The common Scottish view of when a kilt is appropriate.

[Cowher]

So another thread has me asking a question that I hope will not get out of hand. By asking this question I am not looking for the " I wear my kilt when I please." comments I'm not looking for the " you do what makes you happy." comments either.
I am looking for the view of Scottish people. Not descendants but people who live or grew up in Scotland.

My question: When is a kilt appropriate and what is the Saxon equivalent to the kilt outfit. Is it a suit? Is it a tuxedo? Please explain.

Cheers!
ith:

[Peter Crowe]

As a Scot born and bred (I lived there until the age of 37) I think there are a great range of occasions when the kilt is suitable attire. I often wear mine (Tweed day/hunting wear) for Church, and/or smartly dressed social occasions when others would be in a blazer/sports jacket, flannels and or lounge suits. For formal evening events I often wear my PC and vest when others would be in dinner suits. I wore my kilt and PC to graduate from a Scottish University (strictly speaking I should have worn daywear, but everyone I know who wore the kilt to graduate did so in a PC with black bow tie). Graduands not wearing the kilt were expected to wear academic sub-fusc (dark lounge suit with white shirt, white bow tie and black shoes underneath their gown). I personally don't wear the kilt to funerals (because my kilt daywear is too light in colour and for no other reason), although it is often done in the Highlands and Islands. I have occasionally worn my kilt to work as a History teacher in the US on ethnic heritage theme days (to teach the students and model pride in one's heritage). This was a calculated risk in an urban ethnically diverse school in Lowell MA that proved successful. However, I have never known teachers to do so in Scotland, and were I teaching back there I most likely wouldn't either. Generally speaking, and in my experience the kilt is not worn for business in Scotland unless there are specific circumstances where it may be appropriate. It would certainly be the exception to the normal practice.

I would add one important caveat, and that is that it is never appropriate to wear the kilt, if by doing so you would outshine your host/hostess or the guest(s) of honour.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Kilt Jacket & Waistcoat (tweed or otherwise) w/ white shirt and long tie* = suit
Kilt Jacket & Waistcoat (tweed or otherwise) w/ any other shirt and long tie* = sports coat
(*bow ties optional with suit/sport coat attire)
Black Argyll Jacket, white shirt & long tie = very formal suit
Black Argyll Jacket, formal shirt & black bow tie = tuxedo
Prince Charile or Regulation Doublet & black bow tie = tuxedo
Montrose or Kenmore Doublet = tuxedo or white tie
Prince Charlie or Regulation Doublet & white tie w/white waistcoat = white tie

Generally speaking I don't wear the kilt, or any of the above variations, outside of Scotland unless I am attending a specifically Scottish event as I was raised to consider it "poor form" to do so. In Scotland, even though I am a little more relaxed about wearing the kilt, I usually go about my business-- both "business" and 'social"-- in ordinary clothes, be it driving up country to visit friends, a meeting in the city with my lawyer, or attending a do at the New Club.

And, as Peter has said, I'd never wear my kilt if I thought it would cause the focus of attention to zero in on me, rather than remain on my host, or a guest of honour.

[Eck]

Hi from East Kilbride which is a district in the west of Scotland and part of Greater Glasgow. In my 60 years experience living in Scotland, kiltwearers, as in the USA, Canada & Australia etc., are in the minority for general daywear.
The normal mode of dress is as you would see in your own country.

Generally you will see the kilt worn in greater numbers at special events such as weddings, some christenings, ceilidh's, highland games, pipe band events, Burns' nights, New Year celebrations and the aformentioned graduations and the like and that's about it.

To see a gentleman in general daywear kilt outfit going about his daily business either at work or recreation is a very rare sight.

[Phil]

I would wear the kilt to church as daywear with a tweed jacket only. Anything more formal such as an Argyll belongs on the Elders and Minister. For weddings in Scotland, although usually daytime affairs, I would usually opt for a Prince Charlie to fit in with everyone else there. Contrary to what is so often propounded here, in Scotland it is the usual attire for wedding guests, right or wrong. I would not consider going to a funeral kilted as being much too flamboyant for such a sombre occasion and best left to the piper (if there is one). Definitely to evening occasions in Scotland when my choice would be either a Prince Charlie or if a bit more formal a Montrose with jabot. I have only worn it once outside of Scotland and that was at the specific request of the Scottish bride at a wedding in England. Otherwise for cruises, that kind of thing, it stays at home and a dinner suit (tuxedo) is worn.

[davidg]

I would largely echo Phil, perhaps because we live only a few miles apart (not because he'll come and thump me but because we clearly see the same customs being in the same locality)

I have personally never seen a tweed jacket worn to church, only black Argylls, but they are few and far between. I have also seen kilts and black Argylls worn to a funeral, but again only rarely, and never a tweed jacket

For weddings, by far the most popular is the PC worn as formal daywear (morning dress). That may not fit in with the purist view but it is what happens here. That's for the wedding party but guests may dress down with considerably variations in formality

I would also pretty much agree with Eck with a couple of exceptions. I would place the Regulation Doublet in with the other doublets for white tie but would not expect to see an actual white tie or waistcoat worn. Black bow ties and black vests are acceptable Scottish highland wear for white tie events where these items are visible or on some doublets the jabot can be worn instead

For the most part though a kilt is rarely seen on a daily basis and as a college chaplain I have only ever seen the kilt worn twice by graduates at their graduation ceremony. One kilt this year (last week) and one kilt a couple of years ago. I think universities will see more kilts but I'm not sure how many

[Rab]

I wear a kilt to weddings as standard and so do all of my mates, then I'll also wear it in a more casual style say on Hogmany or to a special night out.
Then theres times I wear it to go to the football or out drinking. I also wear a really light weight one for running (only races though not training)

[Father Bill]

Cowher - thanks for this thread, and particularly for your caveats. Too often we get philosophically self-indulgent or liberal comments that bump helpful information aside. Well put!

[tpa]

When I lived in Scotland and had only one kilt, I'd wear it with a tweed jacket and tie for most church occasions including other people's weddings (I wore a montrose for my own.) But I also wore it with casual tops for holidays, walking in the Scottish hills, through most of Xmas and New Year holiday and still do. There used to be a number of hoteliers, mainly in the north, I came across who would go kilted every day, presumably good for business, but that was about it.

And slightly off topic: I now wear one regularly just for comfort as having a relatively large backside it beats trousers and pants hands down, especially for travelling and long periods of sitting down. I mention that as it is obviously a factor in my wearing frequency, but is not an issue for the great majority.

[Cowher]

Let me push this thread into a new stream.

If you were kilted and let's say celebrating some occasion and you go out to dinner and a group of loud foreigners come in wearing horrible excuses for a kilt. They look like fools and are obviously not taking a garment with such meaning seriously.

How do you feel about the situation? The other group? Yourself? How others are now looking at you?