mourning dress

[KenB]

There has been some very good advice and discussion re: morning dress. However is there an appropriate "mourning dress" for attending a funeral or wake? There is White Tie, Black Tie, Formal and Semi-Formal and casual. Is there a dressing etiquette for "mourning dress".?

[Cygnus]

I imagine it's the same as "normal" dress code for such situations. Dark and subdued colours are preferred.

A dark Argyll jacket with a black tie, simple semi-dress sporran, with matching (but dark) kilt hose would probably do the trick quite nicely.

I probably wouldn't wear a kilt to a funeral (in the States) unless the deceased's family requested it, though. It is, after all, not a service to honour you and I wouldn't want people to feel I was trying to steal the attention in such sombre circumstances.

[Jock Scot]

There has been some very good advice and discussion re: morning dress. However is there an appropriate "mourning dress" for attending a funeral or wake? There is White Tie, Black Tie, Formal and Semi-Formal and casual. Is there a dressing etiquette for "mourning dress".?

I assume you are talking in kilt terms?

In the highlands if we are to wear the kilt, probably the only one we have, polished black brogues, sombre hue hose(not black,or white), usually flashes of some sort, day sporran(NOT one of those dreadful semi dress things) white shirt, four in hand black tie, tweed argyle(of almost any colour) and waistcoat if required.

If the weather is bad, it is often bad in Scotland, an Inverness cape is handy as is traditional head wear(NOT a flat cap). Providing the wind is not too bad an umbrella is a good idea too.

[Cygnus]

...(NOT one of those dreadful semi dress things) ...

I stand corrected!

[davidlpope]

Here's a link to photos from the funeral of the late chief of the MacLeods, John MacLeod of MacLeod, showing what Jock has described:

http://www.clanmacleodusa.org/PhotoChiefJohnFuneral.htm


His son, Hugh, pictured, is now MacLeod of MacLeod.

David

[Riverkilt]

Have worn kilts to funerals and never noticed it taking any attention from the deceased. Didn't know one friend had Scottish blood and the family made a big point of thanking me and honoring her for wearing the tartan to her services. Ya just never know.

[Jock Scot]

Here's a link to photos from the funeral of the late chief of the MacLeods, John MacLeod of MacLeod, showing what Jock has described:

http://www.clanmacleodusa.org/PhotoChiefJohnFuneral.htm


His son, Hugh, pictured, is now MacLeod of MacLeod.

David

This is absolutely no criticism of any one, just an interesting observation. There is, in one of the pictures, a pallbearer dressed in a black silver buttoned argyll------he was an American. Now, anyone who takes the trouble to attend a funeral, from wherever in the world, deserves the utmost respect and what they are wearing is actually unimportant, the fact that they are there, is important for their own very good reasons, as well as supporting the grieving family.

[rtc872]

and one of the pallbearers is wearing an evening sporran... it doesn't look so bad.

[The Celtic Gypsy]

Ok, this will probably show how uninformed I am, but here goes anyway. I have found at various tartan sites, mourning tartans for various clans (usually the larger ones that have, it seems, tartans for just about everything). These mourning tartans are usually black and white variations on the clan tartan, sometimes with grey in it too. Would this be appropriate to wear?

[ThistleDown]

Ok, this will probably show how uninformed I am, but here goes anyway. I have found at various tartan sites, mourning tartans for various clans (usually the larger ones that have, it seems, tartans for just about everything). These mourning tartans are usually black and white variations on the clan tartan, sometimes with grey in it too. Would this be appropriate to wear?

CG would you mind telling us to which clans you are referring? I know of a couple of black and white variations known as "Dress" tartans, but not any officially recognised as "mouring" or "funeral".