Highlanders Discuss Highland Attire

[Jock Scot]

PART TWO (for the third time)

So there I was, surrounded by a hoard of youngsters(to me) with reinforcements arriving all the time, what was I to do? Think of England? Well no! I know thought I, think of Xmarks!

So your gallant scribe turned to the ladies! Ye gads I thought, those mini skirts could not get any shorter if they tried! Marvellous thought I! In fact I am not at all sure that they were appropriate for the occasion and the ladies wearing long dresses, or long skirts and a blouse looked more the part particularly with the weather we are having at the moment.Not a piece of tartan to be seen and as one group of girls pointed out that they see too much tartan about in Scotland to be bothered to wear any more. A fair point.

On to the men and I am glad to say that the same old mix of attire was on show. Some fitted, some too big, some too small, some old(very in some cases), some new, some hired, some borrowed. I rather fancy that there were a few of Jock's things being worn! No matter, all were turned out in the best fashion that they could muster and all in appropriate dress.I was also delighted to note, there was not a plaid in sight. They knew the form well enough that if they could not find the correct gear, then they would not go.

Interestingly those that had hired their attire had all chosen to dump the issued white hose and used their own coloured hose.

So where did the knowledge on "how to wear the kilt " come from. Well they all had Scots connections so if advice was needed it was readily available. One very smartly turned out gentleman openly admitted that his, very pretty, young lady had to help him with some advice on the finer points of kilt wearing.

One fascinating conversation with two "gay" men has given me considerable food for thought.The fact that they were there at all, is a sign that times are a changing. Anyway they were firmly of the opinion that the "gay" world has hi jacked the kilt and in consequence non "gays" were being put off wearing the kilt. I did mention that they were wearing the kilt and their logical reply was that they were highlanders well before they became "gay"! A fair point. I wonder if they are correct with their "hi jacking" theory? I think that perhaps they might be and they should know.

Anyway, on the whole kilt wearing in the highlands of Scotland has not changed much in my nearly seventy years on this planet, and I am delighted to say so.

[Redshank]

The question posed was “How they do it in Scotland” a very good question as it shows there is an interest in Scotland, and it’s attitude towards wearing the National dress, which to my mind makes a nice change.

Well I initially responded that my reply might not be what you are wanting to hear, a few feathers might get ruffled, the words that follow are taken from what I have seen and heard here in Argyll, Scotland, they are not necessarily my opinions rather the opinions of those that I have come into contact with in my business and social life and at my part time work as a Visitor Advisor with Visit Scotland Tourist Information, and during my time working for what is in my humble opinion the very best hand crafted hand sewn kilt makers in Scotland.

So where do I start, there are so many stories that will either make you swoon with pride or frown in disgust, so lets start with a few bad comments interspersed with good ones.

A Clan Chief, with whom I am friends and have been for many years once saw me wearing my Ardbeg Tweed kilt, day sporran, hose of a dark colour and tweed Argyll jacket and brown brogue shoes (not ghillie brogues) he looked me up and down inquisitively, my kilt was where it should be just touching the top of my knee, everything else was in good order, he asked the question “What tartan is that?” I of course answered proudly, “ aye, it’s a rare one, in fact it’s a tweed not a tartan, it’s the Old Ardbeg distillery tweed woven on Islay etc, etc etc,” the Clan Chief smiled wryly and said “there are only (and I forget the number quoted, but lets say 11 for example) there are only 11 tartans, those that belong to the highland clans, the rest.........” We exchanged further pleasantries before going about our business.

Now said Clan Chief may have been joking, pulling my leg, having a laugh at my expense, and knowing him as I do, and he is without doubt a decent man, a respected man and a good and welcoming Clan Chief he probably was, but underneath the teasing humour there lies a grain of truth, maybe deep down he does believe that the only real tartans belong to the Highland Clans, the remainder purely serve as decorative pieces of fabric, who knows.

An old man approached me one bitterly cold winters morning as I entered the shop at the local petrol station to pay, he asked what my tartan was “Taylor” I replied “A sept of Clan Cameron”, he replied “Aye it warms an old man’s heart to see the kilt being worn so well”

follow that with a comment from an old man in the town where I work, he said “Och your wearing the kilt son, your living in the past, those things should be dead and buried” and off he walked in his usual disgruntled manner,

to a young boy, probably 14 years of age, with his pack of mates, as they walked past me in the street he jokingly asked if I was going to do a dance in the street, referring to my wearing the kilt, to the amusement of his band of mates and to his shock I replied that he was wrong to make fun of his national dress, you silly little boy, but not in so many or as polite words, red faced and realising the error of his was he slopped of back to the coach on which he came.

An old woman getting off the tourist coach passed a highland piper in all his finery, saw me standing in the street and commented “Now that’s what I call a real Scotsman, not some dandied up peacock, she requested a photo with me I off course said yes and struck a pose.

Now they are just a few examples of attitude towards Kilt and Tartan, but the original question was “How do they do it in Scotland” and to all intense and purposes with a few exceptions I can answer in a most controversial and unsettling way - “Not very well at all” and that is my point of view, my opinion, my stance on the subject, if you take into consideration that I don’t, wont ever, have no intention of owning a PC or Ghillie Brogues that may just help to see where I am coming from, in my opinion there is nothing wrong with either of them, the hire companies make a fantastic living out of hiring them out and making out that they are the traditional garb of Scotland, I don’t subscribe to that attitude, they are no more than variations of stage costume along with the ghillie/jacobite call it what you will Shirt, made popular by the likes of The Corries, Andy Stewart et al. They have their place, but it’s not with me, I wear either a green Harris Tweed Argyll jacket , or a Charcoal barathea Argyll, and for evening wear, which I very rarely do, I have a short coatee that is very bespoke and unique, it’s stylish, yet understated, doesn’t shout bling at you, I like it, it was designed and made for me by a very dear departed friend, Also bear in mind that I am a common man, your everyday down to earth bloke, I don't get invited to Grand Highland Balls or any other Black or White tie occassions, I wear the kilt on a daily basis, had to fight for my right to wear it for work (yes, Visit Scotland middle management didn't want the kilt to be worn, so I went to the top man, but that's another story) I favour the 8 yard knife pleated hand stitched variety, I own 2 tweed kilts, 2 family tartans Faither and Mothers, 1 WW1 military tartan that is very rare, and 1 contemporary kilt (rarely if ever worn).

So why do I say “not very well” in response to the question, simply because not many Scots folk own their own kilts, let alone know their tartan, they wear them only for weddings and other special occasions and usually resort to hiring the kilt as an outfit, pc, white hose and ghillie brogues they know little about how it should be worn other than with false bravado and without underwear, I would generally put this label on the group aged early teens to late 20’s it’s seen as the done thing, full of bravado and swagger, not one thought for those that went before them or those that will follow, but of course there are a few exceptions, Paul being one I can think off.

Then we get those slightly older, who own there own kilt, pay heed to faithers words and tradition, wear it with pride and consummate ease, own a nice tweed jacket and a sporran or two, it’s this group that who frequent these forums, those with an active interest in the clothing they wear, it’s history, it’s traditions, those few wear the kilt with pride and ease, to my eyes, and they aren’t that well trained but I can spot a mile of a tourist or one who doesn’t wear the kilt that often, they have an unnatural stiffness about them, they carry the air of someone who is aware that they look and dress differently, this I can spot in the photo’s on the forum, if your wearing the kilt, forget about it, just relax don’t be stiff, don’t be self conscious, just enjoy it.

Next we get the group that respect the historical significance of the kilt, yet are prepared to accept and revel in the growth and change of the traditional into the contemporary, and our own Alex (Cessna) falls into this category in my opinion, he is comfortable wearing the non traditional, and pushing the boundaries of kilt wear, and good for him, I on the other hand just can’t seem to let go of the 8yard knife pleated hand stitched beauties that to me are a true kilt, and give me my due, I have tried, I do own a R Kilt Mk5 hemp, I have worn only a few times, it’s not for me I am afraid, and I am open to reasonable offers should JockScot want to try it for himself.

So how do we do it Scotland - Not that much differently to how you do it in Canada, USA, France, Germany, England or anywhere else for that matter, there are those who have an active interest in wearing the kilt in all parts of the world, it’s those people that wear it well and do it proudly, mixed in with those who do it for themselves, to hell with tradition and what others think, they rebel against conformity and wear it as an expression of themselves or what they believe they should be. We get those who only wear and own their Clan tartan, and those that see tartans in a different light and wear tartans they are connected with, have an interest in, or just plain like.

All in all we are all much the same, maybe we do it a bit more naturally, more at ease, and that’s understandable, after all Scotland is home to the kilt.

Just wear it naturally, wear it like you have worn nothing but the kilt, to my mind to much emphasis is put onto being historically accurate , anyone with a modicum of common sense can find a historical reference and hang on to it as the truth, no amount of in depth research will ever reveal the real truth, only a time machine to take one back to that time will reveal the real truth, the past is long gone and so shall it remain all but a distant memory that a few hold dear, the Victorian watercolours of Highland garb only reflect a small minority of what was fact, not everyone dressed to the same degree, they did as we do now, wear what they could get, or afford, there would not have been a recognised standard of dress by today’s standards in the working living population of Scotland only in the military would there be a recognisable standard, the upper classes, the Lords, Clan Chiefs would have dressed better being able to afford it more than the general populous and they would have gone to great lengths to be better more flamboyantly dressed than their neighbour, most of what I see today stems from Victoria’s reign and love of the Highlands and what the designers and weavers of the day could get away with.

Generally speaking, here in the Highlands of Scotland the considered home of the Kilt, it's got to be 8 yard hand sewn knife pleated, anything else, well as they say in England "That just isn't cricket old boy" So don't worry about so called historical precedents, just wear the kilt with pride, relax, dont be self concious, your really no different to the rest of us here in Scotland, be it a knife pleated, military box, Matt Newsome box pleated, Contemporary, R kilt, X Kilt or whatever kind of so called Kilt you like, use your common sense, wear it respectfully, wear it well, stop worring if too much Sgian Dubh shows to much or not enough, or if you have the wrong style of flashes, buy the very best you can afford, and if you cant afford it do it the old fashioned way SAVE UP, don't be pretencious, just get on with it, enjoy it, invest in it.

[Phil]

I think Jock's piece sums up kilt-wearing in Scotland pretty well in that it is something worn for special occasions - dances, weddings etc. - not an everyday form of dress. And I would be prepared to place a bet that those self-same young people, if they were transported back in time to the 1960's, would have been sporting dinner suits (tuxedos), at least the men would have. Highland dress was quite a rarity when I was growing up, as was dressing up at all in truth. Smart casual was the thing. Then a change came about from the 1980's onward when Scots people began to realise that they were very far from the centre of political power and that their opinions, hopes and aspirations were being ridden roughshod over. Suddenly it became important to assert a Scottish identity to counter this and this took the form of a re-emergence of kilt-wearing, waving the Saltire, singing "Flower of Scotland" and the rise of the SNP as a political force. Whether all of this will seem so important in years to come is debateable but all it needs to ramp it up another level is the election of another alien and unsympathetic government in London.
As to wearing the kilt in the Highlands, this has probably always been common amongst the more well-to-do who could afford the luxury of dressing up clothes whereas the general population would more likely be seen in working clothes, much as in the analogy about the crofter wearing overalls and a flat cap but if he was somewhere more dressy then he would take off the cap.