Military Origin of ‘True Scotsman’ Tradition

[Micrographia]

My recollection is that he said the mirror was at the door (out onto the parade ground?). He definitely thought it was to check that nothing was being worn. However, he might have been mistaken since it doesn’t seem to have been in use; it might have been the opposite.

Again a post WW2 anecdote but my dad was an NCO who served in Highland regiments in the late 50's/60's. He talked about a highly polished piece of steel set into the ground in doorways to check whether underwear was being worn as soldiers passed through, which would make more sense than a mirror given the footwear worn back then. As always with old soldiers though, it's difficult to know if they are pulling your leg . Might be worth looking out for such a thing if you're wandering around an old barracks.

EEM

[Troglodyte]

The thing is, though, if as kilt-wearers we are not bound by military regulations, does it really matter if the kilt is worn 'regimental' style or therwise?

On the point of hygiene, wearing something appropriate under the kilt seems sensible, as underwear will be laundered regularly and frequently but not so the kilt.

Also, there is a point to be made in the interests of modesty and thought for others. Not everyone likes to be subjected to what others seem determined to show off, and pride in the display usually far excededs the merits of what is displayed.

But each to his own...

[Regimental]

Again a post WW2 anecdote but my dad was an NCO who served in Highland regiments in the late 50's/60's. He talked about a highly polished piece of steel set into the ground in doorways to check whether underwear was being worn as soldiers passed through, which would make more sense than a mirror given the footwear worn back then. As always with old soldiers though, it's difficult to know if they are pulling your leg . Might be worth looking out for such a thing if you're wandering around an old barracks.

Yes, the thing that always make me doubt tales like this is that it feels like the sort of thing notable enough that somebody would have taken a picture of at some point, or written about it at the time, or where an example would have survived to the present day. I do have some suspicions there may be a bit of collective leg-pulling (or at least exaggeration) going on amongst some old soldiers! (Not that that necessarily means the tradition itself didn’t exist, of course – post war there seems plenty of evidence for that).