MacKenzie

I decided to do some more research into the Mackenzie clan and came across the one of my chosen images,  I thought it was a fashion plate, instead it turns out to be a painting of Kenneth and Thomas MacKenzie, painted in 1868, both men wearing MacKenzie tartan. They wore traditional kilt jackets in matching fabrics, a navy blue/ grey jacket, with their family clan tartan. Even though Mackenzie have overall tartan fabrics, there are different clan sectors or family origins which have different tartans. There jackets blend in with the blue/grey lines in the tartan. The socks of Thomas MacKenzie show the clan design of stag’s head and horns. The background shows Loch Duich, on the west coat of Ross-shire, with Eilean Donan Castle and Tulloch Ard.

My models father is a Black Mackenzie, so normally a navy blue wool would be worn not to dissimilar to the above, the tartan is different.  

Fabirc Samples

Fabric Sourcing

Speaking to my model, I found out that his father 'Kenneth' is part of the 'Mackenzie' clan. After this conversation I thought it would be interesting to  find a woollen Hunting Tartan from this clan.

I have done some research and this is what I found out about the clan:

‘The Mackenzie clan possessed Kintail in the 14^th century and take their name from a chief named Kenneth who lived in the 13^th century. They were a strong and powerful clan and feuded with their neighbours. They fought against the MacDonalds at the Battle of Blair-na-park in 1491. About 1607 they acquired lands of Lochcarron and Lochalsh. In 1609 Kenneth MacKenzie was created Lord MacKenzie, and the 2^nd Lord was Earl of Seaforth in 1623. They fought in the 1715 Rising and at the Battle of Glenshiel in 1719. They were a numerous clan and in the 18^th century could muster 2,500 fighting men.’ 

The Mackenzie clan motto is' I shine, not burn' and there clan badge consists of a stags head. So I think its real important that I choose stag horn buttons over leather. 

Below is a romanticized Victorian ear illustration of a Clan Mackenzie clansmen by R. R. Mclan from The Clans of the Scottish Highlands published in 1845, he wears the ancient tartan:

 This is the Mackenzie hunting tartan:

I will order a sample of this fabric and try to match the colour of a wool of the jacket.

Trouser Patterns and Style

The bases of the trouser block is similar throughout the Victorian/ Edwardian period, though  the type and styling of the trousers change depending on the use and type. Through the decades of the Victorian period the width of the hem widened and narrowed, the waist became higher and lower, the leg became narrower/ baggier and the use of different fabrics came in and out of fashion. For more information on this read Victorian Gentleman's Fashion an earlier blog. The pattern block above show some of the different styles of the period and are useful to determine the cut and tailoring as well as comparison. 

Sleeve Pattern Changes Over Time

To a get a greater idea of the development of tailoring of through the last few centuries I am going to look at patterns of sleeves taken from historical garments. ( The images of pattern piece are taken from the Norah Waugh book The Cut Of Men's Clothing 1600-1900).

Pattern to the left is of a sleeve from a 1600 Doublet.
The middle is from 1680-90 and is taken from a coat.
On the right is a sleeve pattern from a Frock coat during the 1800's.   

From comparing these sleeve patterns you can clearly see the development of pattern drafting made by  tailors over the years and the changes to their shapes.

On the early sleeves you can see that the shaping of the head of the sleeve is not very shaped in comparison to the century later where more of a curve is developed. This is then accentuated more in the 1800's where a much larger curve is created. The same can be said for the underarm. The extra material needed to create this shape was used as a built in gusset, though over time the need of a gusset has become less and less, shown by the change in shape.

Another detailing that can be seen is the curve in the hinder and forearm. In the 1600's the sleeve was much more curved and shaped, constricting the movement of the wearer, though over the ages you can the arm become less curved restricting less. In modern sleeve patterns a curve is still created but not so dramatic.  

Sourcing Fabrics

Over the Easter holidays I will source my fabric. I will first research into Scottish fabrics and clans before making my final choice.

For the jacket the drafting block stats 'Harris Tweed' and 'Shetland Cloth' for the Tweed Kilt Jacket, though a 100% wool can still be used historically. The jacket fabric colour would blend into the tartan fabric, this mean any colour can be used as long as it connects into the tartan. Normally for this style of jacket a weathered brown/ green or bark grey/ navy blue would be used though this varies greatly depending on the clan. In Edwardian times tartan became less used and instead a plain matching wool would be used for both the jacket and trousers, this was commonly a Tweed. 

As you can see from this photo of a Scottish hunting party, they wear a mixture of trouser and kilt in all Scottish tweed fabric:

The trousers become more common in Scotland rather than a kilt in the Edwardian period, though would still have been made from the tartan of their clan,  this faded out more during the later stages of the Edwardian period. However, the tartan kilt is still worn in modern times, socially in Scotland. I have decided to make the trousers from a tartan to date my costume between the late Victorian and early Edwardian period. This means that I will have to match the tartan to a plain fabric, which may be difficult.    

To start my costume I will have to source the following:

Around 14oz plain wool for the jacket (3meters)
Around  14oz tartan wool for the trousers (3meters)
Silk lining (2.5 meters)
Hair canvas (1 meter)
Shoulder canvas (0.5 meters)
Breast felt (0.5 meters)
Stay-flex (0.25 meters)
Braid (4 meters)
Around 22 buttons

I will now research into Scottish fabrics.

Drafted Jacket

Drafting the pattern using the book was more challenging than I expected. Old terms and measurements made it hard to grasp to begin with for example the full length  is the jacket length and waist length is the nape to waist back. Working at this I was then able to draft the pattern. I found the easiest way to re-write the pattern in instructions that I understood in metric measurements. This was useful as I am now able to look back through what I did without having to decode the book again. Another issue I had was that the instructions in the book did not include the instructions for the placement of the lapel, pocket, slit or dart. Using my existing knowledge, Grahams basic block, the image of the Tweed kilt Jacket block and 'rock of eye' I was able to draft these on. This took some time though I have learn a great deal from drafting this pattern, than the basic block and I be able to use this knowledge in the future.  

Having drafted the jacket I will next draft the sleeve I will use a combination of the block to achieve the desired look.