Wearing the kilt...

[Arlen]

You know, speaking as someone who wears my kilt for comfort and for family heritage and as someone who has done a lot of study on this, the old highlanders kinda did like fluff. It was a status symbol to have more colourful tartan and shiny buttons etc.
Yes, they did like to be practical and were sensible people, but it doesn't mean they didn't like to dress up because lots of these new 'Traditional' parts of the outfit were invented.

Just my two pence.

[Kiltman]

You know, speaking as someone who wears my kilt for comfort and for family heritage and as someone who has done a lot of study on this, the old highlanders kinda did like fluff. It was a status symbol to have more colourful tartan and shiny buttons etc.
Yes, they did like to be practical and were sensible people, but it doesn't mean they didn't like to dress up because lots of these new 'Traditional' parts of the outfit were invented.

Just my two pence.

A very worth-while two pence. My reading of the highlanders is that they did like fluff, but found little opportunity in their world to indulge in it. Certainly they dressed-up to honor certain people and events.

[Nick]

You know, speaking as someone who wears my kilt for comfort and for family heritage and as someone who has done a lot of study on this, the old highlanders kinda did like fluff. It was a status symbol to have more colourful tartan and shiny buttons etc.
Yes, they did like to be practical and were sensible people, but it doesn't mean they didn't like to dress up because lots of these new 'Traditional' parts of the outfit were invented.

Just my two pence.

I think the rich and the noble in general, regardless of time and place, have liked to show off through conspicuous consumption.

One story I heard about the evolution from great kilt to little kilt: Blacksmiths in Lochaber would strip off their greatkilts while working because of the heat, and a visiting dignitary (I've heard it as specifically Queen Victoria, or just a general "dignitary") was offended, so one of the men in charge made a kilt with only the lower half and sewed in the pleats.

Now, the historical accuracy of this is pretty suspect, of course. I like the story because it revolves around blacksmiths and, well, I am one. And I have unpinned the upper part of my greatkilt and let it hang behind me while smithing several times because yes, it does get really hot! So that part at least could be true. I suspect what really happened was much more subtle and complex.