The Ghillie Shirt

[CollinMacD]

I must confess, I have one, bought it well before I joined this site, and took advice of a person rather then doing more research. The shirt reminds me of a style of clothing worn around 1965 called the Ponderosa Shirt. Same concept, and the Ponderosa Shirt, yes the "Bonaza" TV Show, was made popular by Little Joe, was a laced pullover, but was made from a face rough animal skin, usually sold in deep red, gree, Tan, or black.

Here is a 1960s Ponderosa Pullover from the 1960, depicted below.



So, my point this style of fashion is far from new, and certainly not unique to Scotland. So I will say it, when I wear my Scottish clothing, I am not dressing up in a costume, I am wearing clothing, unless I do my Jacobite recreation, I am wearing clothes, not a costume.

Again, have one, I would rather wear a band color shirt rather than the Ghillie Shirt. I will hold on to it, but doubt seriously I would ever wear it, I agree more costume, than clothing.

[Famous Willie]

I have two Ghillie Shirts, A black one and the other is white. I don't wear them often, the last time to the Scottish Festival here in Cambridge. To be honest, I didn't see anyone else wearing a Ghillie Shirt, but then again I was there to enjoy the Scottish Festival with my Sister and not see what everyone else was wearing, and thinking and wondering "If I was wearing my Kilt Attire worng. I personally don't see anything wrong with wearing a Ghillie Shirt, I believe they are also known as Jacobite Shirts. I would not wear one to a Highland Ball, or a Burn's Dinner, or to an Event for Saint Andrew's Day in November. But to a Highland Games or Scottish Festival, or if you are just "Roamin' in the Gloamn' with a Lassie by your side" is fine.

You have to do what makes you comfortable, and if wearing a Ghillie Shirt makes you feel good, then go for it. I respect the way Highland Dress should be worn, but I also think there is room for some experimentation when done tastefully. I personally do not like the look of a Kilt worn with Scrunched Socks in Army Boots with nothing more than a T-Shirt being worn. But this is my own personal taste, if someone who likes wearing the kilt this way and is happy with it, then more power to them.

Here is a photo taken of me in my Ghillie Shirt at the Clan Farquharson Tent at the Cambridge Scottish Festival, Saturday, 21 July, 2018. I personally think the Ghillie looks good with a Kilt when worn this way, and at the Scottish Festival I had the Lassies actually tell me they thought my Ghillie Shirt looked nice.

Just be yourself and do what makes Patrick Happy.. Life is too short to fret about what others think..

[PatrickHughes123]

Again, have one, I would rather wear a band color shirt rather than the Ghillie Shirt. I will hold on to it, but doubt seriously I would ever wear it, I agree more costume, than clothing.

When I wear it, I am trying to look like a person in cultural wear. Not a person in a costume. I think if we wear the kilt, which is from the past, why not wear the shirt that went with it? I know it is a modern recreation, but I see it as the modern equivalent.

And I personally see it as the only suitable shirt to go with the kilt. Not a big fan of wearing normal shirts or ties.

[Manu]

When I wear it, I am trying to look like a person in cultural wear. Not a person in a costume. I think if we wear the kilt, which is from the past, why not wear the shirt that went with it? I know it is a modern recreation, but I see it as the modern equivalent.

And I personally see it as the only suitable shirt to go with the kilt. Not a big fan of wearing normal shirts or ties.

I think that is where you are looking at it wrong Patrick. The kilt is in no way a thing of the past. It is a tailored garment that has evolved with the times into what it is today, a very present day option of clothing. And again, ghillie shirts were not worn in the past because they did not exist back then.

[PatrickHughes123]

I think that is where you are looking at it wrong Patrick. The kilt is in no way a thing of the past. It is a tailored garment that has evolved with the times into what it is today, a very present day option of clothing. And again, ghillie shirts were not worn in the past because they did not exist back then.

Yes I'm sorry, I worded it poorly. I meant to say traditional. And the Ghillie, being a modern recreation of an old historical shirt, should be the most worn kilt shirt option. That is what I'm trying to say in this post, that the Ghillie Shirt should be given more respect. I respect the kilt as a contemporary descendant of the old Belted Plaid while being traditional.

[tweedhead]

My view on kilts and ghillies: the kilt has evolved like any other item of clothing from 400 years ago. I don't wear tartan kilts for re-enacting, I wear them as pieces of clothing which in our society have strongly signified cultural connotations*. The kilt has furthermore been adopted by a much broader population than those wishing to signify or embody in some way a family or personal connection to Scotland or the Highlands and also given rise to non-tartan garments like Utilikilts and other modern interpretations. For these wearers I'd expect a ghillie shirt is even further from contemplation since the point is simply comfort or fashion or iconoclasm or whatever other personal reasons people have for wearing them.

In my own wear, I fit the kilt into my modern context combining it with contemporary clothing. So, I wear modern button-front shirts, modern knitwear, and modern shoes or boots in combination with the kilt. I try to wear it as a living garment, if that phrasing makes sense. So in my personal context the ghillie shirt doesn't fit with anything I do.

_{*although my connections with that culture seem thinner the more I dig into family history; most of my Scottish ancestry, already three generations removed, is Orcadian, definitely not a Highland culture. I suspect Grandma's Nicolsons were closer to Scandinavia in lineage than Skye}

[YOJiMBO20]

In general, I'm of the mindset of most others here that it just looks like a costume.

I've only seen one person be able to pull of the ghillie shirt and have it look good, and it's only because every single other aspect of his outfit was spot on.

Most people I've seen wearing one are also people who don't seem to fully know how to actually wear a kilt and or accessories: kilt on backwards, ghillie brogues laced all the way up their legs, 20 different blades of different time periods hanging all over their body, etc.

If you're dead set on wearing a ghillie shirt, may I suggest losing the fly plaid and feather, tie your ghillie brogue laces significantly lower (about the ankle bone), and go with a simple day sporran. As you wear it right now, you look like a tourist who walked into a "kilt shop" in the Golden Z or along the Royal Mile and was taken by the guy inside selling Pakistani wares as authentic Scottish clothing.

[PatrickHughes123]

In general, I'm of the mindset of most others here that it just looks like a costume.

I've only seen one person be able to pull of the ghillie shirt and have it look good, and it's only because every single other aspect of his outfit was spot on.

Most people I've seen wearing one are also people who don't seem to fully know how to actually wear a kilt and or accessories: kilt on backwards, ghillie brogues laced all the way up their legs, 20 different blades of different time periods hanging all over their body, etc.

If you're dead set on wearing a ghillie shirt, may I suggest losing the fly plaid and feather, tie your ghillie brogue laces significantly lower (about the ankle bone), and go with a simple day sporran. As you wear it right now, you look like a tourist who walked into a "kilt shop" in the Golden Z or along the Royal Mile and was taken by the guy inside selling Pakistani wares as authentic Scottish clothing.

Interesting.

When I bought the kilt, I didn't know as much as I do now. I spent about a year, staying up all night looking at pictures of Highlanders and Jacobites on the internet. And I wanted a kilt so I bought one. I regret not looking into buying a kilt on the internet. And to be honest, I got the full-dress sporran because a day sporran is too plain for my liking. But these are thing I will take into consideration when I have to buy the kilt again because my current stuff has wore away into nothing, which will happen.

Next time I will buy a day plaid. I won't buy another feather plume. I will buy a day sporran next time. I'm compiling both your comments and Jock's.

[Luke MacGillie]

Yes I'm sorry, I worded it poorly. I meant to say traditional. And the Ghillie, being a modern recreation of an old historical shirt, should be the most worn kilt shirt option. That is what I'm trying to say in this post, that the Ghillie Shirt should be given more respect. I respect the kilt as a contemporary descendant of the old Belted Plaid while being traditional.

The problem, is that the "Gillie Shirt" looks like no shirt I have ever seen from the 17th to early 19th Century. I make reproduction shirts of that era. The Gillie Shirt is like Jock said, pantomime at best. Not even a "Reasonable Facsimile"

[PatrickHughes123]

The problem, is that the "Gillie Shirt" looks like no shirt I have ever seen from the 17th to early 19th Century. I make reproduction shirts of that era. The Gillie Shirt is like Jock said, pantomime at best. Not even a "Reasonable Facsimile"

Aren't you being harsh? It's a romantic Highland-type shirt with a renaissance element. The way I see it, as long as it is bought from a kilt company then it is not a costume piece. There may be costume-like ones out there, I am not sure about that, but the one I have is from a kilt company.