Can we define THCD?

[CMcG]

OK. I took a break from my dissertation and typed something out while having afternoon tea. I think the first paragraph could stand on its own as a basic definition of THCD, while the rest amounts to discussion. It is mostly theoretical or conceptual, but I threw in a reference to another thread with concrete examples.

Any thoughts?

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THCD is an acronym that is short for Traditional Highland Civilian Dress. It is used on xmarksthescot.com to refer to the classic style of kilt attire that has been passed down through the generations by Scottish Highlanders and continues to be worn as contemporary apparel with distinctive national, cultural, ethnic, and/or familial significance, but which is neither subject to the clothing regulations of uniforms worn by pipers, dancers, athletes, or the military, nor unduly influenced by the whims of fashion, retailers, or rental/hire companies.

THCD is not historical re-enactment attire or a costume. Its roots lie in the everyday clothing of the Highlanders, but after the Battle of Culloden in 1745, the Highland Dress Proscription Act (1746–1782) effectively ended the kilt’s use as daily attire. It was re-imagined in the nation-building tartan pageantry orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott for King George IV’s historic visit to Scotland in 1822 and further developed during the Victorian fascination with the Scottish Highlands. Contemporary THCD settled into its current form in the early 20th century and was largely codified by the 1950s. Nonetheless, it has continued to evolve—albeit slowly—and some things that were common fifty years ago are now rarely seen in the early 21st century.

THCD is not a monolithic set of rules. Instead, it is a group of conventions, mores, values, and aesthetics that structure—and are structured by—the practice of traditional kilt-wearers. With a kilt as the centrepiece, there are a great many options in terms of accessories, with a fairly well established, if somewhat conservative, approach to building outfits for any given level of formality (see the sticky 1 Kilt 10 Looks for visual examples). The complexity of this situation can prove daunting for newbies, which seasoned Xmarkers mitigate by providing simplified guidelines that could be mistaken for regulations. Once someone is more experienced, however, they tend to realize the areas of core sartorial consensus and discover the ample room for personal flair.

The admittedly porous and often contested boundaries of THCD can be summarized with a metaphor of source and stream. Flowing water that is cut off from its source will eventually dry up, just as a stream that joins a river becomes diluted, and a river quickly loses its identity if it flows into the ocean. Kilt attire that is strongly connected to its origins remains squarely within the bounds of tradition, but the further it departs from its source, the more diluted it becomes until it is untraditional. There is a lot of room for grey area between the poles of tartan, tweed, and tattersall THCD and something like a utility kilt worn in extreme cyber-punk style.