"Brigadoonery"? "TCHD"? Who decides?

[Grizzled Ian]

If I wear one of the so-called "ghillie shirts", it's not because I am trying to emulate a historical or piratical look. It is because it is a very comfortable and practical garment, loose and cool, and made of natural fibre, and it keeps the sun off my arms - an important consideration in Australia.

It is outside the context of the three classifications of kilted attire discussed at length elsewhere on the forum. (I've lost track of the most recent nomenclature, but if I indicate with Traditional/Historical/Contemporary, I think most will understand that context.) I am not seriously suggesting a fourth classification - hang it, most days I wear my kilt of the day with what suits the day - but in my mind, I am dressed in "plain, everyday kilted attire", and, as long as my clothing 1. is socially acceptable, and 2. is neat, then I don't lose any energy stressing about whether I am dressed correctly.

T'ink about dat one, as Guru Bob might say.

[Nathan]

If I wear one of the so-called "ghillie shirts", it's not because I am trying to emulate a historical or piratical look. It is because it is a very comfortable and practical garment, loose and cool, and made of natural fibre, and it keeps the sun off my arms - an important consideration in Australia.

It is outside the context of the three classifications of kilted attire discussed at length elsewhere on the forum. (I've lost track of the most recent nomenclature, but if I indicate with Traditional/Historical/Contemporary, I think most will understand that context.) I am not seriously suggesting a fourth classification - hang it, most days I wear my kilt of the day with what suits the day - but in my mind, I am dressed in "plain, everyday kilted attire", and, as long as my clothing 1. is socially acceptable, and 2. is neat, then I don't lose any energy stressing about whether I am dressed correctly.

T'ink about dat one, as Guru Bob might say.

Fair enough. I've never said someone shouldn't wear the shirt, just that it's not traditional. One question though, would you wear this shirt with your trousers or shorts?

[Orionson]

Fair enough. I've never said someone shouldn't wear the shirt, just that it's not traditional. One question though, would you wear this shirt with your trousers or shorts?

Yes, I do wear these shirts with work trousers and jeans. I haven't worn shorts in 30+ years and back then they were Gurkha Khaki's - without the Pith Helmet, I hasten to add - but I do like the look on @Panache! I prefer them with the kilt though.

[Nathan]

Fair enough. I've never said someone shouldn't wear the shirt, just that it's not traditional. One question though, would you wear this shirt with your trousers or shorts?

Yes, I do wear these shirts with work trousers and jeans. I haven't worn shorts in 30+ years and back then they were Gurkha Khaki's - without the Pith Helmet, I hasten to add - but I do like the look on @Panache! I prefer them with the kilt though.

The shirt you described has no collar and is more historic than the pseudo Jacobite Ghillie shirts in question.

I'm now inordinately concerned that I am wearing my only kilt wrong. It's a USAkilts traditional 8-yarder. I've been wearing it such that the waistband overlaps my lowest ribs (about 2 inches above my belly button), and the apron ends just above the tops of my kneecaps. If I wear it lower it feels wrongly sized, but perhaps I measured wrong in the first place.

On a personal note, I was not aware till @Nathan pointed it out that you were the gentlelaird wearing the safari shirt and pith helmet in the TCHD guide. I did not mean any slight by calling it an affectation. Please forgive me if it seemed so, you wear them very well. I'm sometimes less handy with our language than one ought to be.

It sounds to me like you're wearing your kilt correctly. Some military kilts (not mine) come right up to under the man's nipples. I think this is a case of lots of different sized soldiers, lots of similar length kilts.

[Holcombe Thomas]

I agree with Nathan. It looks like you followed Rocky's directions and he made the kilt to fit you properly.

Holcombe

[Orionson]

Sheep Washing in Glen Lyon (1859) by Richard Ansdell has always been one of my most favourite paintings. The men pictured are not wearing pirate/pseudo ghillie shirts, but the shirts they are wearing are homespun garments with what one might refer to as a blousan sleeve. I have a few collar-less shirts like this, with three plain wooden buttons at the neck, some in linen and one in flannel. They are very plain and very comfortable. I do wear them occasionally for chores like splitting logs and working in the garden. Sometimes with, sometimes without a waistcoat, depending upon the weather. They are very comfortable. But because of the Brigadoon factor, I would not wear them to the Highland Games.

I know, no pics-no story, but I'm not in the habit of posing for pics whilst splitting logs - even though my girlfriend is of the opinion that chores are more of a spectator sport when I am so attired.

[Theyoungkiltman]

As a fan of the picture "Gunga din" I like the look of a pith helmet with a kilt, and have been wanting to get one for a while. I really don't like the "jacobite" shirts but I would wear one if I had one.

[Calgacus]

Personally, I wouldn't wear one of those 'Jacobite' shirts for the reasons given above. I have on occasion worn a fairly loose fitting collarless linen shirt, on hot days walking in the highlands. It appears to be somewhat similar to Orionson's description of his shirt, except my one buttons to the waist. Quite an old photo, and it's from the back, but here you go:-

Ach5 by Richard the Rogue, on Flickr

As for pith helmets, I've never worn one and I suspect I never will. I think they are rather anachronistic no matter where they are worn and if I had to choose headgear for the sun (rare in Scotland, I'll admit), I'd wear my Australian bush hat by Driza-Bone, very similar to this one:-

crackle.jpg

I wear it for sun & rain when walking my dog. My girlfriend hates it (the hat, not the dog. Though sometimes she hates the dog too.)