What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[ThistleDown]

Rex,

I tend to be of the same view. I guess the follow-up question is whether or not it is possible to wear Traditional Highland Attire outside Scotland at all...

I have a very neat book in my library titled "Highland Heritage". The author does a pretty thorough job examining the phenomena of "Scottish-Americanism" in the American South from a socialogist's point of view. I'd love to get a review of it from the Highlanders that are on XMarks. It might make all the fuss on this side of the pond a bit more understandable. Then again, it may confuse "y'all" even more. PM me if you'd be interested in reading it and I will drop a copy in the mail.

David

I don't know that one. I have "Highland Heritage" by Grace Campbell in my library, but I think that's not the one to which you are referring here. Let me know.

On the other subject (a change in the question along the way ?) Yes, of course. It is just not possible to alter traditional Highland dress by adopting a new fashion or a personal style outwith the Scottish Highlands.

Earlier in this thread my caution was that we keep constantly in mind the difference between "tradition", "fashion" and "personal style" when we speak of civilian Highland dress.

It is not possible for traditional Highland dress to undergo a change in any locale -- other than within its own culture -- and the new form still be referred to as traditional Highland dress.

An example. If, say, it became the fashion to wear a PC for afternoon weddings in California that would be the fashion in California until such time in the future when it became the way of wearing Highland dress -- in California.

That would not make it Traditional Highland Dress.

Perhaps another example. If, say, it became the fashion to wear full head-dresses of crow feathers for funerals in Bavaria that would be a fashion in Bavaria until such time as it became the way to wear Comanche head-gear -- in Bavaria. But not Traditional Comanche Dress.

This is a course of discussion with many pit-falls, but are we okay along the hill path so far?

Rex