Tartans other than your family?

[ForresterModern]

Thanks for the further insight, Jock. I'm thinking now, should I be able to make a trip to Scotland (the Highlands in particular), that taking along only one kilt would be the way to go. Furthermore, based on other bits I've read, if I really want to blend in among modern Highland kilt wearers, the kilt selected should be a knife pleated eight yard affair.

Very good food for thought, indeed...

From what I have gathered over the past few years about fitting in with the Highlanders, that would actually entail not wearing a kilt there at all, except for the special occasions where a native might---church, funeral, wedding, or traditioal scottish event like a games or Burns night. And even then doing so in a respectful yet casually comfortable way, as if one were dressing meekly and in a way as to not appear to be wearing anything special. That would mean a single family tartan standard wool 8 yd knife pleat kilt, likely worn with a tweed jacket or pullover (sweater), a button down tattersall shirt and probably a regimental stripe or simply patterned tie, simple colored hose with contrasting but simple flashes, and maybe a well-worn (wear and tear worn) balmoral in a simple color, not necessarily matched up like you just walked out of a men's department dressing room session with a professional shopper. As said above, and I have heard many times before, the Highlands is still populated with working class folk who do not flaunt any wealth they may or may not actually have, proud but not boastful, always spiritually and socially proper and correct, who would wear what they already own, comfortable in that style. Anything more than "occasional" kilt wear (and by that I mean relatively special occasions) would likely be seen as boastful, as would owning and regulalry wearing multiple kilts (which if made in the proper highland traditional handsewn way would cost one a pretty pence probably spent better somewhere else in one's relatively meager life).

Jock, Scott, others please correct my impression if you believe it to be wrong, but it seems that although the kilt is the traditional dress of Scotland, it is only infrequently worn by those of true and full traditional Highland background and heritage. As someone said in another thread, if you see a kilt wearer in London, you can assume it is a scotsman; if you see one in Edinburgh or Glasgow, you can assume it is an American tourist. To that I might suggest adding that if you see one in the highlands, it is probably either a wayward American tourist, or you have witnessed a true Highlander going to a traditional highland event, as in the list above.

Spoken by someone who has only been to the central highlands for a few days kilted, but watched threads such as these closely over several years for posts by those who live the life. I personally would stick out like a sore thumb no matter how hard I tried, simply because I would want to wear the kilt every day possible when in Scotland, by itself an extreme highland novelty.

jeff