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?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

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?

Actually, if you look just above the pipers left hand you will see his belt plate, and if you look really closely behind the hilt of his dirk you will see the frog suspending the dirk. I suspect that if the piper were to set his "instrument of war" aside for a moment we'd see that in this instance the dirk belt is fastened over his doublet and helps to locate the baldric supporting his sword.

As accurate as these watercolours are, they do not really depict what people wore, rather they show us how people were dressed to be painted for the Queen. A better guide might be the photograph of the Scottish Society of Edinburgh c. 1912, opposite page 32 in "THE KILT, A Manual of Scottish National Dress" by Loudon MacQueen Douglas, published in 1914. Of the three gentlemen wearing dirks only one can be clearly seen. Seated, and with his hands at his side, his dirk belt is clearly visible over his waistcoat.

Likewise, somewhere on this forum is a photograph of the Earl and Countess of Mansfield, c.1960, at the Caledonian Ball in London-- Mansfield is wearing a dirk and his belt is quite clearly seen over his waistcoat. I don't think that Mansfield presents a sloppy or unkempt appearance by the way he's dressed, but then your opinion may vary.

[JSFMACLJR]

Likewise, somewhere on this forum is a photograph of the Earl and Countess of Mansfield, c.1960, at the Caledonian Ball in London-- Mansfield is wearing a dirk and his belt is quite clearly seen over his waistcoat. I don't think that Mansfield presents a sloppy or unkempt appearance by the way he's dressed, but then your opinion may vary.

Here you go!