Ghillie brogues, yes or no?

[bowser]

Not sure if I like them or not, but I cant agree with the not for casual wear comments, I try and go to a lot of rugby matches at Twickenham (for those the other side of the pond its the English national rugby stadium) and kilts are seen more and more, it has to be said that at least %50 will be wearing gillie brogues with kilt and rugby shirt

[Scotus]

...kilts are seen more and more, it has to be said that at least %50 will be wearing gillie brogues with kilt and rugby shirt

Thanks for that post, bowser. It illustrates the point that ghille brogues are a part of modern Scottish attire and are neither costume-like, only for pipers, nor just for children.

[McMurdo]

Not sure if I like them or not, but I cant agree with the not for casual wear comments, I try and go to a lot of rugby matches at Twickenham (for those the other side of the pond its the English national rugby stadium) and kilts are seen more and more, it has to be said that at least %50 will be wearing gillie brogues with kilt and rugby shirt

I would hazard a guess that these same rugby fans would be wearing dress belts or dress sporrans, this does not mean that it is "proper" to wear dress sporrans, belts or ghillie brogues with a rugby shirt. What it means is that most people will think it acceptable as the only sporran or belt these chaps own are the dress ones. As for the Ghillies the reason, I think of the popularity of these has everything to do with the rental industry, so we are at the point where many see these as proper to wear with the kilt.

[bowser]

I would hazard a guess that these same rugby fans would be wearing dress belts or dress sporrans, this does not mean that it is "proper" to wear dress sporrans, belts or ghillie brogues with a rugby shirt. What it means is that most people will think it acceptable as the only sporran or belt these chaps own are the dress ones. As for the Ghillies the reason, I think of the popularity of these has everything to do with the rental industry, so we are at the point where many see these as proper to wear with the kilt.

Not normally, just plain leather sporran, and a plain leather belt, got to say I have quite a few friends who have at least one kilt, almost all only have one belt and one sporran and it fits all uses.
I only have one kilt belt one pewter buckle, ok I have a SK cargo sporran and a leather one but neither are dress (I would post a pic but haven't worked out how yet). I would agree that it is possibly driven by the hire industry, but regardless, it dosent look out of place, and it is something that is being worn in such circumstances.
Not trying to make a judgement as to right or wrong, just stating what is.

[McMurdo]

Not normally, just plain leather sporran, and a plain leather belt, got to say I have quite a few friends who have at least one kilt, almost all only have one belt and one sporran and it fits all uses.
I only have one kilt belt one pewter buckle, ok I have a SK cargo sporran and a leather one but neither are dress (I would post a pic but haven't worked out how yet). I would agree that it is possibly driven by the hire industry, but regardless, it dosent look out of place, and it is something that is being worn in such circumstances.
Not trying to make a judgement as to right or wrong, just stating what is.

Point taken, the Pewter buckle you are talking about is it one like this:

If so this is what I meant as a dress buckle, for casual wear I tend to wear something less formal, my casual belts look like this:

[bowser]

Point taken, the Pewter buckle you are talking about is it one like this:

If so this is what I meant as a dress buckle, for casual wear I tend to wear something less formal, my casual belts look like this:

I havent worked out how to upload photos, but yes it is very similar, but its a celtic knot work design, and the belt is plain leather.
But that said Its very similar to the sort of buckle I would wear with jeans so nothing special.
as and when I work out how to load pictures I will post some

[auld argonian]

I've voted that I don't like them. This whole costume/traditional discussion seems a bit pointless. If they were made in a traditional way they would just be a foot shaped leather bag with rawhide laces and not these evolved wingtip-brogue things with soles and heels. I guess that my personal perspective is that I prefer to look like a kilt wearing guy who's living right now and not trying to look like it's the Nineteenth Century and I'm hangin' with Queen Victoria.

Best

AA

[DWFII]

I've voted that I don't like them. This whole costume/traditional discussion seems a bit pointless. If they were made in a traditional way they would just be a foot shaped leather bag with rawhide laces and not these evolved wingtip-brogue things with soles and heels. I guess that my personal perspective is that I prefer to look like a kilt wearing guy who's living right now and not trying to look like it's the Nineteenth Century and I'm hangin' with Queen Victoria.

Best

AA

Sorry, I don't believe that's true and I don't think there's any evidence to support it. Except in isolated areas and rural settings, the kind of shoes ("foot shaped leather bags") you're talking about, pre-date kilts and would have, in all likelihood, have disappeared years before the first known kilt was worn (mid-17th century).

If you're sticking with Queen Victoria (no problem with that), the shoes in vogue might have been a plain lace up ankle boot (there are numerous Victorian photos of ankle boots worn with full length hose and kilts) or perhaps a buckle shoe of some sort. Almost all the styles we have become accustomed to in top shelf men's footwear have their origins if not their hey-day in this era.

BTW, for those who may be interested, in modern parlance "brogue" refers to a specific type of lace-up shoe that is ornamented with gimping and "broguing." According to R.A. Salaman "Dictionary of LeatherWorking tools c.1700-1950"--considered the definitive source for the leatherworking and shoemaking lexicon...and where many old Scots shoemaking words such as "lingle," "fit-fang, "elshin," "deevil"" and "yerkin" are still referenced--"brogue" is as I have identified it. And yes, "brogue" is also recognized as an old Irish Gaelic word meaning shoe but, at least in the Trade most intimately associated with shoes, that definition has been superseded by more contemporary usage. That's the way language...and, more importantly, communication...evolves.

I don't know where the word "ghillie" comes from in this context. I may have first run across it on this forum and I have surely been careless in my usage of the term.