find the two corners. The Scots tend to do this by throwing the top part of the plaid over their head to straighten it out. These will be the two corners from the former left hand side (corners 1 & 3). Fasten the two corners with a pin or tying around left shoulder. Tuck any spare bits into belt making folds of fabric round your waist which can be used as pockets etc. There does not seem to be any set pattern for this.

Scotish sources report that sporrans are not authentic. Clan tartans are not authentic. An eye witness who saw the Jacobites in 1745 observed that no two tartans were the same. Clan tartans are a later invention. Underwear is not authentic. Trews are authentic. Trews appear to be cut with the tartan on the legs going at the opposite diagonal to the body. The fly fastening seems to be an overlap with buttons to the side.

Shoulder cloth

A long rectacular piece of cloth, usually with a plaid pattern, worn about the shoulders by Scottish Higlanders. Higland dancers usually wear this plaid. Irish sancers also wear this shoulder cloth, but in a solid pattern.

Dresses

After the Scittish kilt became a fashionable boy's garment in the mid-19th Century, girls dresses began to be made in plaid. This continued to be a popular style until after the Civil War. Plaid by the 1880s was much less used for girls' dresses, but plaid was still used for boys' dresses. Plaid again became popular in America for girls' school dresses and skirts in the 1950s. Plaid skirts and jumpers are still popular school uniform styles in America. Plaid is no longer fashionable, but few children's clothes catalog are issdued without some plaid dresses or skirts, often referred to as kilts.

Trews

Tres are the plaid short pants worn under kilts. I'm not sure when they began to be worn. I think it is unlikely that Scottish Highlanders wore them with traditional kiklts. Presumably trews appeared in the 19th Century.

Trousers

Scottish men have worn plaid trousers instead of kilts. I'm not precisely sure when this fashion begun. Men did not generally wear trousers until the second decade of the 19th century so presumably plaid trousers were not worn before that period, but I can not yet confirm this.

Shirts

Plaid shirts became popular winter shirts for men, but I am not sure about the chronolgy of this. I believe that plaid was a popular pattern for boy's school shirts since the 1940s, perhaps earlier. Many American boys every September were bought new corderoy knickers or long pants to be worn with a warm plaid shirt for the new school year. Plaid in the 1990s has become associated with what teenagers refer to as "geeks" or kids that are considered "cluless" about fashion and hip behavior--meaning they do not confirm to the conteporary fashion and behavioral trends.

Decorative Use

A variety of features are asoociated with skirted garments. These were options available to dressmakers. We have only begun to prepare a list. These featured were employed in both the bodice and skirt parts of skirted garments. We notice smocking on the bodice. Smocking was a embroidering technique used on smocks, dresses, and other skirted garments. There was pleating employed on the skirt part. Another decorative feature is patterns. And especially important in America is plaid. The reason for this of course is that plaid is associated with the Scottish kilt--a male garment. Thus apprently in the American mind made skirted garments more appropriate for boys. This suggsts tom us that there was some second thoughs about the centuries old convention about boys wearing skirted garments. Interestinglu modern school garments including school uniforms include pleated plaid skirts for girls, but this was not the case in the 19th centyry. The most common plaid skorted garemnt for boys besides the kilt was dresses. We also see palid tunics, although not nearly as commomly as plaid dresses.

Gender

Plaid is commonly associatd with the kilts worn by Scottish men and boys. There were also pants called trews done in plaid, but the kilt was more common. Women's highland dress is also based on the clan tartan, variously either that of her birth clan or after marriage optionally her husband's clan. Women and girls do not wear kilts but at some point began wearing ankle-length tartan skirts. There were color-coordinated blouses and vests. A tartan earasaid, sash or tonnag (small shawl) were also worn. We are not sure just when all of this began. We suspedct the mid-19yth century as Queen Victoria helped popularize all things Scottish. We also notice tartan dresses in America from the earliest photographic record (Mid-19th century), suggesting it was a well estsblished fashion in Scotland (we are not sure about England) during the early-19th century. Just when plaid dresses were first worn we are not sure. We see girls of all ages and younger boys wearing plaid dresses. We had thought plaid dresses were most common for boys to signal their gender. But we have found several imsges of girls wearing plaid drsses and now we are not so sure. We do know thsat plaid became a very popular girl's pattrn in the 20th crnury for both dresses and skirts. Boys on ghe other hand to some extnt wore plaid shirts, influnced perhps by the association with lumberjacks. We do see some younger boys wearing plaid shortalls.

For Ever Plaid

FOREVER PLAID is the story of four unlikely heros crooners, who performed in plaid jackets. Their dreams of musical glory come true when they miraculously return to earth. This endearing harmony group was "snuffed out mid coda" in a collision with a school bus of eager teens who were on their way to see the Beatles' debut on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. Now, through a hole in the ozone layer and some "astro technical stuff" these nerdy crooners with angelic voices come back to do the show they never got to do in life.

Sources









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Created: August 12, 1999
Last updated: 2:27 AM 2/10/2022