My New Brogues for Highland Evening Wear

[creagdhubh]

For what it's worth, it has been my experience, and that of other gentlemen on this forum, that when one wears a dirk with formal Highland attire the dirk belt is worn over, not under, the waistcoat. This allows one to easily remove the dirk without having to fiddle with their waistcoat, etc.

If you are wearing pumps with your evening attire, you may wish to have your local cobbler fit a bit of moleskin at the inside of the heel to keep the shoes from slipping off your feet when dancing. It is precisely because pumps tend to slip at the heel that the top strap was added to dress Highland shoes in the first place.

Do post pictures when you get a chance.

Thanks for the advice regarding the pumps! I was wondering how badly they might slip whilst wearing hose! I have seen many images of Highlanders wearing a dirk, yet no belt can be seen, yet obviously there bust be a belt present in order to affix the dirk to the waist. The obvious conclusion is that it is worn underneath the waistcoat, then the dirk is positioned in front of the doublet giving the effect that it is "just there" almost held in suspension. I like this kind of look better than having the belt worn over the waistcoat. The latter looks a wee bit sloppy and unkept to me, though I realize that it has been done frequently through the centuries. Is this a correct interpretation of the Macleay portrait below?