Ghillie brogues, yes or no?

[ThistleDown]

I actually voted yes, but feel that one should take very seriously the reservations posed by Hamish and McMurdo. Perhaps one should ask "What would a Scot living in Scotland do?", and one could take a cue from many pictorial examples on this forum and on the web. It appears that many Scots wear a dress shoe version of brogues with normal dress shoe laces, called "wing-tip brogues" here in the States. Scots in Scotland apparently wear these non-ghillie laced brogues even in quite formal circumstances. I have previously posted a photo of the installation ceremony of the Finlaggen Pursuivant, showing several grand worthies wearing non-ghillie laced brogues.

To help lighted the thread, some truths.

This photo, with the High Chief of Clan Donald at the centre, shows the current shoe fashion for day wear in Scotland. Although many do not prefer them, so-called Ghillie Brogues are accepted and frequently worn as evening wear (never during the day). One never sees what have been called "Mary Janes" and rarely sees buckled shoes in Scotland today -- and never buckled shoes during the day.

Ghillie brogues (wherever and however they originated) are worn in two fashions: with short laces tied as one would normally tie a pair of shoes, or with a triple-twist at the ankle and taken once around the leg to tie, at the front, part way up the calf. The pressure is taken at the ankle, does not cut off circulation and makes them quite comfortable. The ties are never wrapped repeatedly around the ankle and tied.

Neither day wear nor evening wear shoes are "uniform" -- just the fashion of today. Elsewhere in this thread two illustrations were posted, probably taken from an older book. The first shows some sort of quasi-military garb that would certainly be thought of as "costumey" in Scotland today. The second, an illustration of two chaps in evening dress, is obviously also from the past, but is close to accepted "fashion" today.

Somebody else noted the presence of plaids in the Finlaggen photo. This folded blanket style is in fashion today, but is almost exclusively worn by chiefs, chieftains and other "gentlemen" in a day setting. It is sometimes even seen with trews and jacket during the day.

[Tommy Hunt]

I've seen two types of Ghillie Brogues. The ones we see above and the ones which look like slippers with many more shoe-lace eyelets in them. What's the difference?

[Macman]

I've seen two types of Ghillie Brogues. The ones we see above and the ones which look like slippers with many more shoe-lace eyelets in them. What's the difference?

Tommy, I think the ones you're describing are for dancing.

[ThistleDown]

Tommy, I think the ones you're describing are for dancing.

That would be my guess, too, and maybe that's the source for the silly fashion of running the lacing for ghillie brogues around and around the ankle and cutting off all the blood supply to your toes!

[JerseyLawyer]

I think Ghillie Brogues are fine. I own two pair - black and brown. Though I'm a piper, and so for my formative kilt-wearing years, I didn't have a choice.

What I think looks silly is the Conan the Barbarian style of lacing where one wraps the laces all the way up the calf. It should just go around the ankle, as others have said in this thread. That also prevents the annoyance of the laces falling down.

[JRB]

...Somebody else noted the presence of plaids in the Finlaggen photo. This folded blanket style is in fashion today, but is almost exclusively worn by chiefs, chieftains and other "gentlemen" in a day setting...

That would explain why we call it a laird's plaid. I like the way it looks but it seems like it might be difficult to keep it on the shoulder.

[ThistleDown]

That would explain why we call it a laird's plaid. I like the way it looks but it seems like it might be difficult to keep it on the shoulder.

It's folded so that the bulk of the width is on the shoulder. Still, it is not for actively moving about in and is really just a fashion with limited historical basis.