The original dress of the Highlander was the Celtic Feile-breacan (belted plaid). This was a piece of tartan about two yards broad and four yards long, which was drawn round the waist in nicely adjusted folds and tightly buckled with a belt. The lower part came down to the knees in much the same manner as the modern kilt, while the upper part was drawn up and adjusted to the left shoulder so that the right arm might be perfectly free. This upper part was the "plaid," which was used as a covering for the shoulders and body in wet weather. When the use of both arms was required, the plaid was fastened across the breast with a brooch, often curiously enriched. A brooch was also used to fasten the plaid on the left shoulder. To attire himself in the belted plaid required on the part of the High lander no small amount of dexterity. The usual way was to lay it on the floor, or ground, and, after carefully arranging the folds, to lie down upon it and then buckle it on. The lower end was fastened at the right hip. This arrange ment appears in the illustration of the Earl of Moray engraved in Lord Archibald Campbell's "Records of The utility of such a dress in the Highlands is obvious, for the "plaidie" rendered the man indifferent to storms and prepared to pass a night in the open air in the most inclement weather, while the loose undergarment enabled him to wade rivers, or ascend mountains, with equal ease. The plaid was thus peculiarly adapted to the warrior, hunter and shepherd. If benighted, the Highander of old would dip his plaid in water and then wrap it around him self. The woolen cloth, swollen with moisture, was supposed to resist the wind, while the ex halations from the body during sleep sur rounded him with a warm vapor.
In Heron's 'History of Scotland> we read that in Argyll and the Hebridz before the middle of the 15th century tartan was manu factured of one or two colors for the poor, and more varied for the rich. The z.uthor of 'Cer tain Matters Concerning Scotland,> who wrote prior to 1597, said that the "Highlanders de light in marbled cloths, especially that have long stripes of sundry colors; they love chiefly purple and blue?) The particular patterns of tartans whit] distinguish each clan, must have been fixed before 1645, probably before 1600. Martin noted that the different isles in the west had different patterns of tartans and he also remarked that the women of the Western Isles wore sleeves of scarlet cloth and a plaid tied before on the breast, held with a buckle of silver, or brass, according to the quality of the person. The plaid was white with a few stripes of red, black or blue, reaching from neck to feet and belted with a leather girdle studded with silver. The tartan was worn in this style by ladies in the 18th century and is still so dis played at fancy and costume festivals.
The Highlanders had neither cochineal, foreign woods, nor the many brilliant hues pro duced to-day; but their native hills yielded wonderful dyes. Every housewife was able to dye red, blue, green, yellow, black and brown with their various compounds. As many of the ancient dyes are still used in the Highlands it is interesting to note from what native flora the dyes were obtained. Black was from alder tree
bark, dock root and water fly root; blue, blue berry with alum, or elder with alum; brown, lichen, dulse, currant with alum, blueberry with gall nuts; crimson, white lichen, dark lichen; flesh color, willow bark; grey, root of yellow water-flag; green, broom, whin bark, teasel, heather with alum; magenta, dandelion; orange, bramble; purple, sun dew or cupmoss; red, rock lichen, white lichen, rue root, or tormentil; scarlet, limestone lichen; violet, wild cress; and yellow from bog-myrtle, ash tree root, bracken root, Saint John's wort, teasel, lichen, common heather with alum and sun dew with ammonia.
According to Captain Burt in 'Letters from a gentleman in the North of Scotland to his friend in London,) written in 1730, —: "The chequered stuff commonly worn by the High landers, by them called breacan (parti-colored) and by is Lowlanders tartan (French, tire tame), s neither peculiar to Celts nor Goths, and is to be found at this day, although not in such general use, among many of the Slavonic tribes, who have no connection with either.' Captain Burt also says that when the High landers are trained to lie among the hills in cold, dry, windy weather, they sometimes soak the plaid in some river or burn, and then hold ing the corner up above their heads, they turn themselves round and round until they are en veloped in the whole mantle and then lay them selves down on the leeward side of some hill where the wet and warmth of their bodies makes a steam like that of a boiling kettle, and keeps them warm by thickening the stuff and keeping the wind from penetrating?) For a long period the "belted plaids was the dress of the Highlanders. Early in the 18th century it was succeeded by the little kilt called the feile beg, or fillibeg, and was much the same in appearance as the modern kilt worn to-day. The little kilt was made of six ells of single tartan, plaited, sewn and fixed round the waist with a strap, half a yard being left plain at each end and these crossed each other in front. Kilt is a Lowland word signifying a shortened, or tucked-up-garment. The plaid figured largely in Lowland politics. Allan Ramsay, who was throughly Jacobite, supporting the claim of James Stuart to the throne in 1715, wrote.a poem "Tarzana, or the Plaid," which specially refers to the wearing of tartan plaids by the ladies, a custom then universal in the Low lands.
The kilt is worn to-day so that when the wearer is standing erect the edge of it should reach the centre of the kneecap. The kilt is the principal part of the Scottish dress and should be Made of tartan associated with the name of the wearer. In absence of any claim to wear a particular tartan, the Royal Stuart tart n can be worn. The shoulder plaid is merely orna mental, but should always be worn with even ing dress. The lower end of the plaid is fastened round the waist by a band and the other end is pulled through the epaulette on the left shoulder, where there should be a rosette on the plaid through which a brooch is fixed. This can be of any design provided it is round and may have a Cairngorm, or other stone, in the centre, or it may be made after the pattern of the Lorne brooch.