Apprpriate dress for ceremonial occasion

[CMcG]

I am about to get my first kilt, which will be Canadian Maple Leaf. For the past many years I have been selected to represent Canada at the cenotaph on Remembrance Day.
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My question is about the proper jacket/tie and accoutrements that I should wear with my kilt for this formal, but not "evening formal" occasion. I do have a goodly selection of tweed jackets (some dating to the 1970s) to choose from, if that is appropriate.

To answer your question, I'll add my two bits to what others have already mentioned. The kilt equivalent of a dark suit is a tweed jacket, leather sporran, and solid colour hose. Good choice on the tartan!

Given the solemnity of the occasion, I would pick a muted tweed, rather than one with bold pattern or colour. If you want to wear one of your existing tweed jackets, you will need have it converted into a kilt jacket because a regular sports coat is typically too long, as well as lacking a cutaway for the sporran. Otherwise, you'll need to buy a kilt jacket and it would be best to get the matching vest at the same time because finding a match later can be very difficult.

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As for the questions that other people have raised in regards to the appropriateness of a kilt in this circumstance, let me try to explain. Canada is officially multicultural, which seems to perplex people who are not from this country. What this means is that Canadians preserve and promote their own heritage, as well as the heritage of their fellow Canadians.

The kilt is the national dress of Scotland. Canada does not have one, single national attire, but rather refers back to the national attires representing the heritages of Canadians. When a Canadian wants to wear national attire, they wear the clothes that symbolize their ancestry. This doesn't mean that the kilt -- or any other form of national dress -- is Canada's national attire! But if a Canadian of Scottish heritage chooses to wear national attire, then they wear the kilt.

Canada has always been a country of many nations, starting with the First Nations who were here before the Europeans arrived. Unfortunately, our early history was not so inclusive... for many years, there was a hegemonic repression of -- and systemic discrimination against -- the non-dominant groups. The Scots in Canada fared better than most because they came over to a British colony as British subjects and were white-skinned. In fact, the contribution of Scottish-Canadians is fairly well recognized in history books, as well as our national symbols like tartan and heraldry.

The legacies of colonialism have been less kind to East-Asians (especially the Chinese and the Japanese), the First Nations, Eastern Europeans, etc. Given the ethnic diversity of Canada's population and our poor history of respecting it, multiculturalism has been a positive, beneficial, and successful national policy, even if it is apparently not well understood by non-Canadians

The OP has taken the initiative to ask some government officials about the appropriateness of national attire for someone representing Canada on Remembrance Day at the cenotaph. This is not a bad move, but not really necessary. If one refers to the national policies of the Canadian Heritage branch of the Government of Canada, they actually have a section on dress for holidays, ceremonies, and commemorations. It states:

"In all circumstances, national costumes can replace ceremonial wear."

The only issues I could foresee with the OP wearing the kilt for this event would be if he is not of Scottish heritage? Or more broadly Celtic, but that is another can of worms... Or if the invitation of the event specified a dress code that for some reason specifically excludes national attire?

I'm assuming this is the cenotaph in Ottawa? If so, the OP probably won't be the only one in a kilt. The Cameron Highlanders will probably be there too. I took a trip to Ottawa earlier this year and saw a fellow wearing his kilt to work downtown. My friend who lives in Ottawa said that kilts are not unusual there, if a bit uncommon. Finally, check out these pics I took of the cenotaph and note the kilted soldier:

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