Originally Posted by
CMcG
I agree that this discussion is more germane to the Historical Highland Attire section rather than Traditional Highland Dress section. These watercolours are very interesting and handsome to look at but I take them with a grain of salt as far as how much I can glean about wearing the kilt today. This is particularly true of the more elaborate dress in some of them.
It's not my place to say whether these gentlemen were just wearing the very best of their best, if there was intentional romanticization by the artist, or if what we see was a specific Royal request by the commissioning monarch. I'm guessing some combination of the three in varying amounts, based on the meaning of the verb to pose. These Highlanders were certainly posing for the portraits and for the Queen!
I'll be away until later, but I have a magazine article from 2003 that might help shed a wee bit more light on the background of these paintings that I will type up & post then 
[SIZE="2"][FONT="Georgia"][COLOR="DarkGreen"][B][I]T. E. ("TERRY") HOLMES[/I][/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"][FONT="Georgia"][COLOR="DarkGreen"][B][I]proud descendant of the McReynolds/MacRanalds of Ulster & Keppoch, Somerled & Robert the Bruce.[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]"Ah, here comes the Bold Highlander. No @rse in his breeks but too proud to tug his forelock..." Rob Roy (1995)[/I][/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]
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