What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[ThistleDown]

As Jock and Matt have said, the flat cap issue referred to is exclusively an XMTS one and was got up and going as a way to take the michael out of a certain Lochaber-man.

The baseball cap has now been reduced to "ballcap" has it? May I suggest that that moves it somewhat closer to being accepted as tradtional US attire I'm not that familiar with its history, but it seems to me that the primary intent to keep the sun from one's eyes and less important purposes related to warmth and dryness indicates its origine in the summer sun or the southern part of your country.

The utility of the flat cap is the reverse: warmth and dryness first, eye protection somewhat after, and I suspect that it had its origin in England among the labouring classes, migrating north into Scotland with the industrial revolution. Certainly its fashionable wearing by the landed classes in either country (and Wales and Ireland) was very, very brief and gone with that class's reduction by 1918 or so.

The issue is not whether the flat cap is traditional to Highland dress, therefore, because it is not. Nor is it current fashion with Highland dress in the Highlands today. It is periodically seen, but at some sort of gut level we just know it to be a no-no at worst and a private style thing at best. I suppose a bit like wearing a ballcap with a suit.

As Jock says, the deerstalker and fore-and-aft are different kettles. They have been worn with Highland dress for long, long years and may just be approaching the "welcome to tradition" level of acknowledgement. Mind you, we know where and when they are appropriate, too.

Rex

[Zardoz]

I think Matt was on the ball that there are always going to be regional differences in how the kilt is worn or accessorized.

I find the Deerstalker and Flatcap posts somewhat telling in this regard. Because while (like it or not) flatcaps are frequently worn with the kilt here in the US without incident, I do not think I've ever seen a deerstalker worn here in any context except as part of costumes by somebody dressed as Sherlock Holmes. That includes actual stalking. But it seems the deerstalker is still just fine for country daywear in the UK.
So both of those late Victorian/Edwardian headgear fashion "fads" seem to still have their fans, just in different plarts of the world.

Since I generally tend to agree with them on most stuff, I feel it's a shame that many "traditionalists" don't seem to have any flexibility. On one hand you recognize that the some accessories with Highlandwear might have been OK as a 'fad' or trend at one time, but you won't consider the idea that the trends might come back around.

[MacBean]

I've not seen many people in kilts except last year in Inverness at a Clan Celebration, so I know little about tradition. The folk I met were congenial and hospitable; we had a wonderful time, so I am inclined towards adopting Traditional Highland Dress when wearing a kilt.

That said, the artist in me recognizes the importance of looking forward, of modernisms, and I rather like some of the stylistic innovations around the kilt and its related incumbrances.

Then again, my various Scottish ancestors left the home country in the 1600s and 1700s, so I suppose I could adopt an anachronistic style in recognition of those times.

So what is the ordinary American to do? We do a bit of each of the above of course, resulting in the usual American cacophonous mess. And oddly, I see that too as not so different from wearing various cacophonous tartans and leathers and not caring too much. Perhaps somewhere in here we have found a core Scottish quality beyond tradition?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

So what is the ordinary American to do?

Dress as the ordinary Highland Scot would dress.

[Jock Scot]

Dress as the ordinary Highland Scot would dress.

Yes absolutely!

[Lyle1]

Dress as the ordinary Highland Scot would dress.

Except, hasn't it been mentioned in several discussions on this forum that the "ordinary highland scot" rarely wears a kilt?

I think that you are coming very close to taking traditional highland dress into the realm of historical reenactment, which is fine for those who want to do that. The thing is, though, that you need to recognize that the rules only apply to those who want to assume the highland dress role. The rest of us can wear whatever we feel is appropriate. I am not saying that wearing what you feel is "correct" traditional attire is wrong, but it is wrong to criticize and/or ridicule kilted folk who don't dress by your rules (and you do of course know that there are not really rules on how to dress).

[Jock Scot]

Except, hasn't it been mentioned in several discussions on this forum that the "ordinary highland scot" rarely wears a kilt?

I think that you are coming very close to taking traditional highland dress into the realm of historical reenactment, which is fine for those who want to do that. The thing is, though, that you need to recognize that the rules only apply to those who want to assume the highland dress role. The rest of us can wear whatever we feel is appropriate. I am not saying that wearing what you feel is "correct" traditional attire is wrong, but it is wrong to criticize and/or ridicule kilted folk who don't dress by your rules (and you do of course know that there are not really rules on how to dress).

What you say is quite correct, no argument from me there.Except that traditional Highland dress is as current now as it was 20,30,40,100 years ago.My view is that if you choose to dress traditionally then do so and don't cut corners, don't adapt radically and don't kid your self. If you want to wear the kilt and not dress traditionally then, whilst I personally might not like the look, you will have no argument from me.Of course if an opinion is asked for, then I might legitimately venture an opinion.

[ThistleDown]

Except, hasn't it been mentioned in several discussions on this forum that the "ordinary highland scot" rarely wears a kilt?

I think that you are coming very close to taking traditional highland dress into the realm of historical reenactment, which is fine for those who want to do that. The thing is, though, that you need to recognize that the rules only apply to those who want to assume the highland dress role. The rest of us can wear whatever we feel is appropriate. I am not saying that wearing what you feel is "correct" traditional attire is wrong, but it is wrong to criticize and/or ridicule kilted folk who don't dress by your rules (and you do of course know that there are not really rules on how to dress).

I don't think the statement "the ordinary highland scot rarely wears a kilt" should be taken too seriously, Lyle. On this forum alone there are several Highland Scots who wear civilian Highland dress daily and several who are frequently so dressed. There are not hordes of Highlanders leaping from heather hummock to heather hummock in full kit, that's for sure, but we are to be found if you keep your eyes open. Mind you, we are usually just going about our business so you won't find us in the same places as you, the visitor.

[Lyle1]

I don't think the statement "the ordinary highland scot rarely wears a kilt" should be taken too seriously, Lyle. On this forum alone there are several Highland Scots who wear civilian Highland dress daily and several who are frequently so dressed. There are not hordes of Highlanders leaping from heather hummock to heather hummock in full kit, that's for sure, but we are to be found if you keep your eyes open. Mind you, we are usually just going about our business so you won't find us in the same places as you, the visitor.

Hey, I was only going by what members of this forum who live in Scotland have said on a number of occasions.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Except, hasn't it been mentioned in several discussions on this forum that the "ordinary highland scot" rarely wears a kilt?

That's absolutely true-- but when they do wear the kilt they are appropriately dressed for the occasion, be it a night at the pub, a friends wedding, or the Aboyne Games. In Scotland the kilt is worn without parody.

I think that you are coming very close to taking traditional highland dress into the realm of historical reenactment...

Hardly.

which is fine for those who want to do that. The thing is, though, that you need to recognize that the rules only apply to those who want to assume the highland dress role.

Excuse me, but I'm going to stop you right here to point out that this thread is about traditional Highland attire. If you want to take this into some other realm-- the realm of justifying dressing in a manner largely, if not wholly, unknown in the Highlands of Scotland-- you will probably find more people willing to give your views a sympathetic hearing in another forum.

The rest of us can wear whatever we feel is appropriate.

Absolutely. And if someone wants to advocate wearing one's Y-fronts on their head, like a hat, and cackling like a chicken as one walks down the street, I'll be the first to give their adherents all the space they require on the public foot path. But I won't give one inch to any outlandish suggestions about wearing the kilt on this forum.

I am not saying that wearing what you feel is "correct" traditional attire is wrong, but it is wrong to criticize and/or ridicule kilted folk who don't dress by your rules...

Two things here, where you are off base. (1) I only critique someone if asked for an opinion and then I inevitably try, to the best of my ability, to justify those opinions. (2) I have never ridiculed anyone on this forum, and it is wrong for you to suggest that I have.

...(and you do of course know that there are not really rules on how to dress).

Well, when it come to Traditional Highland attire there are "rules"; you may choose to disregard them, or flaunt them. But the "rules" do exist. I think they are better described as accepted, or expected, standards of dress, but their effect is the same.

What I fail to understand is why you think a thread about traditional Highland dress, in a forum quite clearly about traditional Highland attire, is the place to argue for wearing something other than traditional Highland dress.