_ Origin of the Highland Drefs. 
For the Monthly Magazine, 
Lerrer from an ANTIQUARY 10 the 
CoLoNneL of @ HiGHLAND ReEcr- 
MENT, o# the HIGHLAND Drgss. 
ee compliance with your defire, I have 
now the honour to fend you a few re- 
marks on the Highland drefs. 
When I firft faw in the papers, that 
you had appeared at court in a new high- 
land drefs, fubftituting trowfers or pan- 
taloons for the philibeg, I was highly 
pleafed with the improvement. The 
highland drefs is, in faét, quite modern, 
and any improvement may be made with- 
out violating antiquity. Nay, the 
trowfers are far more ancient than the 
philibeg. 
The philibeg cannot be traced among 
any of the Celtic nations, Ireland, Wales, 
or Bretagne, either as an article of drefs, 
or as an old word in their languages. 
Giraldus Cambrenfis, A. D. 1180, in- 
forms us, that the Irifh wore bracce or 
breeches (that is, the long, ancient 
breeches, now called pantaloons or trow- 
fers). On old monumerts, the Irith 
kings are drefied in a clofe tunic or vett, 
long trowlers down to the ancle; anda 
long loofe robe, faftened on the breaft by 
a large broach. Perhaps the broach 
might be fubftituted in your regiment for 
the breaft-plate, with much coffume. 
“In the book of dreffes, printed at Paris 
1562, from which fac-fimiles are pub- 
lithed, the highland chief is in the Irifh 
drefs, and I can difcover no philibeg. 
No part of the drefs is tartan ; nor is there 
a plaid, but a mantle. The women are 
dreffed in fheep-fkins ; and as that fex is 
always more ornamented than the other, 
there is reafon to believe, that the com- 
“nion highland drefs was then compofed of 
fheep or deer-fkins. 
~~ Certain it is, that Froiffart, though 
aftonifhed at the /auwages d’Ecoffe, as 
foreigners termed the highlanders, even 
down to Mary’s reign, and though a 
minute obferver, remarks no fixt appro- 
priated drefs among them; though the 
plaid and philibeg, if then ufed, muft 
have ftruck him as moft particular. 
Fordun, lib. ii. cap. 9, only mentions 
the highland people, as ‘* amiétu defor- 
mis,” a term which, I dare fay, you will 
agree with me, rather applies to a vague 
fayace drefs of ikins, &c. than to any 
regular habit, 
He&tor Boyce, 1526, though very 
minute, is equally filent; but he men- 
‘tions canvas hole or trowfers, as a part 
@f the ald Scotith drefs. 
Lefley and Buchanan, 1570-1580, are 
therefore the firft who mention the fno- 
dern highland drefs. The former re- 
prefents tartan as then confined to the 
ufe of people of rank. The latter fays, 
the plaids of his time were brown, 
Advocates for the antiquity .of the 
philibeg fay it is borrowed irom the Ro- 
man military drefs. But it is quite dif- 
ferent ; for the Roman fkirts were merely 
thofe of the tunic, which was woin under 
the armour, wheveas the philibeg is a 
detached article of drefs, 
It once appeared to me that the tunic 
with {kirts to the knee, ufed by the com- 
mon people of England in the Saxon and 
Norman times (fee Strutt’s plates), had 
palled to the lowlands ; and thence to the 
highlands, where it remained, as moun- 
taineers are flow in changing fafhions. 
But it now feems far more probable, 
that the philibeg arofe from an article of 
drefs, ufed in France, England, Scotland, 
from about the year 1500 to-1590,namely, 
the ancient haut de chaufé PROPER. in 
Montfaucon’s plates may be feen fome of 
thefe which are abifolute: philibegs. 
The ancient loofe.dracce were followed 
by tight Aofe, covering thigh and leg: 
but, as manners advanced, thefe began 
to feem indecent (bemg. linen, fitting 
clofe, and fhewing every joint. and form) ; 
and the aut de chauffe (or top of the ho/c} 
began to be ufed. At firlt it was very 
fhort, and loofe. as a philibeg; was 
lengthened by degrees, and Henry LV. 
of France wears it down to within three 
or four inches of the knee, and gathered 
like a petticoat tucked*. Louis XIII. 
firft appears with what we now call 
breeches. ; 
Hofe were ftill worn under the haut de 
chauff, But as the latter was lengthened, 
the tormer were fhortened, till the pre- 
fent fafhion prevailed. The Germans 
call breeches Aofem, a term which we con- 
fine to ftockings. : Has) 
But the haut de chauffe, or philibeg, at 
firtt invented for the fake of modetfty, and 
to cover that indecent article the drayette 
or codpiece, has become among the high. 
landers. moft indecent in itfelf, becaufe 
they do not wear, as they ought, long 
hofe, covering thigh and leg, under the 
philibeg. It is not only grofsly inde- 
cent, but is filthy, as it admits duft to 
the fkin, and emits the foetor of perfpi- 
ration; is abfurd, becaufe while the 
breaft, &c. are twice concealed: by vett 
and plaid, the parts moft concealed by 
—_——- 

* In England termed the bajes, 
3 Fa ali 
4or - 
a. ae 
