Even in the Hebrides

[creagdhubh]

You don't need to go back 28 years to experience this style of dress at a Scottish wedding. Any wedding in any Scottish town nowadays will see the majority of kilted guests dressed in exactly this way. I don't really think that the majority of Scots give a moments thought to the niceties of Highland dress in the way that it is examined, criticised and pontificated about in a Forum such as this.

Good point, Phil.

[OC Richard]

That was the norm back in the 70s and 80s, offwhite hose with Prince Charlies.

Then in the 90s pure white hose became popular.

Nowadays black hose and coloured hose are seen as often (or more often) as white hose. Just styles changing, I suppose.

Here are some of the world's top Scottish pipers gathered in Glasgow a couple years back.

[Carlo]

The point I get is, that if Nathan is right and that the pictures were taken before Hire-Shops started to market off-white hose, many here would have to change their opinion about the Hire-Shops as a bad influence for starting that fashion.

Then I have no idea since my first time in Scotland was more than 10 years after the pictures were taken and I didn't pay any attention towards such details back then.

[Riverkilt]

Silly me....pics look like everyone is having a great time together - whatever the gig....

I agree, they no doubt kilted up like they wanted to then without regard to anything other than personal taste or what they had available to wear.

All secondary to the fellowship and good times together...notice how the men are all touching each other...true friendship...no distance...most refreshing and wonderful.

Gotta love the Islanders.

[guardsman]

Once again we see critiscism of the ecru hose , lacks tradition . May I ask what makes tradition ? Ecru , I doubt would be worn by poor folk much before washing machines , I think blue or grey would be a better colour for everyday hose , as they show the dirt less . Personally I think tradition comes through circumstance and necessity . As for a the amount of different plaids in the photo amounting to hire rigs , I tend to look at it differently , if only 1 tartan on show I think its hire get up to look the same , but at a wedding you would expect multiple tartans from families and areas ! Personally speaking I think most of the gentlemen in the photos looked pretty damn smart.

[Markth]

You don't need to go back 28 years to experience this style of dress at a Scottish wedding. Any wedding in any Scottish town nowadays will see the majority of kilted guests dressed in exactly this way. I don't really think that the majority of Scots give a moments thought to the niceties of Highland dress in the way that it is examined, criticised and pontificated about in a Forum such as this.

I would agree with this. In town yesterday we saw 2 couples heading off to a wedding. Both lads wore kilts first wore what I would consider to be a traditional outfit and the second was almost entirely dressed in black, kilt, shirt, hose, belt etc. I thought both looked good. My father wears his kilt outfit in a different way to me and young lads often choose a more modern approach than mine. I think most folk here accept the evolution whilst respecting the traditional look as well. So it is not unusual to see many variations at a wedding and no one really cares.

[CMcG]

As I understand it, there are at least three problems with the "kilt hire PC" look. First is the break with living traditions, such as the rise of formal wear during the day, wearing other clan's (or non-clan) tartans, and the use of cheap, thin, white hose. Second is the uniformity, which goes against the flair and individuality that are such an important part of THCD. Third is the lack of attention to detail demonstrated by things like a dirk belt hanging askew under the waistcoat, pre-tied bow tie, too little knee showing, or thick-soled pipers ghillie brogues with the laces tied all the way to the calf. There are probably other issues, but I think these should suffice for the question I would to ask.

Let's imagine that someone really likes Prince Charlie coatees, light coloured hose, and ghillie brogues. A LOT. Is it possible to do this much-maligned-on-Xmarks outfit in a way that can look good or at least not rankle the traditionalists too much?

First of all, this hypothetical rig would only be worn to formal events in the evening. Of course! It would also need to feature a self-tie black bow tie, no belt under the waistcoat, a decent amount of knee being shown, and a tank in one's own clan tartan.

As for the other accoutrements, what if they got a PC like the one from Kinloch Anderson that has functional (or at least functional looking) buttons on the front?

http://www.kinlochanderson.com/the-k...-special-order

Or one in a nice, dark, green velvet?


How about hand-knit, ecru (not white) hose, like the ones from USAkilts?

http://www.usakilts.com/hand-knit-hose.html

Or these ones from McCarthy Highland Services?

http://www.mccarthyhighland.com/inde...t_detail&p=205

What if they wore dress ghillie brogues, with thin leather soles, tied with short laces, and well-polished? Something like these from Xmarks own Tobus:



In my estimation, this would break the undesirable cookie cutter mould of the kllt hire style and look quite sharp, while still using the same basic elements. It also turns the look back towards a more THCD approach.

What do you think?

[TheOfficialBren]

Colin, that just makes too much sense.

[xman]

It does seem that the Anglo attitude to formal attire has infected kilting. Just as all tuxedo clad gents strive to look very similar, so too does the accepted THCD become standardised. This turns against tradition, but every kilted gent who sees me in coloured hose gets to wish he was as bold as I, and maybe next time he will be. I am the change.

[Jock Scot]

Xman.

So really with your coloured hose you are, perhaps, more THCD than you thought you were! Interestingly, in my youth there were no white hose, no argyll hose and no diced hose worn with the black tie in this area of the highlands, just plain lovat green or lovat blue knitted with finer wool than day-wear hose. I am not sure if the shortages after WW2 may have had an influence there, but I think not. The "fancy coloured hose with patterns" only put in an appearance for white tie events.