A gent's highland wedding outfit

[MacRobert's Reply]

I was using the Web to explore old Scottish wedding traditions when I came across the electricscotland.com website. There is a lot of good stuff here but the section on Traditional Scottish Wedding included the following:

A gent's highland wedding outfit in its entirety consists of the following -

Bonnie Prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat, kilt, tartan flashes to match kilt, white hose, gillie brogues, kilt pin, sgian dubh, black belt with buckle, formal sporran with chain strap, wing collar shirt, black or coloured bow tie, and a piece of lucky heather on the lapel. He also has the option of wearing a fly plaid, which is anchored under the paulette on the shoulder of the jacket and secured by a large plaid brooch, (Cairngorm).

I emailed the webmaster to point out that this was not the most accurate, complete or useful description and he responded immediately by adding the following:

For a morning or day wedding, tweed Argyle jackets and day sporrans are appropriate. For a morning wedding, Scottish morning dress would also be appropriate - ie black Argyle jacket.

Encouraged, I then (foolishly) volunteered to provide some text that would be more complete and helpful. Help!! I have drafted the following but it would be much improved by the application of X Markers' combined wisdom. How can I make this clearer or more helpful without making is much longer. Are there any really important things I have missed or unimportant things I should leave out?

A gent's highland wedding outfit consists of the following -
For a day-time wedding: kilt (usually made from eight yards of tartan wool) with kilt pin, tweed Argyll (or similar Crail or Braemar) jacket with antler buttons and matching five-button waistcoat or kilt belt in brown or black leather (but don’t wear a belt with a waistcoat), brown or black leather sporran and brogues, kilt hose to pick up one of the colours in the kilt or jacket (avoid hire-shop white hose unless you are a piper!) and garter flashes to pick up another of the colours, turn-down collar shirt (usually white) and tie (usually silver).

For a morning wedding with a more formal look (where Anglo-Saxons would wear morning dress): kilt with kilt pin, black Argyll jacket with silver buttons and matching five-button waistcoat or black leather kilt belt with silver buckle plate (but, again, don’t wear a belt and a waistcoat together), black brogues, sporran with fur front or silver cantle, kilt hose to pick up one of the colours in the kilt or jacket (again, avoid hire-shop white hose unless you are a piper!) and garter flashes to pick up another of the colours, white wing-collar or turn-down collar shirt and tie or cravat (usually silver or cream).

For a late afternoon or evening wedding or when the celebrations will go on into the evening (where Anglo-Saxons would wear a dinner suite or tuxedo): kilt with kilt pin, Prince Charlie jacket (usually black) with silver buttons and matching three button waistcoat (or one of the highland doublets such as the Regulation, Kenmore, Sheriffmuir or Montrose – the last three generally worn with a lace jabot or highland cravat) , full dress sporran with fur front and silver cantle, kilt hose to pick up one of the colours in the kilt or jacket, or tartan or diced hose that match the kilt and garter flashes to pick up one of the colours, white wing-collar or turn-down collar shirt and black bow tie.

Although rarely worn in Scotland any more, formal evening dress could include a fly plaid, which passes under the epaulette on the left shoulder and is secured to the jacket or doublet by a large plaid brooch. Dirks are rarely worn and are inappropriate for a church wedding (where weapons should not be carried). However, a sgian dubh (or a safety one without a blade) is often worn in the top of the hose (more a utility knife than a real weapon but make sure it is legal in the country or state where you will be married!). A couple of things to avoid are kilts that are too low and hose that are too high. If they meet, you’ve got it wrong! The top of the kilt should be at or slightly above your belly button and the bottom at or slightly above the middle of your knees. Hose should be a couple of inches below where your knee bends. Apart from laws about carrying of knives, there are no rules about Scottish highland dress but there are traditions and conventions. These should not dictate what you wear or prevent you from being creative and a wee bit different but knowing the form should help you look your best on your wedding day.

Thanks in anticipation ...

[Paul]

Perfect!

[Jock Scot]

Two quick observations, before I go to bed.

1.Morning coats are not just worn in the morning.Do we have evening weddings in the UK? I have never been to an evening one in the UK and I have been to an awful lot of weddings in my time. Anyway my point is, that morning attire is worn at a late afternoon wedding(UK), so appropriate formal kilt DAY attire will be worn in the afternoon and on into the evening if required to.

2. I am very unhappy at the stressing of things matching. I don't know how many times it has to be said before it sinks in, but in Scotland in general and the Highlands in particular there really is little or no thought about anything matching.

Great idea to give some guidance to the unwary and I hope that you can come up with accurate advice-------it is needed. Just a thought, is this advice for the UK or the world at large?There could be subtle differences, such as evening weddings etc..

[Tobus]

The top of the kilt should be at or slightly above your belly button and the bottom at or slightly above the middle of your knees.

Wouldn't this be more correct if it said the bottom of the kilt should be at the top of the knee, and no lower than the middle of the knee?

[MacRobert's Reply]

Thanks Paul.

And thanks Jock - a bit early to bed but if you're still awake - I take your point on morning dress. Not so sure which aspects of matching you are concerned about. Would, hose and garter flashes that compliment the colours in the kilt or jacket, be a better way of expressing the idea? Or have I implied that something else should match? I guess the World-wide Webb by default means advice to the world - the webmaster is in Canada.

Thanks Tobus, I'll reflect on that.

[Jock Scot]

Thanks Paul.

And thanks Jock - a bit early to bed but if you're still awake - I take your point on morning dress. Not so sure which aspects of matching you are concerned about. Would, hose and garter flashes that compliment the colours in the kilt or jacket, be a better way of expressing the idea? Or have I implied that something else should match? I guess the World-wide Webb by default means advice to the world - the webmaster is in Canada.

Thanks Tobus, I'll reflect on that.

The trouble with being the age I am is that the "old boy" needs his shuteye!I think to make your suggestions as helpful as you can to ALL concerned you will have to point out the subtle, but important differences between nations. "Dress" shirts, for example, have a very different meaning in the UK than in the US.

I am very uneasy about even suggesting that flashes, hose, tie, kilt, jacket, should compliment each other at all.

[Pleater]

I think that the rules for weddings in the UK - certainly in England, still follow the rules of the Church of England, that a marriage could not be solomnised at a time when the church would not be open for worship.

Many churches here have two sets of doors, or a screen and side doors, so that the outer ones can be left open - another requirement for weddings - without the congregation suffering too much in the colder months.

I believe these were measures to prevent clandestine or forced marriages.

The modern wedding with an evening disco and the happy couple in attendance is a sign of the times.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Schiehallion]

At a wedding I would suggest to compliment any bride who takes time and care in choosing her dress and those of bridesmaids and the care mothers' take, along with all the other guests, that to compliment the colours of ones kilt with flashes hose etc, is more that appropriate but very much order of the day.

[Jock Scot]

At a wedding I would suggest to compliment any bride who takes time and care in choosing her dress and those of bridesmaids and the care mothers' take, along with all the other guests, that to compliment the colours of ones kilt with flashes hose etc, is more that appropriate but very much order of the day.

Absolutely no way! I wear my tartan and that is the only tartan that I will ever wear and many up here in the highlands think that way. No way, ever, will the kilt and attire be changed to fit in with the bride's colour scheme.Some things are not negotiable and changing one's tartan,or attire, is one of those. Any bride that thinks otherwise better go and find another future husband!

[Schiehallion]

My suggestion was that if the bride makes so much effort ... then the groom should also . Not to change his tartan but to compliment hose and flashes with his kilt and to make his appearance one of co-ordination and not a dogs dinner.
It is called style!