Dress Codes

[Peter Crowe]

I consider myself somewhat traditional without being anachronistic, and try to dress accordingly both in 'saxon' clothes and THCD.

To keep this on a kilted theme I would say my main orders of dress are similar to what some others have posted.

Very Informal:

self coloured short sleeved or Polo/golf shirt/, kilt, self-coloured hose, Horn handled sgian dhub (optional), flashes, brown leather sporran, brown belt (brass buckle), nubuck walking shoes.

Informal:

As above with long sleeved shirt (usually self coloured, sometimes tattersal check) without tie, black/brown shoes or brogues.


Business/Professional/day-time semi-formal/evening informal:

As above with Tweed Argyle Jacket, self coloured or striped tie. If the event were more formal I'd most likely wear a white or pale blue shirt.

Evening Wear (black tie):

Bottle Green Prince Charlie and Vest, dress sporran (fur with white metal cantle), turn down collar white dress shirt with studs and cufflinks, black self-tie bow tie, Kilt, bottle green or navy hose, black polished oxfords (I used to have black gillies but have never seen the need to replace them), white metal/black leather sgian dhub.

I have been known to wear different coats over the kilt in cold or inclement weather, from as informal as a wax jacket/parka to a black woolen overcoat.

I don't customarily attend white-tie evening functions, but were I to do so I prefer the simplicity of a self-coloured barathea wool sheriffmuir and vest with jabot, and diced hose with buckled shoes.

[Joshua]

I absolutely dress way "down" when compared to many of the rabble, but way "up" when compared to many of my peers.

Casual: T-shirt, boots and scrunched solid hose, basic (or SWK nightstalker) sporran, casual kilt. (This is what I would wear to a concert with some sort of Celtic theme, i.e. Ballydowse, Dropkick Murphy's, etc... or if wearing the kilt around the house or hiking.)

Smart Casual: Polo shirt or short-sleeved buttonup, solid hose and oxfords, basic sporran, beltplate, and either a casual or an 8-yard kilt depending on the temperature. (This is my most common attire for "Kilt Night" in Florida, and Highland Games when not competing - as our games normally take place during warmer months).

Shirt and Tie: A button-up shirt, tie, solid hose and oxfords or dress shoe, beltplate, basic sporran, 8-yard kilt.

"Dressed Up - Warm Weather": Same as above without the beltplate and with a waistcoat.

"Dressed Up": Shirt, tie, Argyle, beltplate, solid (usually my brighter or more elaborately woven) hose, oxfords or dress shoe, basic or dress sporran, 8-yard kilt. (This is the most formal garb I own, and frankly, plan to own.)


Depending on the occasion I will wear either a tattersall shirt or a solid color shirt, and a patterned tie or a solid tie. Really depends on my mood, the occasion, and (of course) the level of formality.

[Cygnus]

The interesting thing is that it hasn't been that long since "informal dress" (for evening events) meant black tie, while "formal dress" meant white tie. If you write "informal" on an invitation today, I would imagine you'd get cut-off jeans, T-shirts, and sandals. Most of the formal events that I attend or have attended use the more current terminology (e.g., black tie - so far I've never attended a white tie event) and have been fairly lenient with that definition, with all sorts of garish outfits (such as white dinner coats in Autumn) and a number of plain or patterned suits that weren't even black or dark blue. That seems to be the general run of things, though it irks me a bit that such is the case - not so much that organizers are lax with their dress codes but that people genuinely appear to be ignorant of what the dress code even means.

Like Tobus, my level of dress (kilted or not) is generally a notch above the norm without being too dressy for the occasion. I work in a jeans and t-shirt or polo shirt environment but almost always wear a collared shirt, sports coat, slacks, and polished shoes. I even wear a tie from time to time. I have to admit that part of my motivation for doing so is the old adage, "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."

[Bugbear]

My social milieu is very limited; my life is centered around clay and soil. Out in public, I often wear a polo shirt. I will dress properly for an occasion as best as I am able.

[xman]

In Saxon terms I am a bit of an anomaly wearing sport coats with jeans and sandals. I wear my kilt with sandals in the summer too as you well know. The normal footwear when it is sock season is hiking boots, but it has just as often been flat black shoes, even with jeans.

In general I wear my kilts with hose, but no flashes or sgian dubh, sometimes a waistcoat, sometimes a sweater. When I get a more casual belt I will have that option as well which will be good for warmer days. Black Oxfords for any dress occasion, but I'm still looking forward to getting some oxblood brogues.

For more dressy occasions I've a nice tweed day jacket and matching waistcoat from Freedom Kilts which I can wear and need a better evening jacket option for Burns Nights and such. A PC would go with the formal waistcoat I have, but I really like the Sheriffmuir style. Decisions, decision. I don't get too many chances to dress up and people tend to see the kilt itself as pretty dressy anyway. I also want diced hose.

I am oddly appalled at the down turn in general apparel just as other old farts were back in the sixties I'm sure. Even tie dyed shirts, peasant skirts and costume jewellery are a step up from the baggy t-shirts and low slung jeans people, even respectable adults, wear these days.

[LANCER1562]

I generally have four levels of dress:

Casual/Pub Gear:

T-shirt
Polo shirt
Kilt
Self-colored hose (navy or bottle green)
Flashes
Brown kilt with brass waist plate (Day)/Black kilt belt w/ chrome waist plate(Evening)
Brown leather sporran(Day)/ Black leather sporran (Evening)
Sghain Dubh

Smart Casual/Dressy:

Tweed kilt jacket
Light blue or tattersall button front shirt
Solid or patterened four-in-hand tie
Kilt
Kilt belt (Color depending on time of day)
Leather sporran (Color depending on time of day)
Solid kilt hose (Color to coordinate with the domonant color of my kilt)
Flashes
Leather Oxfords (Appropriate for time of day)

I might wear a tweed waistcoat instead of the kilt belt (this is my normal church attire)

Semi Formal:

Black Barathea wool Argyle jacket with silver buttons
5 Button Agyle waistcoat with silver buttons
White Oxford shirt
Black four-in-hand tie
Kilt
Fur sporran with white metal cantle
Solid kilt hose
Flashes
Black cap-toe Oxfords highly polished
Fancy sghain dubh

I might skip the waistcoat and use a black kilt belt with ornate waist plate instead.

Formal:

Same as semi-formal but replace the 5 button waistcoat with a 3 button one and replace the four-in-hand with a self tied black bow tie, black or the dreaded white kilt hose and black Ghillie broghs or the cap-toe Oxfords.
The chances of my being invited to a White Tie event are pretty slim.

[Armagh of One]

What follows is just a general comment on dress codes and how one can affect the codes in use.

I attend an annual Christmas Eve Dinner and have for a few years now. In the beginning, most of the participants wore their very best Hockey Jackets and few of us dressed . . . . more formally. . . . with only one chap wearing a kilt. Next year he wore kilt and Argyle jacket, a few others wore suits and surprisingly enough the Hockey contingent had advanced to nice casual shirts and pressed trousers (!). The more formal trend continued with the plans for this year where there will be three of us in kilts and Argyles/Kilkennys and I have no doubt that the Hockey crowd will have also upped their standards a bit.

Demonstrate that a higher standard of dress and more formality is fine for certain occasions, comment upon/outwardly enjoy that formality and one may encourage others to follow (pun coming here) suit.

Just my HO.

[cruiser348]

I will start by saying that I don't get very many opportunities to attend events that specify a dress code in my area. Also, when I do I generally don't go kilted for the simple reason that the most formal kilt attire I own is a nice waistcoat that I picked up some time ago. I do have a proper kilt jacket in either a tweed jacket or something suitable for both day or evening wear on my wish list, but simply haven't found the space in the budget for it as of yet. I am mainly posting to share a past experience that further exemplifies what many have said here concerning lack of understanding of dress codes.
Last March my wife and I attended a benefit function for the local chapter of the Red Cross; for whom my wife does many hours of volunteer work each year. The information we received stated that the "standard of dress" was semi-formal. I wasn't sure exactly what this meant so I went with an old adage I had been told when growing up "if you don't know the dress code be sure to dress slightly nicer than you think you need to." The thought being what others here have stated; it is easier to remove one or two items to bring your level of dress down than to dress nicer once you arrive. I chose to wear a suit and thought I should be comfortably within the dress code. Imagine my surprise when within 10 minutes of arriving I had already been asked several times when the food would be available. I looked around and realized that outside of those that were wearing lapel pins identifying them as either board members or major contributors to the Red Cross I was the only person other than catering staff wearing a jacket. Most of those around me were dressed either in slacks and button-down shirts with no ties or in khakis with polo shirts. I even saw one person that I knew was an employee of the red cross dressed in khakis who hadn't even bothered to wear a belt; much less tuck in his shirt.

[Bugbear]

CMcG, from reading on this forum, there are regional differences in formal and semi formal Highland dress codes in Scotland. I'm sure you already know that,, but it might make for an interesting inquiry, and the specifics an interesting study of clothing symbolism...

[CMcG]

Thanks for all the replies thus far. I appreciate both the detailed lists and the ruminating commentaries

There are a couple interesting things coming out of this, one of which I had not anticipated. It doesn't surprise me that kilt-wearers are often more aware of dress codes than others. I think it is something about wearing a non-majority mode of attire and participating in a clothing discussion forum.

What I had not fully considered was that following traditional dress codes could mark one as anachronistic or dated. I know that some Xmarkes have previously posted that THCD is too old school for them and they prefer a more contemporary look. I wonder how often simply being well-dressed, regardless of whether one is traditional or not, is viewed as stuffy, archaic, or pretentious?

A few people have agreed that it is better to be a bit overdressed than underdressed. Again, at least that way one can dress down on the spot. Of course, this presumes being relatively close to what other people are wearing...

I have an end of term event coming up and the invitation says "black tie." This seems appropriate for a white formal shirt, self tie black bow tie, evening sporran, dress Braemar jacket, etc. But I looked at last years pictures and the best dressed guys were just wearing suits, while the others weren't even wearing jackets! Call me a stickler, but if the invitation says "black tie" I'm going to dress in formal evening wear, and to heck with the great unwashed, underdressed masses