The "traditional civilian Highland Dress" that's come down to us, which only dates to the beginning of the 20th century, things are very systematised and codified:
Evening Dress means silver metal and black leather.
Day Dress means horn buttons, brown leather sporrans (if the cantle is metal, it's brass) and black shoes.
People back in the 1920s and 1930s were fond of using words like "correct" and "proper".
Before then, in the Victorian period, people didn't hesitate mixing various styles and metals and leathers and fabrics. (Were the Edwardians more systematic than the Victorians? One wonders.)
Nowadays a bit of that Victorian freedom and chaos is returning.
So I wouldn't worry about mixing metals or leathers or fabrics- but be aware that "the tradition" lives on in the minds of many Highland Dress wearers, who might notice things "the tradition" deems incorrect.
Showing up with gold buttons and other gold accessories with Evening Dress will certainly look showy, perhaps something Gordon Walker would do, and get away with nicely.
BTW military Highland Dress has always freely mixed silver and gold tones:
Silver:
collar badges
waistbelt and crossbelt hardware, lower crossbelt badge
plaid brooch
bagpipe mounts
Gold:
doublet buttons, lace, and badges
dirk
sporran cantle
bagcover fringe
MIx of silver & gold:
upper crossbelt badge
Last edited by OC Richard; 23rd January 20 at 06:10 AM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
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