The Royal Mile

[Lyle1]

I have no problem with kilts being worn with grubby socks and rugby jerseys.... I just wonder why all those fellows are also wearing their nice dress Prince Charlie sporrans at the same time! :-)

Seriously, that's what bothered me the most in a lot of those photos -- the mish-mash of casual and formal wear that makes it appear that the wearers really don't know all that much about kilt wearing.

1. Maybe they are wearing the only sporran to which they have access.

2. Maybe they don't feel that they need to know what you think they should know about wearing the kilt. Or, judging by their apparent ages, maybe they are purposely mismatching items of clothing in the way that seems to be a popular fashion with young people. I agree that the effect can be jarring to the senses, but as long as they don't ask me to wear it, I don't think it is a big deal.

[Downunder Kilt]

Cheers mate, thanks for addressing the issue. Also, don't lecture me (not trying to be snippy or negative when I say it in that manner) about service men, I served as a U.S. Marine from 1999-2007 and saw combat on three separate tours. My great-grandfather was an Argyll during WWI, so I am well aware that many, many, many jocks paid the ultimate sacrifice whilst wearing their kilts and 'grubby' hose-grubby because they were constantly in the filth and mud, not on a pristine Edinburgh street. No disrespect here, not trying to exacerbate the issue, just responding.

Kyle you obviously have a passion about how the kilt should be worn and as I said in my piece, I admire your style. My point was about your sweeping statements that you posted, There were no exceptions or allowances made. As for the lecture about servicemen, I cannot see in any of my statements words that would cause you to think it was a lecture, but if you took it that way, my apologies.

As I have said I try to dress in a traditional manner myself, but at times I have worn pushed down hose, boots that are dirty and, god forbid, a flat cap.
I try to purchase quality items of outfit as finances allow, but I am sure my family will treasure and be proud to accept any of the kilts I have no matter what outfit I have worn them with. I wear all my kilts with the upmost respect and pride.

Perhaps one day we maybe able to share a dram and dicuss this

[Jordan]

I have no problem with kilts being worn with grubby socks and rugby jerseys.... I just wonder why all those fellows are also wearing their nice dress Prince Charlie sporrans at the same time! :-)

Seriously, that's what bothered me the most in a lot of those photos -- the mish-mash of casual and formal wear that makes it appear that the wearers really don't know all that much about kilt wearing.

Respecting the traditions of Highland dress does not mean always dressing formally, or even always dressing nicely! But it does mean a certain care is taken to wear with kilt within the broader context of fashion and tradition that it has developed in, and not wearing it as a costume.

Wearing a formal sporran with your rugby jersey and scrunched down hose, to my eye, makes the whole thing look like a costume. "This is my kilt outfit" it seems to say. It matters not that the elements of the outfit really don't all go together.

If the chrome-cantled fur sporrans were simply replaced with plain leather day sporrans in most of those photos, they'd be ok. (I'm not even touching on the subject of Neo-Jacobite shirts, or rainbow kilts in this post, mind you!)

Matt, I think the problem you described is because most people here who own their kilts have bought them for a wedding or something, got the full rig with only a dress sporran which they wear with the kilt and a football/ rugby top because its the only one they have. We see it here when scotland play. Infact I could almost definatly say they're not thinking about weather its apropriate daywear or not.

Jordan

[OC Richard]

To me both of these look good. They appear to be "real" kilts, worn properly, with proper sporrans.

The comfortable jumpers and hiking boots don't look all that out of place to me, but rather practical.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Matt, I think the problem you described is because most people here who own their kilts have bought them for a wedding or something, got the full rig with only a dress sporran which they wear with the kilt and a football/ rugby top because its the only one they have. We see it here when scotland play. Infact I could almost definatly say they're not thinking about weather its apropriate daywear or not.

Jordan

That's exactly correct, Jordan. You've expanded well upon my point. I can imagine a lot of these men doing just what you have described -- they purchase their kilt for a wedding or some other like occasion and have never really bothered to investigate further the traditions and customs of Highland Dress. So when they want to "kilt up" for a football match they throw on their kilt, fancy dress sporran, but replace their Prince Charlie coatee for a team jersey and they are off!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

For Ted's benefit.



Here we have two men wearing Royal Stewart kilts, strolling down the street. Their backs are to us. One is holding a shopping bag. They are both wearing leather jackets. One has white hose, one has black hose. Aside from the white hose, I don't think there is much to critique about the outfits, but the chap with the white hose has paired them with red slip on shoes, which definitely make a statement!



Here we have kilted bar staff. They are wearing Rugby shirts which I assume have the name of the bar on them, so most likely uniform. They are all wearing the same tartan kilt, so again, most likely the pub uniform. The only issue is the kilts are way too long, coming down well below the knee.



Here we have a man in a kilt on the Royal Mile during a festival. He's dressed very casually, with an untucked t-shirt and no hose (or possibly scrunched down hose, there is someone blocking his feet in the photo so we can't tell). However, in contrast to this ultra-casual look, he's wearing a black fur formal sporran with a chrome cantle. It's the sporran that really looks out of place.



This photo is from a party at the Royal Museum. It's a bit of an eye-popper! The two fellows are both wearing kilts in the "rainbow tartan" which I think is one of the most unattractive designs ever made into a kilt (and I usually hold my tongue on such matters!). The sett size is tiny, the colors are extremely bright yellow, red, blue, orange, etc. It's basically just an assymetrical lining up of color after color, and reminds me of the brightly colored fabric one often sees in the craft stores sold around Halloween to make clown costumes. (Ok, Matt, tell us what you really think....) Sorry to rant, but I've always thought that particular design was just really hard on the eyes.

So anyway, both men are in this tartan. The one on the left is wearing scrunched down hose, a cream colored Jacobite shirt with hugely exaggerated oversized cuffs extending for what looks to be a good 10" or 12" beyond his hands, and some kind of a square cut long black jacket that extends down to within a couple of inches of the bottom of his kilt.

The man on the right is wearing the rainbow kilt and.... not much else except a pair of red shoes and head to toe silver body paint! (Oh, and a studded dog collar). In other words, this is not so much "Highland Dress" as it is "fetish wear." Moving on...



Here we have a fellow sitting on a bench somewhere on the Royal Mile, like he is waiting for someone, or just taking a break. He has on a Black Stewart kilt, a short sleeved pullover shirt with some kind of pattern on it (can't really tell from the pic), black shoes and short black socks, no sporran. He looks very comfortable and relaxed in the photo.



Here is a young man in full piper's regalia including a doublet, piper's plaid, hair sporran, diced hose and spats, enjoying a bottle of something or other in a pub.




These three men look like they are just coming out of some kind of formal function, perhaps a ball or an evening wedding. They are wearing kilts, dress shirts, waistcoats, formal sporrans, white hose and black ghillie brogues all. The jackets are gone, as are the neck ties. The collars are unbuttoned and one of them has his waistcoat unbuttoned, as well. Two of them are enjoying cigarettes, and they have their arms around each other's shoulders. The one in the middle is lifting his leg, can-can style, and the one on the right is lifting his kilt up revealing a bit of leg. Looks like three guys after a fun night just hamming it up for the camera.



Here's a fellow in a kilt lying down on some concrete steps, relaxing. He's wearing a pullover, black boots with scrunched down socks, and what looks like a plain leather sporran (hard to tell from the angle).



A group of men dressed for some kind of formal function. They are all wearing white popcorn top piper's hose and black ghillies. The man in front is wearing a black three button waistcoat (with a belt peeking out from under the waistcoat). His jacket is presumably on the back of a chair somewhere, I suppose. The two men behind him have their jackets on, though it's hard to tell what they are wearing, as the first man is blocking the view. Again, they look like they are hamming it up a bit for the camera.



This fellow is wearing a grey fleece pullover, semi-dress sporran and cream colored hose, scrunched down, with brown boots.

[Bugbear]

Thanks, Matt!

That rainbow tartan usually gets the reaction you give in your post. And I do think they could have done a better aesthetic job of it, but imagine if your clan tartan looked like that...

Anyway, now I understand what you all are talking about.

I agree with your thoughts on the evening sporran, btw.

[xman]

That rainbow tartan usually gets the reaction you give in your post. And I do think they could have done a better aesthetic job of it, ...

I think the Rainbow Canada tartan is an improvement.

[Brian K]

Thanks, Matt!

That rainbow tartan usually gets the reaction you give in your post. And I do think they could have done a better aesthetic job of it, but imagine if your clan tartan looked like that...

Anyway, now I understand what you all are talking about.

I agree with your thoughts on the evening sporran, btw.

LOL, Ted, that tartan gets that reaction because it deserves it. If, as a gay man, I could only wear that...er...I hesitate to call it a tartan, oh well, I would never even consider wearing a kilt. I must see if I can design a better one. A friend of mine who also designs tartans (she's also a member here, but she doesn't post much) has designed what she calls a Soft Rainbow tartan, and it's lovely but the colors are somewhat muted. Maybe that's the only way to accomplish it, but I'd like to see if one can be developed with the traditional rainbow colors that isn't so...jarring as the one shown here.

Regards,

Brian

[Bugbear]

There you go, Brian, that can be your new task. Hope you come up with something.

* Perhaps even just incorporating a narrow rainbow stripe into a sett, along with other colors, might work.