What is Traditional Highland Dress?

[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