That's interesting! Short kilts with sporrans, not a good look.

I know that dress tartans have always been around, but I didn't know they were popular with dancers that far back.

Back when I was a newbie piper (1970s) I met a woman who had been Highland dancer, she had worn an ordinary tartan that had no white, ancient Cooper actually. It's pretty, with purple stripes. At the time she had been out of dancing for a number of years and told me "my kilt wouldn't do now, they want white." That gave me the impression that in the 1960s dancers weren't wearing white tartans. Obviously they were!

I've seen photos of men doing Highland dancing in the 1900-1910 period and they're wearing ordinary tartans. I wonder when white became associated with dancing.