Do any parts of your outfit have special meaning?

[Katia]

Besides simply being, you know, "your" Highland gear.

My Highland dance outfit was bought for me by my dad (so, on a "normal kilted day," kilt and hose). Attached to the inside of the inner apron is a Stewart-tartan button my mum found for me and which I sewed on as a tongue-in-cheek good-luck charm, and a small silver Celtic cross charm. My kilt hose were modified by me to better match the kilt. My sporran and kilt pin belonged to my former partner. The petticoat for the dress I wear for National dances was made for me by my mum and she attached a "good luck" button to the inside of that as well. My Luckenbooth plaid brooch was a gift from my former partner (okay, I asked him to give me one and picked it out, so I would have something "from him" to wear to dance in, but still!).

Tell me your stories of what gear you have that has special meaning to you for some reason...

[Jordan]

I have a nice kilt pin that my sister bought me, and a Pocket watch that I got from my mum for my 21st. Aside from that the rest of any outfit I wear is meaningless. The watch and pin are the only thing that mean anything to me.

I also wear a pentagram occasionally but that has personal meaning to me.

[Mikilt]

This is my favorite kilt pin. It's stacked with tiny fossil fragments that are somewhere around 490-542 million years old. They are crinoid fragments that I have collected since I was a wee boy.

[OC Richard]

My necktie.

My Father-in-law was a WWII veteran. Though he tended to not talk about his service it was very interesting to me and I was able to pry quite a bit out of him over the years. He served in the Army, in the South Pacific, in New Guinea and the Philippines, commanding a heavy weapons platoon.

He had a little collection of things amongst them the WWII Victory Medal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_W...United_States)

I would buy him gifts from time to time related to his service, which he always seemed to like. One Christmas, quite a few years ago, I bought him a necktie done up in the same pattern as the WWII Victory Medal ribbon. Afterwards he would often wear this tie to church, a conversation-starter with men of his generation, all of whom knew exactly what that pattern was.

When he passed a few months ago I began wearing that tie as a constant reminder of him, and a tribute to him. Actually my Stepfather is also a WWII Army veteran (North Africa, Italy, Germany) and my Uncle (my Father's only sibling) was killed in WWII (Germany, 1945) so that tie serves as a reminder and tribute to them as well. (I'm wearing it in my avatar photo.)

I would never dream of wearing a medal ribbon or medal awarded to someone else, but my reasoning is that a necktie isn't a medal or medal ribbon, and I hope that veterans will accept my reasons for wearing that tie. Actually in the months that I've worn it regularly no-one has recognized it... sadly The Greatest Generation is rapidly becoming extinct.

[David Thorpe]

When wearing a waistcoat, I carry my grandfather's pocket watch (it still works!). The chain features a fob with three lapis beads which my wonderful wife made for me. One of my walking sticks was also a gift from my wife. It once belonged to her grandfather.
I have crafted many of my own accessories - hunting and dress sporrans, antler crown sgain dubh, antler tine tip kilt pin, garter ties - and I sew my own kilts and jackets. It gives me a greater appreciation for what goes into crafting quality Highland dress items.

Great idea for a thread, Katia!

[Kiltboy]

My grandfather worked in a coal mine. Every morning, he walked from the company house in the company town, to the mine. Go underground. Dig. Load. At the end of the day, he would hang off the side of the loaded train as it slowly came back through town.

Over the years, as the line deteriorated to dust, he had claimed some spikes. (East Broad Top Railroad). I had one converted by a blacksmith into a blade. I wear it with pride.


And all my kilt pins mean something special. Discussed in this thread.

[unixken]

To date, I think the item with the greatest emotional value to me, is the sgian dubh (and subsequent dirk) that were produced for me by Terry McCrossan, an advertiser on this site ("a real sgian dubh made in Scotland".) Working only from a single photo and a short video clip for reference, Terry worked up some great carvings of my old Shetland Sheepdog, "Ben." That Terry was able to incorporate other design elements I suggested, and put it all together in a way that words don't adequately convey, gives me a knife I am proud to wear as often as possible. I'll always miss "Ben", but am reminded of him each time I reach for that knife.

The sgian dubh...



It's bigger sibbling, the dirk...

[brewerpaul]

My first kilt holds many memories for me, along with a kilt pin I made. First the kilt. Jennifer and I were on a self guided bike tour of the Highlands of Scotland two years ago. On one of your last burgs to stay at we did our final shopping for friends and family. At one store I picked up an off the rack Hecktor Russell in Mackenzie Modern. These tartans were used quite extensively on the tourist kilts and I liked the colors. Jennifer said in jest "Go for the skirt". I told her I planned too and was fortunate no one saw me when I tried it on, yes I had it on backwards. Well that was my first kilt and most importantly one of our best ever vacations we have ever shared.



While in the same town, Callander, we did a short hike to Bracklinn Falls and the Crags of Callander. The falls were beautiful with a hand made bridge crossing them. Walking further back to the loch that fed the falls we found some beautiful shores that reminded me quite a bit like streams in the Pacific Northwest. The smooth rocks look just like what I have seen in Washington on places like Mt Baker and Glacier peak. I collect single rocks from places I have been and feel they are wonderful reminders of the trip I experienced. This includes quartz from Nepal when I hiked the Everest base camp trek, a rock from Denali when I tried to scale it in 1992, various rocks from the summit of Mt Baker on climbs Ive led and other rocks for trails and hikes. These are small rocks for the good reason that I usually have 40-60lbs on my back and only need something small for a reminder. Well I collected one lovely flat rock at Bracklinn not knowing I would eventually wear it with my kilts as a kilt pin.

[cable scot]

I have my great grandmother's cameo that I use as a kilt pin and some other bits and bobs given to me by friends and family.But for me I have to say that the Artificer sporrans that are on there way to me are what came to my mind they are my contribution to our family's heirlooms, my son and his sons will will wear them.Also Donnie at Wyvern leather works made a belt for me to commerate my involvement in a Paralimpic nordic world cup and the buckle that the U.S. team gave me.

[Macman]

I particularly treasure a silver and onyx kilt pin that my grandmother gave me almost forty years ago. She always encouraged whatever I was interested in when I was young. I also have my late father's pocket watch. The fob is a Canadian silver dollar minted in my daughter's birth year (1981). I wore it for the first time at her wedding the year my dad died.