Freedom in Tradition

[CMcG]

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We are dealing with something we might term Dinna Ken wha' or as our friend Robert calls it Je ne Sais Quoi....

That is to say, there ARE obvious things one can change to make one's dress individual, but the better part is in subtlety and style. Sure, you can wear a red doublet or a tartan waistcoat where others wear black, but the style that distinguishes need not be obvious....

...And what is so hard to put one's finger on is good tailoring, careful fitting, distinctive fabrics and the patina of age and quality. Look for the man who looks better than everybody else, even if he is dressed "the same" as everybody else.

While I agree that the subtle nuances of good tailoring and confidence are always important, I'm thinking of freedom more in terms of exploring the limits of tradition. Rather than looking the same but doing it better, how much room is there to look different?

Can we try to explore some examples? As always, pictures are most welcome

Let's imagine one has something like a really unique, "loud," or interesting sporran. Would it be better to build an equally idiosyncratic outfit around it or play it more conservative to let the sporran shine?

What about perspective? Is it possible to build an outfit that at a distance would have a standard sort of appearance but up close would reveal a wealth of individualized details? Would it be enough to make one look the same as a rented outfit in a line up but deeply different standing face-to-face and comparing the rental vs. individualist?

How far can one go? Is there anyone who is recognized as being a maverick of Highland attire, while also remaining traditional?

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Similarly, many of us can't afford to buy brand new, even off the rack brand new. A virtue of the necessity of cobbling together is the style that emerges from the process of tinkering and modifying and altering. I'd like to think that comes from paying attention, instead of just paying a lot of money.

That remark resembles me!