Tradition and Change

[Nathan]

Why should you care about wearing the kilt in a traditional manner? Don't we have the freedom to dress as we like? Should we not express our individuality through our garments? Why should we let others tell us how to dress?

These are all good questions. Certainly, we do have the freedom to dress as we please and to do as we please but that doesn't get at the underlying question of what we should do or what we ought to care about.

Recently, a lot of high profile celebrities have had to apologize for wearing traditional Native North American eagle feather bonnets as a fashion statement or in a photo shoot. This is because many view certain garments as more than mere clothing. Does this thinking apply to the kilt?

The traditionally made kilt, along with its iconic accoutrements such as the sporran, various jackets and kilt hose, is an instantly recognizable symbol of the Highland Scot. Later, it came to be identified with all Scots and with many Regiments of Soldiers in the Commonwealth.

The ancient Highland Clansman was, like his enlisted counterpart, essentially a fighting man. The kilt was the garb of a warrior and wearing it provides a link back to a time when fighting for a chief was part of paying your rent.

In more recent times, the kilt is a symbol of continuity with those times. Tartan has evolved into a visual representation of community. Primarily, it is an expression of the bonds of kinship between fellows of a clan, but it is also representative of many other types of community.

Traditions evolve but when one generation passes the baton to the next, it is hoped that the new generation will protect the essence of what is worth preserving in the tradition. The gradual evolution of a tradition is inevitable but respect should be paid to the tradition bearers for whom this is not simply a garment to cover one's body but rather an expression of cultural identity and continuity. This continuity can be across the generations or across an ocean but the traditionally made tartan kilt can be a potent symbol of solidarity with one's fellows regardless of whether we be separated by distance or time.

A genetic connection to this culture is not essential to participate. When one enjoys the music or wears the clothing of the Highland Scot, one is standing in solidarity with that culture. One way to ensure that the solidarity is authentic is by following the lead of the Highland kilt wearers themselves and wearing traditionally made kilts in a traditional manner.

For information about what that can look like, check out this thread:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...52#post1264452