Too Traditional?

[Jock Scot]

It depends, on what sort of "mild" weather we are talking about, Scots mild or Texas mild. It would also depend where the games were to be held and whether he was officiating in any way. So assuming the young man was just visiting, then these days, I think that the attire in your picture examples would be a tad overdone, a pullover with or without a tie would do perfectly. A cromach would help him through a long day standing up, but that would be a detail that could be easily dispensed with. Head-wear, well as long as its not raining and the sun is not too strong , bareheaded seems to be the reasonable option these days, although a balmoral,rather than a Glengarry, does look nice. As to foot-wear well, sensible black well polished brogues (not those dreadful ghillie things) have worked pretty well over time, in conjunction with propper kilt hose of your choice.

[Ryan Ross]

Aye, especially with the weather that we often have to contend with here in the states (and in Canada sometimes as well, I hear), during games season, even the pullover would often times need to be dispensed with.

At that point, you're talking about a sturdy, shiny pair of shoes with plain or patterned top hose, with or without visible garters and a sgian dubh. You're talking about a good kilt and plain leather or animal mask sporran, with or without a belt to accompany them. And you're talking about a nice solid color (not black or dark brown, I hear) or (for the EVEN MORE "traditional"), a patterned shirt... very possibly with the sleeves rolled up.

Now if you ask me, while that may be very "traditional", it also seems very timeless and classic, while also leaving plenty of room for individual tastes and such. Virtually the perfect way to go, perhaps?

[Jock Scot]

Actually Ryan to be fair, whilst I have my own thoughts on black shirts and perhaps others of my age might too and for our parents generation those thoughts were pretty universal. However , black shirts are often worn these days in parts of Scotland with general wear and with the kilt, although hardly traditional. Like all general descriptions there are many exceptions, but we up here would describe the pretty longstanding black shirt fashion(its nothing more) as very "Central Belt". Meaning for those that don't know as the, Glasgow, Edinburgh areas.

[OC Richard]

Very interesting that the man in the centre and the man on the right are wearing jackets made of the same identical fabric. Maybe they use the same tailor??

[Jock Scot]

O.C.R.

Many Macpherson's wear that tweed. I seem to recall that a large amount of tweed was woven in that style to make a "Clan order". I suspect it is limited to the Clan and at a guess it probably is only available from a single source. No doubt our Macpherson expert will chip in before long and give us the true low down on the matter.

[Bugbear]

Jock, how do Scots, from a traditional view, regard non-Scots wearing tweed?

[Jock Scot]

Good question Ted.

Apart from Estate tweeds where people can get quite possessive over it, I don't think that the Scots have a view on this, other than they, particularly the farmers, weavers and mills, want to sell as much of it to the world as possible and care not one jot over who wears it.

[Bugbear]

Good question Ted.

Apart from Estate tweeds where people can get quite possessive over it, I don't think that the Scots have a view on this, other than they, particularly the farmers, weavers and mills, want to sell as much of it to the world as possible.

I suppose I can understand about the Estate tweeds. The difference is interesting; both are equally Scottish, are they not?

[Bugbear]

I'm sorry, Jock, I meant both tweed and tartan being equally Scottish tradition.

[Jock Scot]

I suppose I can understand about the Estate tweeds. The difference is interesting; both are equally Scottish, are they not?

Do you mean tartans and tweed? Tweed is rather less area specific than tartan, historically speaking. Whilst tartan is/was regarded as specifically Scottish with very specific Clan connections, since Victorian times anyway and the military before that (although that is not strictly true, for this post it will do.), tweed was a general term(although perhaps the original tweed cloth began life on the banks of the border river Tweed) and the wool mills of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Gloucestershire and other parts of the UK did and still do, in places, produce tweed. Harris Tweed on the other hand is very specific to some of the Western Isles of Scotland.