"Viking Style" Brouge lacing?

[Father Bill]

You won't be subjected to ridicule or derision, but your laces will likely creep down over an hour or so, possibly taking the socks with them and if so, you'll be annoyed with having to pull them up often and re-lace. That's why the advice comes as it does.

If you wear white socks, nobody will think much of it, but you won't look quite like a seasoned kilty to the very few in the room who actually know, and you'll not likely be the only one. A lot of us just don't like the appearance as it reminds us of other choices that aren't always in the best of taste.

Yes there are a lot of personal opinions here, but if you follow the general trend of opinion, taking note of those who seem better informed, you'll likely come up with a reasonable consensus.

I am always leary of those who say "It's your stuff; wear it however you choose." While what they say is technically correct, it's also far, far from helpful. Some cultures represented here have that as their mantra and proclaim it without thought. With care, you'll pick them out, and make your own decisions.

Having said all that, many of our best-dressed kilties will sometimes veer ever slightly off course as a matter of personal preference. I plead guilty to that, for one. My particular vice is sporrans, and like a woman who likes flashy purses, I sometimes over-egg the cake.

The other thing to be aware of is trying to fit into the milieu. If every other kilt-wearer in the room is making the same mistake and you fail to do so, you'll look like the odd man out, so if everyone in the group is going to wear a Prince Charlie when they really should be wearing tweed for the nature of the event, you might choose to wear a PC for the sake of fitting in.
Ultimately too, you and they will wear what you have, not what you don't own.

Best advice I can give though, is that for many events you're better to under-dress just a tad rather than over-dress a lot.

Of course, that's all just my opinion, but I think I've earned the right to both have one, and to be considered more knowledgeable and traditional than many newer or less-experienced kilties.

Hope that helps a little to ease the pain.

[Tobus]

Having said all that, many of our best-dressed kilties will sometimes veer ever slightly off course as a matter of personal preference.

Oh yes, absolutely. Knowing the traditions and then occasionally breaking them on purpose can be a personal style decision. Everyone is allowed a wee bit of individualism or (gasp!) eccentricity, even in traditional circles. But knowing that you're doing it, choosing an appropriate context in which to do it, and doing it in a unique personal manner, is wholly different than following the trends of an entire group (like some hire outfitters and poorly-educated reenactors) who somehow manage to turn the entire outfit into a lampoon. It's fairly easy to identify those who are making a personal style statement versus those who just don't understand how to wear their clothes properly.

I, for one, don't care to dressed exactly the same as everyone else around me so that we all look like we're wearing a uniform. That's the danger (if one could call it that) of adhering too strictly to a narrow tradition. Some do find comfort in uniformity, though, and there's nothing wrong with that. The key is first to know where the boundaries lie between tradition, personal touches, and lampoonery. They are not clear boundaries, and it can be very confusing to a new kilt-wearer, so it's often best to adopt the traditional approach first and expand from there rather than starting off way outside the boundaries. I'll be the first to admit that I have veered off course on occasion, sometimes intentionally and sometimes out of ignorace.

As has been said, it would be pretty rare to encounter outright ridicule and derision when kilt attire is worn improperly (although it does happen in the wild). But if we're being honest, there is a lot of silent or discreet judgment. That may or may not matter to each person, but it's there.