Ghillie Brogues: just for formal wear

[OC Richard]

With a formal outfit, I think the ghillie brogues complete the look, but with a less formal day wear style, I'm not so sure they're needed, and perhaps 'conventional' dress shoes would be more appropriate...

Ghillies fall somewhat outside the "formal" and "outdoor" dichotomy. The Army, for one, has never worn them, using buckled shoes for formal dress and ordinary brogues for informal dress, and many civilians have long done the same.

The Highlanders of Scotland is a unique large snapshot of Highland Dress in the 1860s and the footwear seen is particularly interesting. There are 56 kilted men and their shoes are as follows:

25 "Mary Jane" style (which exhibit a fascinating variety in number and position of buckles and lacing)
11 "ghillie" style
10 ordinary shoes
5 "buckle loafers" (my ad hoc name for the slip-on shoes with decorative nonfunctional buckles)
3 ankle boots
1 spats
1 unique shoe halfway between Mary Janes and Ghillies

Of the Ghillies, most are roughout tan leather or brown leather. Only one pair is black, and this pair has decorative nonfunctional buckles attached.

So, in the 1860s Ghillies were still close to their rustic roots.

By the 1930s Ghillies can be seen in Highland Dress catalogues offered as formal shoes with buckles. Day Dress/Outdoor Dress is invariably depicted with plain shoes.

Pipers are often seen wearing Ghillies in the 19th century and nowadays they are de rigueur for pipers. At the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow each year around 230 bands from all over the world come to compete, and it would be difficult indeed to find one not wearing Ghillies (the only such being nonkilted bands from Spain, France, and the Middle East, because even Army pipe bands usually wear civilian ghillies when competing).

The 1930s notwithstanding, Ghillies never look "formal" to me, even when dressed up with buckles. To me they remain what they started out as, somewhat rustic Highland footwear.

Some photos:

the original, still worn on the Aran Islands, called pamputai/pampooties



1860s. You can see a variety of shoes, tan roughout ghillies on the right, plus Mary Janes and ordinary shoes



Ghillies raised to formal shoes in the 1930s



Here, in the 1920s, it's ordinary shoes for Outdoor Dress, buckled shoes for Evening Dress




At a Highland Games in the 1960s. No ghillies!! No Glengarries!!



The modern pipe band look: ghillies and Glens for all