[ThinBlueLine]

Greetings all,

My ministrations upon the search function appear to be insufficient. What is considered "proper" for a woman to wear in regards to a tartan. My wife recently discovered that she is descended from clan Munro (from the Munros of Katewell and Sir Robert Munro, 14th Baron of Foulis). She wants to make sure that if she decides to wear the tartan at any point that she does so correctly. The most that I have been able to find are the short, mid-length, and long skirts in both straight and "kilted" form.
Are all of these proper or are women able to wear whatever they wish without being "wrong?"

[Detroitpete]

I'm not sure about 'proper', but I know what my wife likes. She's not one to wear the ubiquitous highland-games garb and costume looking clothing that some wear. She has above-the knee kilted skirts, simple tartan skirts of various lengths and some longer kilted skirts. I think she looks amazing in them! Sometimes she'll just wear a tartan scarf with a sweater--again--completely dreamy With having different lengths, she's able to make her outfits stretch from very casual and fun to more formal. Most of the time however, it's her simple kilted skirts that she'll wear out and about (no mini-kilts! We're much to modest for that).

[Detroitpete]

Here are some examples from ScotWeb:
http://www.scotweb.co.uk/ladies-wear...-length-skirts

[ThinBlueLine]

Detroitpete,

Thank you for the insight. The knee-length one for the women looks to be the same as the standard kilt for men except that it the flap crosses to the left and the length goes below the knee. Are there any other differences that you have noticed?

[Detroitpete]

The biggest difference is that her's are lighter weight. I'm no expert on what others may consider 'proper', but I think she looks great whether she's casual in a kilted skirt, tartan skirt or in a more formal and longer tartan skirt.

She'll even bop arounf the Highland Games where I'm competing, in her Sport Kilt. No one has said anything negative--but perhaps that is because I may be standing next to her with a Scottish Hammer in my hand

[Semiomniscient]

Other than skirts in whatever tartan and whatever length your wife finds fashionable and appropriate for the occasion--there is always the option of a tartan sash worn in a variety of ways. Scotty Thompson's "So Your Going to Wear the Kilt" does address this and I believe describes how to form a rosette from a tartan sash. (There are some who say that the sash is to be worn on the left shoulder save for chief's/chieftain's wives or ladies of nobility in their own right--as well as Scottish Country Dancers for that matter--but I've not seen hard evidence for this.)
Women have a lot of options for tartan because women's fashion varies and constantly changes much more than men's fashion does. So women can get away with whatever they like that is tasteful.

My wife doesn't usually wear much tartan save for one cocktail dress that is all tartan in a very small sett. (But then again, she's Irish and doesn't identify with tartan and such as a part of her heritage.)

But ultimately, since we are beyond Victorian era niceties, women don't have the same kind of "rigid ideas" as men tend to when regarding Highland dress.

[Semiomniscient]

Oh yes, but women don't wear kilts unless highland dancing or in a pipe band. That's a kind of "rule" for many who would be traditional about it.

[ThinBlueLine]

Detroitpete & Semiomniscient,

Thank you both, that definitely clears things up. It looks like she has little to worry about aside from her wool allergy.

[vmac3205]

If you look at photos of formal events in Scotland where the men are wearing kilts with PC's or the Montrose the women are dressed in modern formal clothing. Some are wearing sashes, but that appears to be optional as does the wearing of a tartan skirt. Check out Scottish Field if you want to know what the well dressed Scottish woman is wearing.

[Pleater]

For women, wearing tartan is, I think, a matter of style and conforming to local norms rather than 'tartan rules'.

I can't see any sort of tartan skirt of suitable length and style being thought wrong.

Anne the Pleater

PS I would admit to a certain element of cross dressing when wearing my kilts, if challenged on the matter, but so far, no one has even commented on them being fastened the wrong way round or the like. I think it is much less of an issue here than in the States.