Quote Originally Posted by Homer View Post
Do all official bagpipers and pipe bands wear kilts while piping at events?

As said, the bagads don't seem to wear kilts, ever.

Here in the USA, most highland games (all the ones I'm aware of) require that piping competitor and pipe bands wear "appropriate highland dress" which seems to mean kilt, hose, and hat. You'll notice, if you go to watch solo piping events, that pipers tend to dress up a bit. I think it's part of the culture -- that we want to show we're part of the group of pipers who take piping seriously, by dressing in a certain way. You'll notice a lot of black waistcoats and chrome cantle sporans, even if it's 90F in blazing sun. And those puffy hose.

The band I'm in nearly always wears our full uniform whenever we play in public, but one time we went to play a Relay for Life event and just wore shorts and T's.

On the dozen or so times I've been asked to play as a soloist (i.e., a paid gig) I've always asked if they want me to wear a kilt, and they always do.