Just a whiney complaint...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I get this comment a lot, and yes, good quality Highland clothing does cost money. There have been threads on this before about why this is so, and the cost is justified when one really understands what all goes into producing quality kilts, sporrans, hose, etc.

But I would like to deal with an underlying assumption that I see being brought out here, and that is that we are trying to dress like Highlanders from 400 years ago. We are not.

If I may be excused for stating the obvious, most of us are not historical reenactors or living historians. Clothing was different 400 years ago, and that includes Highland clothing. When we put on the kilt, we put on a modern garment, not an historical costume.

And why must we insist on comparing ourselves to the poor Highlander? Yes, the poor Highlander couldn't have afforded most of our Highland kit today, even a lot of the less expensive items. But he also probably only had one, maybe two, sets of clothing. And, I might add, he likely made a lot of what he had, including sporran, shoes, etc.

But who says we are trying to imitate the poorest of our anscestors anyway? There were Highlanders pf different classes, then as now, who could afford more or less finery in their dress.

I think it is a wonderful thing to look at the past to see how the kilt was worn and to draw inspiration from that. But I'm not trying to imitate or replicate anyone when I wear the kilt. I'm dressing as me in the kilt. And I want to dress as nicely and I can afford to with my economic means in 2009.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I get this comment a lot, and yes, good quality Highland clothing does cost money. There have been threads on this before about why this is so, and the cost is justified when one really understands what all goes into producing quality kilts, sporrans, hose, etc.

But I would like to deal with an underlying assumption that I see being brought out here, and that is that we are trying to dress like Highlanders from 400 years ago. We are not.

If I may be excused for stating the obvious, most of us are not historical reenactors or living historians. Clothing was different 400 years ago, and that includes Highland clothing. When we put on the kilt, we put on a modern garment, not an historical costume.

And why must we insist on comparing ourselves to the poor Highlander? Yes, the poor Highlander couldn't have afforded most of our Highland kit today, even a lot of the less expensive items. But he also probably only had one, maybe two, sets of clothing. And, I might add, he likely made a lot of what he had, including sporran, shoes, etc.

But who says we are trying to imitate the poorest of our anscestors anyway? There were Highlanders pf different classes, then as now, who could afford more or less finery in their dress.

I think it is a wonderful thing to look at the past to see how the kilt was worn and to draw inspiration from that. But I'm not trying to imitate or replicate anyone when I wear the kilt. I'm dressing as me in the kilt. And I want to dress as nicely and I can afford to with my economic means in 2009.

Absolutely spot on.