At a celtic festival.. acceptable attire

[O'Callaghan]

I agree very much with Zardoz here.

As for those who don't think there should even be such things as celtic festivals, that seems to be coded way of saying that 'their' highland games has been messed up by adding in the Irish and the Welsh. What's wrong with being inclusive? Around here, there is always a booth selling "Welsh cookies". Of course, they are really welshcakes, but that's the translation into American for the benefit of the great unwashed. Actually, he attends the Irish festivals too, but we don't mind atall. Try some, you might like them. I recommend the ones with the currants in. Being of Irish extraction doesn't stop me having haggis at one of these events either. You get to watch caber tossing and Irish dancers on the same day. What's so bad about that?

I have yet to see someone attend a celtic festival dressed in RenFest attire or as kilingons from Star Trek.

And Jock, I reckon a celtic festival would be a bit redundant in the British Isles. Even outwith the 'celtic fringe' you are practically falling over people of celtic extraction. Taking my wife and I as an example, we are both English, but I am part Irish and she is part Scottish, and yet that is hardly even worth noting back home, as it is so common. As someone rightly said, often in the colonies there isn't quite a big enough market for separate Scottish and Irish events, much less Welsh, who would never drum up any kind of cultural event by themselves.

With the exception of St. Patrick's Day, which is becoming more popular in England, an ethnic cultural event there would have to be carribbean or Indian or perhaps Polish (the latest wave of immigrants).

I have been to highland games in Scotland, and although the sports partaken in are uniquely Scottish, it is a very different kind of event than the American idea of a highland games, where the sports are essentially just a sideshow. The one my Scots uncle (technically, I think he was really a cousin) used to attend had nothing else going on but the games themselves, and his only other diversion was the flask of whisky he carried. Mind you, it was one of the few times I saw him in a kilt.

Back to the original question. You can wear anything you like, but I personally attend in kilt and t-shirt, and more importantly a heavy pair of boots , as these events are invariably held in muddy fields. I am not a 'work in progress', IMHO, because I wouldn't wear a kilt jacket to hang around in a muddy field even if I owned one, and can't really see a reason to get one short of being invited to a formal dinner where highland dress was appropriate. The only exception might be if I were in Scotland. Even then, anyone who thinks a Scot would never wear a t-shirt with a kilt is quite mistaken, although they might be attending a football match when they did.

ETA: The kilt has a practical advantage over trousers in muddy fields, as the mud only goes on your socks, and you change those regularly anyway, I hope?

And finally, I'm sorry, but the 'kilt shirt' and leather waistcoat screams out 'RenFest' to me. I bought one of these shirts, but only to wear to RenFest, and haven't actually been to one since, so I've never worn it.