Too Traditional?

[Jock Scot]

Tobus.

Blimey!! Where do I start! Okay then, here goes! First thing to remember that we are not talking black and white. We are talking many and various shades of grey and then some.We are not talking hard and fast "rules" but we are discussing the aplication of experiance. Now please everyone there are those who will wear this that and the other that varies from the norm, so please I beg you, don't flood the thread with pictures from the internet with historical "facts"and"exceptions" to prove a point. We all know that they exist in great numbers and do tend to muddy the waters and cause extra confusion. Let us learn to "walk" with the basics, before we start thinking about "running" with adding flair and adaptations that may or may not be appropriate.

Hats these days are rarely worn by anyone in Scotland. There are a few notable exceptions such as ghillies, game keepers, shooting men, fishing types and the country set. The "John Deere" style is gaining popularity with the younger "town brigade" and I note, drivers of John Deeres! So the balmoral is rarely let out to play and things like a Highland Games is where you will see some-------not that many. Most of those attending will be wearing jeans, T shirt, and water proof coat. Tweed will be seen if you look and kilts worn by non competitors will be few.

I have never heard of the no cromach without a jacket and bonnet "rule", but a convention might exist that I am unaware of. I use a cromach and have done for years, it is not an affectation and others will be perfectly at ease carrying a cromach wherever they may go, but as I have said common sense is required on when and where is appropriate. Now The Clan Chief and his entourage and games officials at a Highland Games are almost expected to wear and carry the whole caboodle, no one else is. So please yourself, which usually means a few will wear the kilt and tweed and possibly a cromach if they normally carry one. Other kilt wearers will probably wear a pullover with or without a tie. I doubt that the total number of spectating kilt wearers would number 20%.

Now we come to the tricky part! Most kilt wearing spectating Scots at a games or anywhere else during the day, will not be wearing a ginormous horse hair sporran, dirk, diced hose, patterned hose tops, white hose, semi-dress(ugh) sporrans, ghillie brougues, plaid or a bonnet.If they are, then they are likely, but not necessarily by any means,to be not "professional" kilt wearers, or are learning the ropes.However we do need to be careful, as I do know of some Scots kiltwearers of long standing that try out new ideas from time to time!

We need to be careful here, a fur sporran even a new one is regarded as more historical, though "correct", than traditional these days. So it is easy to overdo things quite innocently. An old beaten up fur sporran(not the military style horse hair things) is worn by some long standing kiltwearer ------or the chap who left his sporran at home and has borrowed one out of a trunk at a friends house for the event.

So what would I(others will have variations to this in Scotland, but I doubt that we will be far apart with our decisions) wear to a Highland Games, or some such? Well, it depends, if I am a guest of the Chief, or major sponsor. It depends on the weather, it depends on the midgies, it depends where I am going before the event and after the event, and it depends on my mood.But should I decide to go just as a kilted spectator, I would wear stout well polished brogues, plain coloured hose, plain flashes, plain sporran, tattersall shirt,with a tie probably, perhaps a pullover, perhaps tweed jacket, perhaps with waist coat, carry my cromach because I need it these days and depending on the weather a balmoral, or maybe a "fore n aft". If it rains a lot, then a "Barbour" of some sort.

Or I could, if I had them to hand, go in jeans, T shirt, no hat and trainers like most do!