What is the difference between the womans vest and the bodice?
A. The bodice is the Ancient Scottish style worn with the Arisaid (Air-a-sawed). The mans version was the Great Kilt. The bodice was the functional support garment worn on the outside of the clothing. In 1767, the English decreed all Scottish things, including bagpipes, illegal in an attempt to squelch national identity. Needing more British troops, including the hostile Scots, to fight the war with the American colonies, England raised the ban on the wearing of the tartan and the playing of the pipes in the early 1780s. Scottish dress changed, and, no longer a support garment, the bodice became the vest style in dark velvets. The Arisaid, or belted tartan, became a gathered skirt with separate plaide (rhymes with lemonade), which is Gaelic for blanket. The gown remained the basic style, but huge, puffy sleeves were all the rage. We are told that they were so large that the dresses were carried to their destination, and then tied to the gown with little ribbons. Today, attaching little
