Too Traditional?

[CMcG]

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Something I have noticed over the years and it is plainly obvious on this website and I pass these words as an amused observation and certainly not as a criticism, is this. Many outhwith Scotland seem to err towards the loud(brash) side of kilt attire at almost a drop of a hat. Now I grant you there are examples in your pictures above of some Scots wearing some pretty loud outfits---- but on the right occasion and should not be regarded as the norm. You chaps seem to be attracted to the bright, glitzy stuff at almost any excuse and this is where you chaps are steering a very fine line between normal attire and costume and I am afraid quite often a costume is the result.

Yes I can see that fresh, enthusiastic, uncluttered, unaware, eyes and minds are attracted away from the "boring" standard dress, but that is really the norm...

That thin line between normal attire and costume can indeed be precarious. I think sometimes there lies another one in between following the retail/rental portrayal of Highland attire and discovering tradition. Or perhaps the attraction of loud, traditional outfits is the sign of new converts (to wearing the kilt) being the most fervent... there is a lot of middle ground between the cookie cutter look and the most idiosyncratic Highland attire, a middle road that sometimes gets ignored in favour of the more extreme traditional looks.

Hopefully this thread has demonstrated that one doesn't have to go to extremes in THCD to still be solidly traditional. In fact, it might be more tasteful if people were to reserve those heavy duty, bold outfits for occasions that warrant them, say when they are meant to be the centre of attention Of course, some people just like those brash, vibrant looks and more power to them. My thought is that one can still be proper, correct, and traditional without being over the top.

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Now here is the rub, I am in my mid 50’s and I feel comfortable dressing this way and wore a tie then a jacket (School uniform) through all of Primary and High school and the first 8 years of my working life. I consider I was brought up in a era when men wore trousers, business shirts and ties when they went out. When I used to play cricket many moons ago, I used to play in flannels (mighty comfortable they were too)

I don’t consider I look “too traditional” when I attend events in highland attire, but can see how a young lad who has not grown up wearing ties, jackets, waistcoats, may see the whole shebang as too traditional.
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That is a rub that could contribute to someone both perceiving the whole shebang as too traditional or coming off as too traditional if they tried to emulate it. It sounds like if someone saw you, Downunder Kilt, on a regular non-kilted day and then saw you the next day in kilt day attire, you wouldn't look like you were wearing a costume. A young man who runs around everyday in a plain tee shirt, flip flops, and board shorts and then shows up at an event in a kilt, Balmoral bonnet with clan plant under their crest, brogues, hose with patterned tops, windowpane tweed jacket with waistcoat, club tie, tattersall shirt, full mask sporran and carrying a cromach, might look like they were trying just a wee bit too hard.

Highland attire is tricky though, because it changes one's wardrobe even when one isn't kilted. I was in a rush to get dressed the other day and grabbed a purple shepherd check shirt, tartan scarf (blue-base), and grey herringbone hat, without consideration of colour or pattern. It dawned on me that before I started wearing the kilt more regularly, I would never have owned all those different patterns, let alone mixed them together without a second thought. I think it looked quite smashing, which shows how my tastes have changed... for the better