mourning dress

[KenB]

There has been some very good advice and discussion re: morning dress. However is there an appropriate "mourning dress" for attending a funeral or wake? There is White Tie, Black Tie, Formal and Semi-Formal and casual. Is there a dressing etiquette for "mourning dress".?

[Cygnus]

I imagine it's the same as "normal" dress code for such situations. Dark and subdued colours are preferred.

A dark Argyll jacket with a black tie, simple semi-dress sporran, with matching (but dark) kilt hose would probably do the trick quite nicely.

I probably wouldn't wear a kilt to a funeral (in the States) unless the deceased's family requested it, though. It is, after all, not a service to honour you and I wouldn't want people to feel I was trying to steal the attention in such sombre circumstances.

[Jock Scot]

There has been some very good advice and discussion re: morning dress. However is there an appropriate "mourning dress" for attending a funeral or wake? There is White Tie, Black Tie, Formal and Semi-Formal and casual. Is there a dressing etiquette for "mourning dress".?

I assume you are talking in kilt terms?

In the highlands if we are to wear the kilt, probably the only one we have, polished black brogues, sombre hue hose(not black,or white), usually flashes of some sort, day sporran(NOT one of those dreadful semi dress things) white shirt, four in hand black tie, tweed argyle(of almost any colour) and waistcoat if required.

If the weather is bad, it is often bad in Scotland, an Inverness cape is handy as is traditional head wear(NOT a flat cap). Providing the wind is not too bad an umbrella is a good idea too.

[Cygnus]

...(NOT one of those dreadful semi dress things) ...

I stand corrected!

[davidlpope]

Here's a link to photos from the funeral of the late chief of the MacLeods, John MacLeod of MacLeod, showing what Jock has described:

http://www.clanmacleodusa.org/PhotoChiefJohnFuneral.htm


His son, Hugh, pictured, is now MacLeod of MacLeod.

David

[Jock Scot]

Here's a link to photos from the funeral of the late chief of the MacLeods, John MacLeod of MacLeod, showing what Jock has described:

http://www.clanmacleodusa.org/PhotoChiefJohnFuneral.htm


His son, Hugh, pictured, is now MacLeod of MacLeod.

David

This is absolutely no criticism of any one, just an interesting observation. There is, in one of the pictures, a pallbearer dressed in a black silver buttoned argyll------he was an American. Now, anyone who takes the trouble to attend a funeral, from wherever in the world, deserves the utmost respect and what they are wearing is actually unimportant, the fact that they are there, is important for their own very good reasons, as well as supporting the grieving family.

[Jock Scot]

Not a bad send off for the former Mr. Wolrige-Gordon, I'm sure his Grandmother, Mrs. Hubert Walter (née MacLeod) would have approved.

I cannot fault you with your facts, but I detect a scent of sarcasm and facetiousness and they are both unnecessary and inappropriate.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Not a bad send off for the former Mr. Wolrige-Gordon, I'm sure his Grandmother, Mrs. Hubert Walter (née MacLeod) would have approved.

Dear Mr. Aikens,

I am somewhat surprised to see your opinions once again gracing this forum with your usual tasteless and ill-informed comments. Like those who through the circumstances of their education drop the letter "H" in speech, I note that you have dropped one of the letters "K" in your on-line signature. Your snide comments aside, for where you live it may be the perceived social custom for a woman to forfeit her identity upon marriage, such is definitely not the case in Scotland.

Genetically, as well as legally in Scotland, one inherits equally from both parents. Thus, a married woman in Scotland is correctly styled "Mary McTavish, Mrs. John Smith". Should she and her husband have children it would be proper for them to assume, or be given, either surname or a combination of both (Freddie McTavish-Smith).

The clearest example would be the marriage of the Countess of Erroll (chief of clan Hay) and Sir Iain Moncrieff (chief of clan Moncrieff). They had two sons, Merlin and Peregrine. Merlin, the eldest, was given his mother's name (Hay) and in the fullness of time became both Chief of clan Hay and Earl of Erroll. Later, following the death of his father, the younger son (Peregrine) who bore the name Moncrieff became the chief of that illustrious clan.

The same set of circumstances quite properly occurred in the case of the Macleod chiefship-- a set of facts of which you were most obviously ignorant when you posted your original comment.

In any event, should I have misconstrued the intent of your posting, and I rather doubt that I have, given that you have been banned from X Marks the Scot in the past for this sort of thing, I should point out that my purpose was merely to shed a bit of light on the subject of the status of surnames in Scotland.

[Riverkilt]

Have worn kilts to funerals and never noticed it taking any attention from the deceased. Didn't know one friend had Scottish blood and the family made a big point of thanking me and honoring her for wearing the tartan to her services. Ya just never know.

[Cygnus]

Have worn kilts to funerals and never noticed it taking any attention from the deceased. Didn't know one friend had Scottish blood and the family made a big point of thanking me and honoring her for wearing the tartan to her services. Ya just never know.

I meant no offense to those who have worn kilts to funerals - it is most certainly a case-by-case and person-by-person sort of thing. My own family would almost undoubtedly disown me were I to appear at a family funeral in anything but a suitcoat and trousers (this would include the deceased in almost all cases as well). Perhaps having been brought up that way has made me overly cautious.