Highlanders Discuss Highland Attire

[Redshank]

Jock,
We have come around again to the part where my understanding breaks down. The kilt comes from a rural tradition. It co-existed with pants then as it does now. Why is it such an inferior choice for outdoor activities now, unless it always was and the reasons for wearing it have more to do with identity than functionality?
Joe

Without doubt in the dark and distant past home spun and woven cloth dyed with what ever was available in the surrounding area (ground up sea shells, heather, lichens, etc etc) would have been the only clothing that the highlanders could have afforded or even obtained to wear on a daily basis, and the kilt would have been the easiest garment to produce from this home spun cloth, forget the modern notion of razor sharp pleats boxed or knife, it just didn't happen except in romantic artist impressions (and just to clarify I am talking pre Victorian, pre Culloden era's).
Forget the image of a kilted highlander struggling against the wind and horizontal rain, they would have sort shelter at the first drop of heavy rain, this in no way diminishes the hardy highlander image, it's just the way it had to be, if your cloaked in yards of woolen cloth, when it gets wet it trebles it weight, wet wool doesn't dry very quickly in conditions like this and with the wind chill factor thrown in, hypothermia would very soon set in.

However rural tradition moves on and tries to keep up with the modern world,
with the onset of the industrial age, all sorts of attempts where made to introduce totally waterproof clothing, for example coating the fabric in rubber, then abardine was introduced in the early 1900's and outdoor clothing hasn't looked back since, today synthetic man made fibres have capabilties only ever dreamed off in those dark days way back when, clothing the breathes, wicks the moisture away from a sweaty body and prevents moisture from entering from the outside, lightweight, quick drying, perfect for the purpose, todays Ghillie's and Stalkers will be clothed in the finest apparel that modern technology has produced, the huge expense easily offset by durabilty, comfort and practicality.

Today we have a choice, back then they didn't, identity and functionality had very little to do with it.