delving deeper with dirks

[CMcG]

I believe the wearing of a dirk is akin to wearing a plaid, it is a matter of personal taste and opinion. When dressing for an occasion, I consider where I'll be and whom I'll be with.

In my PC, my wife says I look very dashing, to elevate the look a bit more, I may don a plaid. To take it to a higher level, I will wear my dirk.

The dirk is an accessory that is rarely seen and so when worn, it makes a statement that the wearer is appearing at his very best.

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Dirks are like top hats. With full formal attire they are perfectly acceptable. But when worn with anything else, they tend to look faintly ridiculous. As with the wearing of medals, there are certain "rules" which are followed when strapping on a dirk. In answer to your questions, here are those "rules":

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Yes, I know that there is a school of thought that runs something like "I'm not in Scotland, so I'll wear what I please..." to which I can only preemptively reply that if one is going to wear Highland attire-- anywhere in the world-- then one should follow the rules of Highland attire, or dress in some other manner.

Thanks Big Mikey and MoR for your thoughtful replies. Despite the divided opinion about the nature of kilt wearing (personal taste vs. THCD "rules") there is a commonality: you see the dirk as symbolic of full, formal dress but still consider it optional. I'm not trying to polarize the discussion, just trying to get information and opinions.

Any pictures to illustrate the written examples? What about sources for the dirks you favour?

As an aside, MoR have you ever published a manual of THCD? If not, you should! If so, where can we get it?

Taygrd, you seem to know a few things about dirk history. Could you describe or provide pictures for these different styles you've mentioned?