breacan an fhéilidh

sm Belted plaid. This is the original garb of the Highlanders and formed the chief part of their costume. The breacan in its simple form is now seldom used. It consisted of a plain piece of tartan, two yards in width and four or six in length. In dressing, this was carefully plaited in the middle, of a breadth suitable to the size of the wearer and sufficient to extend from one side around his back to the other, leaving as much at each end as would cover the front of the body, overlapping each other. The plaid being thus prepared, was firmly bound round the loins with a leathern belt, in such a manner that the lower side fell down to the middle of the knee-joint and then, while there were the foldings behind, the cloth was double in front. The upper part was then fastened on the left shoulder with a large brooch or pin, so as to display to the best advantage the tastefulness of the arrangement, the two ends being sometimes suffered to hang down but that on the right side, which was necessarily the longer, was more usually tucked under the belt. — Logan.

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