Quote Originally Posted by Nighthawk View Post
One question I have- did Victorian Highlanders working the field in their one and only kilt do it in formalwear? If not... then why is casual wear not acceptable as "traditional"? I can't see Angus MacFarmer wearing his Arylle when he was slaughtering his sheep- or am I mistaken that the Highlanders were so poor that they couldn't afford Victorian fineries to use as day to day wear? I've been reading this thread trying to see where the day to day wear of the traditional Highlander comes in, but it hasn't been mentioned. One thing we sometimes forget- and this is also from the perspective of someone involved in historical reenactment- is that the paintings and books and guidlines we go by for these things are all of people of higher society. Mr MacFarmer wouldn't have had his portrait painted, but that doesn't mean his more casual style didn't exist or is a less valid srtyle. (emphasis added by MoR)

On the other hand, I do insist on dressing as the circumstances require- I will dress as others define tradition for things like weddings and Burns Suppers and such, so I do appreciate this forum and the information presented here- it will be very useful for those higher social occasions.
Certainly in the case of Scottish painting and portraiture there are any number of examples of "the common folk" very accurately depicted. "A Highland Wedding" which is on view in the Historical Attire forum being one, of many examples. Certainly, beginning in the 1830s and with the introduction of photography, the mode of dress of the working class Highlanders was captured for posterity.

"How they dressed at labour" is an interesting question-- and the answer depends on several things. What were they doing, and when were they doing it? In other words, what is the historical context? An Argyll-shire plowman in 1740 or a Highland shoe maker in 1825? Work clothes would, and did, vary enormously from job to job and from place to place. By the very nature of their being both utilitarian and transient in nature work clothes never became traditional in the same way that a style of jacket or hat, both widely worn, would come to be regarded as traditional Highland attire.

What your question fails to take into consideration is that society used to be far more formal than it is today. Even the most humble farmer would have had his "Sunday best", and would have worn it when not engaged in labouring in the field. Casual, as we define it today (tee shirt, baseball cap, kilt) didn't exist until quite recently, and the very concept of "casual" -- as you might define it-- would have probably offended Mr. MacFarmer's sense of dignity. He might be a plowman, but he saw himself as being as much of a gentleman as the Laird whose land he tilled.

Since "casual" didn't exist until recently, I suppose that's why traditionalists tend to focus on the "Sunday best" aspect of Highland attire.