[Posted this earlier today to wrong forum]

I have just finished reading Stuart Ruaidri Erskine's "The Kilt and How to Wear It." Very enjoyable, both for the historical information (the debates were as hot in 1901 as they are today) and for his delightful take on good taste. Some of his ideas seem to have taken hold in the twentieth century developments and some not.

He emphasizes a number of times that highland dress is a "free dress" and each wearer chooses their own style. At the same time, he gives advice as to what amounts to good taste.

I would like to know what folk think about a few of his ideas in our present context.

a) He seems not to like at all sharp knife edge pleats, preferring a more gentle, soft edge, more like a hand pleat than a pressed pleat. I have to say that all my kilts pleating, over time, has "softened." A few times I have wondered about re-pressing them to get back to the original very sharp pleats. Eerskine has made me look at them in a different light. My kilts now are very much kilts that have been worn, perhaps a little bit like jeans that have been worn and washed and somehow feel better. Bob Martin, in his annotations seems to agree with Erskine, "The kilt as made today, with knife-pleats, looks far more agreeable with what I call soft-press pleats. Even unpressed knife-pleats are quite attratctive." So, by wearing the kilts often it seems that they have developed the soft-press look on their own. I have a mind to keep them that way.

b) Erskine prefers "homespun" cloth for day wear and "smooth thin tartan" for evening wear. The homespun is preferred because it is cheaper, heavier and rougher. The homespun does not seem to have been in a clan or family tartan, but sounds more like a generic tweed. I am guessing that all our wool tartans now are what he calls the smooth variety. It raises an interesting question as to what the equivalent of homespun would be for us to meet his criteria . . . serviceable, not "fancy," colors in keeping with the countryside, economical. Would that be PV? or denim/canvas? Would a UK fit the spirit of his thinking? I have noticed that "kilt-n-stuff" have a homespun tartan which is a poly/wool mix.

Anyway, be glad of your thoughts and ideas. Great book if you have not read it. I got mine from Matt at the Scottish Tartans Museum.