Great Kilt worn as formal attire

[davidlpope]

Brian,

My third example was absurd to prove a point- reductio ad absurdum – “If there is no accepted basis to determine whether a particular attire is acceptable, then there is no basis to say that any attire is unacceptable.”

It appears based on your response, though, that you do have a basis you’re using to determine whether the belted plaid should be worn- namely, “Is it a current or historical item of Highland dress?”

This is where we differ. There are many items of historical Highland dress that I think inappropriate for a contemporary Highland-themed evening event: traditional deerskin currans, powdered wigs, cadadh, 18th century pattern doublets, 18th century pattern shoes, and the breacan feile.

Since Matt didn’t ask to be the guinea pig in this discussion, and because I consider him a friend, I will abstain from voicing an opinion on his specific attire in the posted photo. I will note, though, that Matt is not wearing a breacan feile in the photo, but rather a half-plaid and a 6yd knife-pleat kilt.

For contemporary civilian dress , I am not fond of cadadh or any piece of draped tartan that mimics the top half of the old belted plaid, whether it be a “fly” plaid, half-plaid, etc. These historical elements of Highland dress have evolved into different forms for contemporary wear- the cadadh became knit Argyll and Diced hose; the plaid was limited to military and pipe band uniforms.

As I mentioned earlier, there may be a few “old souls” that can really pull off the historical look in a fabulous way, but I think these items are best avoided in a contemporary setting.

Cordially,

David