The Ghillie Shirt

[Tobus]

I have spent much time reading as many threads as possible and the overwhelming conclusion seems to be that, unlike everyday clothing, there is no flexibility in what an individual may wear and the way it should be worn. When I dress in the morning I give little thought as to whether my socks clash with my shirt or my shoes might not be appropriate. If I was to wear a kilt, however, it seems that I must be much more circumspect about such matters. Socks may only be a pre-ordained colour and, in no circumstances, white or tartan unless going to a formal occasion. The type of shirt that is the subject of this thread is a no-no unless I am re-enacting some historical event and so on, even the type of headwear is rigidly pre-ordained. Forgive my confusion which seems to increase with every thread that I read, particularly when those from a few years ago seem to contradict what I am now finding in more modern ones. Is it the case that opinions have become more rigid with the passage of time or is it just that those with more flexible views no longer contribute?

No flexibility? That's not true at all. There is actually a lot of flexibility in wearing a kilt. One can choose to wear it as a silly costume, a historical reenactment piece, a modern grunge/ruffian outfit, a traditional expression of Scottish Highland culture, or many other avenues for personal expression. Remember, there are no kilt police and you're free to wear it however you like. The issues we discuss in threads like these come down to conventions and public perception, and it's certainly a good idea to know how your choices relate to those conventions so that you can make your choices in the context you choose.

It sort of amazes me that so many new kilt-wearers buy a kilt, knowing full well that it is a distinct piece of cultural garb with a rich history, but thinking that it comes with no attachments to any other cultural traditions. There are no more "rules" for kilt-wearing than there are for so-called "Saxon" clothing. The only difference is that you grew up knowing how to wear normal clothing and didn't have to learn it all from the internet. The traditions of wearing a kilt are slightly different, but no more rigid. It's just a matter of learning the cultural and contextual traditions of the kilt, and then choosing whether to apply that knowledge.

Let's say a person grew up outside of western culture and has only ever worn a loin cloth. If he were learning how to wear trousers and fit in with normal people in Europe or the USA, don't you think he might be a bit overwhelmed in learning all the little things that we take for granted? Like which socks are appropriate for wearing with a suit as opposed to blue jeans. Or understanding why a baseball cap doesn't quite go with a tuxedo. Or figuring out why shorts aren't appropriate for wearing to a funeral. He might be thinking, "Gosh, these people have too many rules!"

And indeed, there are no Saxon-style clothing police. If he wore a baseball cap with a tuxedo, no one will arrest him. But people will look at him funny and wonder what he was thinking. They just know what looks right and what looks wrong because they grew up with it, where he didn't. This is absolutely no different than traditional Highland dress. Those of us who did not grow up in that culture have a lot of catching up to do, in terms of coming to grips with what looks right and what looks out-of-place. We must learn from those who did. And if we still choose to ignore their advice and dress in a manner which might cause raised eyebrows, so be it.

Yes, you will undoubtedly find a lot of contradictions in our discussions. You'll find disagreements between Scots on what's appropriate. You'll find people (myself included) who have changed their views over time as we learned these cultural conventions and re-formed our opinions on what looks correct. It can indeed be very confusing, and it can take years to get the whole picture.

Once again, just for the record, you can choose to wear the kilt however you wish. Since this particular discussion is happening in the "contemporary kilt wear" forum, we needn't insist that everything be purely traditional. Deviating from tradition is up to each person, if they are trying to define their own look. But I think there's always value in understanding how and why certain things are deviations from tradition, so that one may make informed decisions. This thread about ghillie shirts is a perfect example, where a lot of people have been duped into thinking that this style of shirt is correct, genuine, and appropriate within Highland conventions. It really isn't, but if one chooses to wear it as a modern take on kilt-wearing, they should at least do so with that knowledge.

In the end, it's up to you to decide how you want to wear the kilt. You're free to take or ignore all the advice here. I, for one, am thankful for all the knowledge I've gained over the 9 years on this forum, even when it didn't agree with what I previously thought. I still learn something almost every time I visit. And the flexibility of wearing the kilt is much richer than I thought, but just not in the ways that I previously thought.

*edit: ha, Wareyin pretty much said what I said, but beat me to the punch while I was typing.