untraditional traditions

[davidlpope]

Outside the Highlands, could untraditional be a new tradition?

Perhaps there are regional styles of kilting other than Highland?

Could the box pleat kilt (a revived, historical style) become a new tradition?

In hotter climates, what accommodations might become standard?

How about traditional-ish outfits but with things like tartan flashes and ties, general concern for matching colours, flat caps, wearing tartans other than that of one's clan, P/V or acrylic, semi-dress sporrans, etc?

Are there relaxed dress codes for casual/formal? Say tee-shirt, boots, and scrunched down hose for daywear and only as much as jacket and tie for evening wear?

I think most of these "traditions" already exist in the US, in that there's almost an accepted "uniform" for US kilt-wearers, based in my estimation, on those items readily marketed to them by purveyors of "Scottish" clothing.

There's a distinct "American" look to most US kilt-wearers, particularly here in North Carolina. This usually includes a Scottish-themed t-shirt or golf shirt coupled with a traditional or low-yardage kilt, kilt hose normally white or ivory, often a formal sporran worn in daytime, or a very conspicuously-matched sporran/ kilt belt/ sgian dubh set.

Another variation on this theme includes a short-sleeved "military" shirt with epaulettes, sometimes worn with tartan "shoulder-boards" which match the tartan of the kilt, and usually lots and lots of military decorations. When the weather's cold enough black "Argyll" jackets with chrome buttons come out, usually accompanied by white shirts and tartan ties. Flashes are often tartan and ghillie brogues are often worn. I think there's generally an emphasis on the colors of hose matching the tartan.

The kilt also seems to be worn more casually, sometimes with flip-flops, "crocs", or hiking boots and "scrunchy" socks.

I've found that the humid and hot weather here in the South makes lower-yardage 4yd box-pleateed kilts and 5-6 yard knife-pleated kilts much more pleasant.

David