What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[ThistleDown]

Thanks for the suggestion and the opportunity to continue the discussion gentleman. Yes I am with you Rex. I was thinking something very similar this afternoon. That is, the people of the culture are the ones who dictate what is traditional. It can not be dictated by those of us (like myself) who may have an attachment to the culture, but who are not of the culture. However an academic question did come up for me that you just touched on. How does a culture determine when something is traditional. It is not just a simple matter of "the original" or the "oldest example of". It seems that the definition does change over time to where current accepted convention becomes defined as traditional. A case in point, since we are talking about attire, the 4 yard box pleated kilt. At some point, and I am sure you probably know exactly at what point, that style of kilt was transitioned out in favor the 8 yard knife pleated kilt as the accepted example of a traditional kilt. And I bet the "traditionalist" old guard of the box pleated were having the same discussions with those that were trying to change convention in favor of the 8 yard knife pleated. "You can call it what you want, but its not traditional" kind of discussions. Of course, there are many things that influence how and why a current accepted practice changes over time. Do you think it's essentially when the majority of the people of the culture makes the change that it then goes on to become considered the new traditional ? I am visualizing 150 year cohorts moving through time, each considering their version as the definition of traditional. Your thoughts ?

Brooke

I am afraid, Brooke, that I can't provide you with box-to-knife pleat transition dates and refer you to our own Matt Newsome's writings on the subject. In looking backwards, however, we should all be careful that we don't give too much credance to a perception of clothing pride that most likely was not there in the eras before our own.

Certainly there were "dandies" in urban society and a few among the leisure class, but Highland dress is a rural form of attire and the vast majority of country folk in Scotland did not have the gilt to even think about what they wore, except that it protect them from the cold and the wet. The paintings we have of individuals dressed to the teeth in tartan finery may well represent the posers of the day for all we know.

I doubt there is a pure answer to your question on evolution. As Jock has so well described, the existence of the flat cap as an item worn with Highland dress faded into and faded out of use and is now seen to be what it perhaps was -- a fashion or fad. The cap is still around, of course, but is perhaps similar to the American baseball cap and that's certainly not worn with Highland dress, either.

I wonder if we may actually draw a parallel with the ubiquitous baseball cap? As an item of head gear to keep the harsh sun from one's eyes it is good although to keep the rain off it is not so good. That's the utility of the thing. Has it now become a traditional item of clothing in America? Is wearing it backwards just a fashion within that tradition? And is wearing it indoors some sort of personal statement? If it continues to be worn backwards and indoors does that become the evolved tradition?
Oh dear, and how long do we have to put up with the fashion and style before we know for sure?

Rex