Quote Originally Posted by NeightRG View Post
One nice little perk for two straps over three, is that it "folks" it up a bit, and makes it look far less like I'm dressing up as a wedding piper...
It's the same as the difference between tassels or no tassels on your sporran.

The nice thing is, it would take one hell of a fascist kilt cop to cause a fuss over not having the third strap when you DO go formal.
Hmm, it's interesting that you see it that way. I've never really thought of it in terms of looking like a piper or being a more formal kilt with a third strap. I've always just seen it as being par for the course on a traditional kilt, regardless of the kilt's role. But there's no doubt that older traditional kilts have been made both ways.

Looking back through the discussion, I also find it interesting that folks would remove it (or opt not to have it) just because it's superfluous. Heck, the entirety of Highland attire is full of items that are there only for the sake of tradition and not modern practicality. If we're cleaning up our kilt attire to get rid of vestigial components, let's also ditch fringe on the apron, kilt pins, brogueing on shoes, buckles on shoes, gauntlet cuffs on jackets, ribbons/tails on bonnets, sgians dubh, and anything else that's merely decorative or otherwise "no longer needed".

Or, we could just accept that some things have evolved the way they are today due to tradition, and are kinda worth keeping for the sake of tradition, even if they aren't absolutely essential.

To each his own, of course. Me, I like the vestigial third strap. It just looks like a proper kilt with it.