Why aren't tartan trews as popular as kilts when it comes to highland dress?

[eagle43172]

Dave,

I firmly (but respectfully) disagree. Trews can also be a visible sign of Scottish heritage, especially if said trousers are made in the wearer's clan/family tartan. Also, for many an ex-squaddie of a Lowland regiment like the Cameronians or the K.O.S.B., trews in the regimental tartan are a memorial of sorts to regiments that have been lost to history. I don't think its fair to simply dismiss them as simply "wildly colored pants".

And as far as wool trousers go in the summer, I reenacted for 10 years, and I daresay my wool trousers were far more comfortable when I was giving living history programs than jeans would have been.

T.

No disrespect taken.
I'm not against trews, in fact if I could find a pair of Cameron Highlander trews in my size I'd snatch them up in a heartbeat and wear them proudly. My point is still that as far as popularity goes, more of us see kilts as Scottish go to dress and more of a departure from normal. Also, trews seem lend themselves better to more formal occasions (I can't see wearing trews in anything but more formal dress, in my mind they'd just look wrong with sandals and a tee shirt or tank top.)

BTW, I too reenacted in the past (Hampton's South Carolina Legion) and agree "woolies" would be more comfortable than jeans. (But then I wore cotton drawers that kept the wool off my legs.)

[macwilkin]

Fair enough then. I've started wearing trews/trousers to Scottish events just to stand out frae all of the "kilty-kilty-cauld-bums".

T.

[creagdhubh]

I love my Macpherson tartan (fish tail style with braces) trews!!!

Cheers,

[neloon]

"It is commonly held that Sir Walter Scott popularised these 'Border drabs' by wearing a pair of checked trews in London, making the wearing of checks a fashion 'craze' in society circles and encouraging the development of the famous Border woollen mills, several of which remain. "

http://www.northumberlandtartan.co.uk/history.asp

Thanks for that ref., Glen. I always find phrases like "commonly held" a little worrying.
Scott would have felt that the kilt was (in those days) inappropriate for himself as a Borderer. So why did poor old and very large George IV end up having to wear the kilt (and pink tights!) on his Edinburgh visit arranged by Scott and David Stuart?

[Sir William]

In 2009 I attended the Elliot Clan gathering in The Borders. I noted that the majority of the Scots wore trews, while those of us from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were kilted.

I sometimes give some thought to getting a pair of trews, but I really can't justify the cost considering how many times I might actually wear them.

[Glen]

So why did poor old and very large George IV end up having to wear the kilt (and pink tights!) on his Edinburgh visit arranged by Scott and David Stuart?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"George had been persuaded by Scott that he was not only a Stuart prince, but also a Jacobite Highlander, and could rightly and properly swathe himself in "the garb of old Gaul [sic]", so in July 1822 the King placed his order with George Hunter & Co., outfitters of Tokenhouse Yard, London and Princes Street, Edinburgh, for £1,354 18s (a sum equivalent to £110,000 today[1]) worth of highland outfit in bright red Royal Tartan, later known as Royal Stuart, complete with gold chains and assorted weaponry including dirk, sword and pistols."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visit_o...IV_to_Scotland

[masonpiper]

I have a pair of tartan pants in Black Stewart, I found them at my local thirft store and paid 10$ for wool trews, I wear them sometimes, most recently at a masquerade ball. Most important part...they itch.. Inow have 8 tartan kilts..no itching, but these do.

[neloon]

Glen,
And the nonsense has gone on ever since...

[Glen]

Glen,
And the nonsense has gone on ever since...

The Scottish are like that!!!

[neloon]

The Scottish are like that!!!

I know. The Scots even invented the kilt - how nonsensical is that? We even put the foldy bits at the back when obviously it would have been so much more sensible to have them at the front. No more squashed pleats through sitting on them and plenty of material for between-the-knees modesty. Not too late for a redesign.