I somehow missed the part of this thread where people were suggesting that MacLeay's portrait represented the day-to-day dress of the average Highland Scot.

These men were getting dressed to have their portrait painted by one of the most talented portrait artists of the period, whose work was commissioned by Royal command.

Would you wear what you normally wear when puttering about the house, if you were asked to have your portrait painted for the Queen?

So why would anyone suggest that these Highland men are wearing their daily work clothes? Then again, I don't think anyone has actually made that suggestion. So I'm not sure what the argument here is about....