What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[artificer]

I personally feel that knowledge of social customs is less an indicator of a person's status as a gentleman than the way he acts!

I do believe, however, that you need a knowledge of social customs to 'guide' you in proper behavior. What is appropriate behavior at the ball park, in most cases, isn't in a formal setting. The same works in reverse. You'd never wear formal attire to a BBQ (unless it was part of a charity fundraiser or other exceptional circumstance). Good manners and proper etiquette are appropriate everywhere.



I think I've done my part to thoroughly derail this thread

[Jock Scot]

Micric.

I am not at all sure that I did say that I would wear a deerstalker/F&A if I was kilted shooting and fishing and "ONLY" for those pastimes, although they would most certainly be my choice for those particular pastimes and I am sorry if I did not make that clear.

I would happily wear the Deerstalker/F&A to any informal kilted event up to say Highland Games, Game fair type events. Although I do, in fact, choose to wear a balmoral most of the time.

[MacBean]

I find the hat discussion most interesting, but let me digress.

If in an imaginary world, the kilt existed when most Scots came to the New Worlds, and if Highland culture had survived the struggles of frontier life in a recognizable fashion, and if adaptations to Traditional Highland Dress were made to suit the New World climate, would they then be considered variant adaptations ofTraditional Highland Dress? I rather think they might, as long as we rule out the wild costuming. Am I off topic?

Perhaps we would not wear jackets in hot weather. Perhaps we would have retained and adapted the mocasin-like footwear of the Highlands of yore. But what about hats (and dark glasses), both of which are useful adaptations to the much increased sunlight in the New World? Don't we need a new Highland wear hat for the weather in the Americas?

Let's start with the deerstalker; others have said it would serve. Can someone post pictures of Highland Dress with a "fore and aft" or deerstalker? I can't find any.

Failing that, I haven't been convinced that the Balmoral or Glengarry serve well, though the New Worlds have tried to make them work. One, it seems that they are either out-of-place or over-used as "Traditional Highland Dress". Two, they don't really serve as weather protection. I realize the following cap is considered paramillitary, but wonder if it isn't one of the more practical adapations while in the field? If not this, then what? Are we not to make adaptations for time and place appropriate for the New Worlds?

[Jock Scot]

I find the hat discussion most interesting, but let me digress.

If in an imaginary world, the kilt existed when most Scots came to the New Worlds, and if Highland culture had survived the struggles of frontier life in a recognizable fashion, and if adaptations to Traditional Highland Dress were made to suit the New World climate, would they then be considered variant adaptations of Traditional Highland Dress? I rather think they might, as long as we rule out the wild costuming. Am I off topic?

Perhaps we would not wear jackets in hot weather. Perhaps we would have retained and adapted the mocasin-like footwear of the Highlands of yore. But what about hats (and dark glasses), both of which are useful adaptations to the much increased sunlight in the New World? Don't we need a new Highland wear hat for the weather in the Americas?

Let's start with the deerstalker; others have said it would serve. Can someone post pictures of Highland Dress with a "fore and aft" or deerstalker? I can't find any.

Failing that, I haven't been convinced that the Balmoral or Glengarry serve well, though the New Worlds have tried to make them work. One, it seems that they are either out-of-place or over-used as "Traditional Highland Dress". Two, they don't really serve as weather protection. I realize the following cap is considered paramillitary, but wonder if it isn't one of the more practical adapations while in the field? If not this, then what? Are we not to make adaptations for time and place appropriate for the New Worlds?

I don't think anyone here, even the most traditional of traditional thinkers have ever said that one could not adapt Highland attire to suit the weather conditions and you are quite correct in thinking that there are sometimes far better options than traditional Highland Scots head wear. Would that make the result traditional? Well no it would not, but so what. If the adaptation works then that is precisely what any sensible Scot would do in the circumstances.

On the hat topic I have long extolled the virtues of the Panama as perfect hot weather attire with the kilt . The Tilly hat and the Australian "slouch" hat also spring to mind. I venture to suggest that they may be a better option than the one you suggest. Each to their own.

[macwilkin]

I don't think anyone here, even the most traditional of traditional thinkers have ever said that one could not adapt Highland attire to suit the weather conditions and you are quite correct in thinking that there are sometimes far better options than traditional Highland Scots head wear. Would that make the result traditional? Well no it would not, but so what. If the adaptation works then that is precisely what any sensible Scot would do in the circumstances.

On the hat topic I have long extolled the virtues of the Panama as perfect hot weather attire with the kilt . The Tilly hat and the Australian "slouch" hat also spring to mind. I venture to suggest that they may be a better option than the one you suggest. Each to there own.

The Highland regiments certainly did. Witness the Jocks wearing ANZAC style slouch hats in the Boer War.

T.

[ThistleDown]

LL Bean in the States sells a super hat they call, I think, Moose River. Good for both sun and rain protection.

[BoldHighlander]

The Highland regiments certainly did. Witness the Jocks wearing ANZAC style slouch hats in the Boer War.

T.

You beat me to it Todd!

The Highland Light Infantry on the march in the Boer War
(The Battle of Magersfontein, 11 Dec 1899):



Post-2nd Boer War image of Captain Arnold Statham Milne, Transvaal Scottish Volunteers, wearing the Scottish Horse-style slouch hat in 1906:

[BoldHighlander]

I don't think anyone here, even the most traditional of traditional thinkers have ever said that one could not adapt Highland attire to suit the weather conditions and you are quite correct in thinking that there are sometimes far better options than traditional Highland Scots head wear. Would that make the result traditional? Well no it would not, but so what. If the adaptation works then that is precisely what any sensible Scot would do in the circumstances.

Just for the fun of it I just had to toss the following pictures in (besides it'll make Jamie happy ith

Cheers!

2nd (Angus) Volunteer Bn - So Africa 1900:



3rd (Dundee Highland) Volunteer Bn - So Africa 1900:

[Brian K]

On the hat topic I have long extolled the virtues of the Panama as perfect hot weather attire with the kilt . The Tilly hat and the Australian "slouch" hat also spring to mind. I venture to suggest that they may be a better option than the one you suggest. Each to their own.

Jock,

I like the way you think! Last year I came into possession of a Panama hat that my grandfather had given his father-in-law about 60 years ago. My grandfather was in government service in the Far East and had purchased it in manila for $20.00. Apparently my great grandfather Anderson never wore this hat because until last year it resided in a large bamboo tube, never having been blocked or having a band or ribbon applied.

My sister, who lives in LA has a friend who wear Panamas a lot (they're great in Southern California) and he sent it to Brent Black for blocking. It's in the Optimo style (the one with a ridge down the middle) which was a favorite in the British colonial service. Some would call it a Charlie Chan hat. It has a 3 3/8" brim and I have to say it looks pretty good on me. The nice thing is that a good Panama hat looks fine with almost any level of hot weather dress - from ultra casual to very formal. As an added bonus, Mr. Black said that if he had bought a blank of that quality from Montecristi (he's one of the few who deals directly with the weavers there) he'd have to charge $4600.00 for it. It has too much sentimental value for me to ever sell it, but it's nice to know it's of the highest quality.

Now I know it will also work just fine with a kilt! What more could I ask for?

regards,

Brian

[ThistleDown]

I find the hat discussion most interesting, but let me digress.

Let's start with the deerstalker; others have said it would serve. Can someone post pictures of Highland Dress with a "fore and aft" or deerstalker? I can't find any.

Failing that, I haven't been convinced that the Balmoral or Glengarry serve well, though the New Worlds have tried to make them work. One, it seems that they are either out-of-place or over-used as "Traditional Highland Dress". Two, they don't really serve as weather protection. I realize the following cap is considered paramillitary, but wonder if it isn't one of the more practical adapations while in the field? If not this, then what? Are we not to make adaptations for time and place appropriate for the New Worlds?

You know, Mark, the only "traditional" Highland headwear is the Balmoral. The Glengarry is just never worn in the Highlands because it doesn't keep the weather out. A good Barlmoral does, so it has become the traditional thing to cover your head. The deerstalker is a standard bit of head gear for the hills. Much more versatile than the Balmoral, but it has not become traditional with Highland dress. There's just a borderline acceptance of it.

Jock you may want to chime in here, but I think the reason is that the fore-and-aft and deerstalker came out of 19C ghillie and keeper tradition and not from Highland dress tradition. With some exceptions (of course) the two have not mixed well in the last century and a half. Yes, we know about Landseer, but he liked the Glengarry on his models, too

It is very rare to see Highland dress worn to shoot, to stalk or to fish because there are all sorts of better bits and pieces of clothing out there. Among them is the deerstalker instead of the Balmoral.

And you are probably quite right about the life expectancy of the Balmoral, too. It's still seen in the Highlands today, although far less often than just twenty years ago. It's a dodo in the making, I think. A replacement will be found, and that will address changing climate and a change in kilt-wearing. It could be something like the pic you showed, but knowing Highland society I think it is more likely to move further away from military fashion and in the direction of a narrow-brim trilby or....

Rex