What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[MacBean]

In my experience, the answer is "yes." A few examples:
-Prince Charlies worn with t-shirts in 90 degree heat at GMHG.
-Suede knee-high moccasins worn with the kilt, usually with Native American pouches, necklaces, etc.
-"Jacobite/Clansmen" shirts worn with tweed jackets.
-swords, dirks, two-handed claymores worn with day dress, sometimes accompanied by "facepaint".
-A homemade furry sporran with a rack of whitetail antlers mounted on it.
-Veterans sporting every geegaw, doodad, and fourragere ever stocked at the Exchange on their SAMS "uniform".

I chalk it up, though, to the general ignorance of many people wearing kilts at "highland games" events, rather than a conscious decision to rebel against good taste. There just aren't very many examples of "traditional highland dress" at the "Scottish" events in North Carolina. Without good examples of traditional highland dress, I'm not surprised when we Americans get it so dorked up...

David

Fair enough, David. I've never been to an American "Highland Game", don't own a PC or a Jacobite shirt; and have little experience with kilts. I can certainly understand how micturating on someone else's tradition in the way you describe offends. However, "hollow arrogance ... largely based on insecurity as much as it is a lack of social understanding." ... that's a bit elitist, no?