Traditional Highland Civilian Dress: A Definition and Guide with Visual Examples

[MacLowlife]

Colin and Nathan,

Do you think the advent of inexpensive photography- and of photographic illustrations- may have influenced the codification? What about newsreels?

And finally, what about the most recent wave of standardisation wrought by rental shops? Will the rock of THCD be eroded by it, or will it stand firm?

[Nathan]

Colin and Nathan,

Do you think the advent of inexpensive photography- and of photographic illustrations- may have influenced the codification? What about newsreels?

I think the tradition bearers in the Highlands use their eyes more than photographs to see what's conventional. I do think that a tourist could make an error by saying that people don't wear kilts in Scotland just because they can't see them on vacation.

If one takes a look at used kilts on gumtree or ebay, it's obvious that most of the kilts for sale are from Scotland. One should also note that if a gentleman dresses for dinner in his home, you wouldn't see that if you were shopping on High street. I think advances in production and sales methods (catalogues etc...) had more to do with the codification than photography but it could be a factor.

And finally, what about the most recent wave of standardisation wrought by rental shops? Will the rock of THCD be eroded by it, or will it stand firm?

It's always evolving, but it remains to be seen which of these choices will be adopted by tradition bearers and which will be rejected. We see in the younger generations a tendency not to wear bonnets as often. Will ghillie brogues become de rigeur in the Highlands and will buckled brogues go the way of the do do? Maybe. Maybe not. Time will tell.

[CMcG]

Colin and Nathan,

Do you think the advent of inexpensive photography- and of photographic illustrations- may have influenced the codification? What about newsreels?

And finally, what about the most recent wave of standardisation wrought by rental shops? Will the rock of THCD be eroded by it, or will it stand firm?

Good questions, MacLl, but I can only guess at answers. macwilkin recently reminded me of Erskine's famous quote about the freedom of Highland attire... he wrote it in 1901 and would have been looking back, but by 1950 things were more codified, so something was going on! Then again, I think that an intimate knowledge of THCD can also clear a path for understanding its ongoing and continued freedom

"The Highland dress is essentially a 'free' dress -- that is to say, a man's taste and circumstances must alone be permitted to decide when and where and how he should wear it... I presume to dictate to no man what he shall eat or drink or wherewithal he shall be clothed."
-- The Hon. Stuart Ruaidri Erskine. 1901. The Kilt & How to Wear It.

Media, broadly considered, do have an impact on culture. With industrialization, the proliferation of both different types of media and efficient means of mass delivery have increased the mediation of society through advertising, entertainment, news, and information. This process probably did play a role in the codification of THCD, but it's hard to say how significant it was relative to other factors.

As Nathan pointed out, the sales strategies (i.e., catalogues) were inextricably linked with evolving production methods (i.e., off-the-peg jackets, sporrans, etc). People were also publishing books about tartans and Highland dress, and older paintings were being re-circulated as prints. I'm not sure how often people dressed in THCD would have made the news?

We might also consider negative pressures. Some representations of Highland attire in the media probably caused cultural cringe and encouraged tradition bearers to shed the more extravagant legacies of the 19th century. For example, in Scotland we could consider the Music Hall antics of Sir Harry Lauder during the early 20th century, and in America Brigadoon hit Broadway in 1947 and was made into a movie a few years later.

As for rental shops, I'm not too concerned about them eroding the rock of THCD. Keep in mind the dictionary definition of tradition is things that are passed down from generation to generation. I would argue that the majority of people who rent kilts aren't regular kilt-wearers and just take the advice of the shop keeper. If their kids then go to rent a kilt—even if it's the same shop—they aren't likely to get same thing as their father because a generation later the rental fashion industry would have moved on. For example, not too long ago the look was white hose, a PC, and fly plaid. Now the dark monochrome style with an Argyll is becoming more common, especially with a younger demographic. The lack of continuity makes it difficult to consider this a tradition. This isn't to say that rented clothes can't look good, but rather that the nature of the business is often more about the latest thing and less about classic style.

To put this in perspective, men's fashion has cycles. They tend to be longer than women's fashion, but nonetheless they are mostly less than a generation. I usually think of a generation as about 30 years, so the time scale of something standing the test of time and being passed down is more like 60 years... but my grandfather was still giving out style advice when he was in his 80s!

If someone buys their clothes, there are different considerations than in a rental. Frugal people aren't going to want to drop a ton of money on kilted fashion that may or may not last. People who own their kit and wear it regularly are likely to be more involved with questions of distinction. By this I mean being able to distinguish between fads and classics, different levels of formality, and the way the clothes fit. The result of efforts to figure these things out in a traditional context connects people to those who came before them and gives them a distinct aesthetic identity i.e., THCD.

My final thought is on the relationship between hyper-media (i.e., the Internet) and tradition. Advances in information technology have allowed a space like Xmarks to exist. Whereas earlier in the 20th century mass media was largely controlled by business, now it is possible for a thread like this to be instantly accessible on the world wide web with a quick Google search. Notwithstanding the power of corporate media, social media is on the rise because people look to those around them for guidance in interpreting the choices presented to them by advertisers, retailers, tailors, etc. Xmarks makes our world smaller and connects people together in a transnational and multi-generational community. Technological mediation of tradition anyone?

[MacLowlife]

Aye, Colin, but what aboot white hose? Blame them on the hire shops or blame them on the media, but they came from somewhere- and not from white sheep, which have been around a lot longer than 1745. One reason the kilt was such a natural for hire shops is that they were already renting tuxedoes- another garment most men wear, but infrequently. When one stylistic decision is repeated across an entire retail empire, its effects can be considerable.

I believe there are factors which have not yet been mentioned, both stabilising and changing- Although individual kilt wearers might be isolated, we ought to be able to account for the influence of a relatively small number of tailors and highland outfitters. It might be that gentlemen from Inverness would order their kit from one maker while those in Fort William would order theirs from another, but the number of suppliers - and their employees- would directly affect the fluidity of THCD styles.

While you cite Brigadoon as a likely negative influence, I think you might consider its "ambassadorial" reach. Granted, among the strictly faithful, Brigadoonery became a bash-worthy bogey, but, besides that, Brigadoon brought visions of the highlands ( wrong, cringeworthy, or otherwise) to the attention of millions. You mention generations. I was about to argue that a generation is traditionally 25 years when I checked out the release of two film versions of The Great Gatsby- once in 1974 and then 29 years later in 2013.

I suspect cringeing goes on less than we might imagine. The person being satirized may not necessarily recognize himself in the fun-house mirror, despite the laughs of his wife, or nephew or neighbor. Some academic with plenty of data could compare the cycles of popularity of, say "gangster" suits with the release dates of big hit gangster movies. Look at long hair, or short hair, for that matter, and how its popularity spreads through the media. As they say, there's no such thing as bad publicity, and I think that holds for Harry Lauder, Bing Crosby, even Rob Lowe.

While you are wandering around in all of that data, why not bring this thing full circle a little and see how the kilted diaspora have affected THCD? Does someone know when most North American St Andrew's Societies were founded? Can we chart sales trends for kilts in North America? Or TO North America? Whether the numbers drive the change or simply reflect it, I suspect there is information to be derived from the growth of sales- if indeed there has been a growth.

I offer none of this as criticism, but only as a way to help you avoid doing your real work.

[CMcG]

Aye, Colin, but what aboot white hose?
...
I offer none of this as criticism, but only as a way to help you avoid doing your real work.

Well, as for my real work, maybe I can get some extra credit towards my PhD for all the Xmarking I've done over the last six years? A graduate diploma in THCD would be nice

I agree that it would be interesting if someone could collect the kind of data you are asking about and do some statistical analysis. That won't be me, however, because quantitative research methods aren't my department Qualitatively, perhaps someone with a collection of old catalogues from the major Highland outfitters and tailors might be able to parse their individual influence on THCD, but I'm happy enough just to recognize that it was there.

White hose are not only a rental/hire thing, but also a legacy of pipe bands. I maintain that participating in the tradition, however, means more than just wearing a kilt, and part of THCD is actually an opposition or resistance to both commercial standardization and the appearance of wearing a uniform. Again, it's a question of distinction.

That being said, the influence of rental/hire/pipers, as embodied in white hose, can't be denied. On the other hand, black is the new white, as shown in the very trendy rented outfits below. we'll have to see how these trends play out in the long term...

image from The Wedding Hire Company


Cultural cringe may be less obvious among devotees of the kilt, but there is a cross-section of folks in Scotland who are totally over the whole tartanry thing. I read a BBC Scotland article, for example, that suggested Scots identity was struggling with a "kilted straightjacket." Perhaps THCD may be more durable among Highlanders, rather than the nation as a whole?

I couldn't tell you exactly how much cultural cringe there was during the early 20th century, but I suspect it has long been a factor among people who take their kilting seriously. It is a double-edged sword to have Harry Lauder and Brigadoon, or more recently Braveheart, acting as ambassadors. Maybe it's good for sales of whisky, shortbread, and tartan tat, but it can also spread images of Highland attire as an antiquated costume, rather than a contemporary tradition.

That's an interesting question about the influence of the kilted diaspora on THCD. If such a thing exists, I think it might be relatively recent for several reasons. Back in the early 20th century the vast majority of Highland outfitters and tailors catering to civilians were probably still in Scotland, so that's where people were getting their kit. Air travel and circulation of media were also less prevalent. And I don't think I've seen near as many vintage, civilian photos from that period that were taken in the diaspora

Over the course of the 20th century that has changed, and in the information age of the early 21st century, the global village is far more connected and transnational. Just look at this article. It was written by a couple of Canadians with Scottish heritage and the pictures were supplied by an international group of THCD kilt wearers One could say we are at least participating in the tradition, though what influence Xmarks may have remains to be seen.

[Calgacus]

I'm a bit late to the party, being just back from holiday. I just want to congratulate Colin and Nathan for this great thread and thank them for the considerable effort that clearly went in to making it. Well done, guys!

[Nathan]

I'm a bit late to the party, being just back from holiday. I just want to congratulate Colin and Nathan for this great thread and thank them for the considerable effort that clearly went in to making it. Well done, guys!

Hope you had a great holiday! Glad to have you back!

[figheadair]

I'm definitely late to this thread. A good synopsis, well done.

A couple of date corrections to the OP if I may. The Battle of Culloden took place in 1746 not 1745 and the Act of Proscription was effective from 01 August 1747 not 1746.

George IV's visit was popularised and promoted by Scott and helped codify the concept of clan tartans but the Highland Revival which began in the early 1780s was equally if not more important and the precursor what was to come. It differed from the popularization the surrounded the 1822 Levee in that it was principally the preserve of the Highland gentry many of whom were involved with the Highland Society of London and/or one of the various Celtic Societies.