What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

In the past I have defined "traditional" as relating to the way things have been done "in living memory." In other words, if I can recall my father wearing the kilt a certain way, and my grandfather doing the same, then that is "traditional" (at least in my family). I think this is a good test as far as it goes.

Another way of looking at the difference between "traditional" and "historic" is that traditional fashion is still in fashion. Historic dress is not. So traditional style might have been worn two or three generations ago but is still contemporary (contemporary in the sense of still viable for current fashion, not contemporary in the sense that we speak of "contemporary kilts"; i.e. Utilikilts, or 21st century kilts, etc.)

A Highland outfit can contain items of historic fashion, such an historic sporran, or an historic cut of waistcoat, and still work well for contemporary wear, and so the overall look would be "traditional." I put the four yard box pleated kilts I make in this category. They are based on an historic pleating style, but can still very much be worn with contemporary Highland dress. They are "traditional kilts."

On the other hand, if one were wearing actual historic Highland Dress the impression would not be of a contemporary man in Highland attire, but rather of someone participating in a reenactment or an educational interpretation, or dressing for a play, etc. In other words the outfit clearly mimics the fashions of an earlier time, not today.

In short:
Traditional = might have elements of past fashion, but still remains a viable fashion today.
Historic = recreates past fashion no longer in current use.

[OC Richard]

In the past I have defined "traditional" as relating to the way things have been done "in living memory."

Another way of looking at the difference between "traditional" and "historic" is that traditional fashion is still in fashion. Historic dress is not.

In short:
Traditional = might have elements of past fashion, but still remains a viable fashion today.
Historic = recreates past fashion no longer in current use.

Those work for me!

"Traditional" to me usually implies an unbroken usage from when something first appeared till today. This nearly always means that the thing has undergone a process of gradual evolution of form.


"Historical" to me means that the lineage of usage has been broken at some point in the past. So one can, today, go back and make a replica of the historical thing, but it remains a historical thing for now. If the revived historical thing is used continuously for a few generations it then becomes tradtional once again, I suppose.

For Highland Dress, "traditional" for me means the sorts of dress worn from around the 1920's through the 1950's. In another sense it's in the eye of the beholder and relative.