Too Traditional?

[Four]

What do you mean by 'crazy shirts, hats, or shoes?'

For hats, i mean the bonnets, etc like this



For the shoes and shirts, i suppose i am somewhat more directing those to mean the more historical stuff, anything with frills (for the shirt) or Ghillie Brogues for the shoes.

I don't ever even ware collar shirts or dress shirts.. mostly solid color t-shirts. I, unfortunately havent even found a pair of shoes i like with my kilt.. i often wear flip flops

[creagdhubh]

I see, Four. 'To each is own,' I suppose.

Thanks,

[Four]

I see, Four. 'To each is own,' I suppose.

Thanks,

Yea.. maybe because i'm young? On an older person, or someone in a pipe band it seems appropriate, but i'm 25, and routinely ware my kilt out to bars, etc. I like the tartan, and the sporran (not to mention the sporran is just needed..) but to much more seems over the top.

I actually do like the more strictly traditional look, it just does seem to fit with my age/lifestyle. I'm just one of those "modern traditionalists"

[creagdhubh]

Yea.. maybe because i'm young? On an older person, or someone in a pipe band it seems appropriate, but i'm 25, and routinely ware my kilt out to bars, etc. I like the tartan, and the sporran (not to mention the sporran is just needed..) but to much more seems over the top.

I actually do like the more strictly traditional look, it just does seem to fit with my age/lifestyle. I'm just one of those "modern traditionalists"

I am 30 years old, yet have been wearing traditional Highland attire for many years now - both in Scotland and abroad - and have ventured into many a pub whilst dressed in the kilt. The 'traditional' aspect has never seemed to bother me one bit, yet I will say again, 'to each is own' and I respect that.

Heading 'into a bar' at the Schlafly Tap Room in Saint Louis, Missouri for their annual Burns Night celebration. I was 27 in the photo shown below. I opted for tweed and I left the 'glittering gear' at home, i.e.- the doublet with silver buttons, silver mounted evening sporran, bar and buckle brogues, etc. The reasoning was mainly due to circumstance and environment.

I knew it would be rather congested in the Tap Room, despite the place being rather large, it always expects a lot of people for its annual Burns Night celebration. Thus, not being very conducive to wearing full-evening attire - I wore it later that week at my local St. Andrew's Society Burns Night Supper, where it was far more traditional and made more sense to do so.


Slainte,

[CMcG]

There have been some really good replies to this question, which doesn't really surprise me because the traditionalists of XMarks are always sharp

A few people have mentioned the possibility of overdressing for an occasion; this may lie at the heart of what I fear to be too traditional. It could be something as obvious as being too formal, like wearing black tie attire to an afternoon tea party. It could also be having to sift out the influence of pipe bands from civilian attire. I might even be, as ForresterModern said, just trying too hard. But maybe some of the confusion and potential for error is in people mistaking something as a necessary, traditional, kilt thing (like hose), that is actually more circumstantial.

Take a cromach for example. I've never used one, but they appear to be a rather practical thing for walking/hiking in certain types of terrain and look like rather a nice thing to lean on while standing about at a Highland games. Carrying one about in the city, say, out to dinner and then a drink at the pub, might be not only impractical, but also silly. A cromach is, however, apparently a traditional and proper thing to have with you, under the right circumstances. A laird's plaid might also fall into this category, as would both rustic and fancy dirks.

MacMillan's Son was mentioning wearing a kilt to a non-Scottish event (particularly outside the UK) and that certain points of aesthetics in THCD might be perceived in a negative way. In order to wear the kilt in a way that won't make it look like a costume or like the person wearing it can't sort out themselves out, one might choose to keep things more simple in terms of colours and patterns. Though it may be more traditional to boldly mix those things up, but it would it be so bad to tone it down for a non-Scottish event? Say match one's leathers and not mix patterns?

Or one could just choose to reserve the kilt for more traditional events This is where davidlpope's excellent points come in to play and MoR agrees with thescot: I think I must concur that one can't be too traditional (at a Scottish event). In this case, I would much rather choose freely from the wide variety of THCD options and be "in the know," even if some of the other people still seem to think white hose, ghillie brogues, and a PC is the height of Highland style.

Something MacLowlife touched on is how styles can change, even within tradition. His example was lapel width, but perhaps there are others? davidlpope touched on this too in regards to people mistaking historical for traditional... not the "claymore and great kilt" kind of historical, but rather reviving pre-Edwardian styles. IMHO, this one is particularly dangerous as far as "too" traditional goes, and comes from overextending the definition of traditional into the past, without regard for current practice.

Rathdown, could Sir Harry have overstepped traditionally acceptable into caricature in the following? Or not. If so, how?

Thanks for the example because Sir Harry does look like he's gone too far to me. I suppose this is meant to be a daywear outfit? He's got everything and the kitchen sink going on there! But perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I could say what needs to be pruned to pull this back together?

...
I don't ever even ware collar shirts or dress shirts.. mostly solid color t-shirts. I, unfortunately havent even found a pair of shoes i like with my kilt.. i often wear flip flops

I think perhaps, that you might not be able to get LESS traditional than a kilt, t-shirt, and flip flops

[creagdhubh]

Take a cromach for example. I've never used one, but they appear to be a rather practical thing for walking/hiking in certain types of terrain and look like rather a nice thing to lean on while standing about at a Highland games. Carrying one about in the city, say, out to dinner and then a drink at the pub, might be not only impractical, but also silly. A cromach is, however, apparently a traditional and proper thing to have with you, under the right circumstances. A laird's plaid might also fall into this category, as would both rustic and fancy dirks.

Fantastic point here! Well stated mate!

Cheers,

[Four]

thanks for the picture creagdhubh, looks good.

I think CMcG has a point. I am very informal nearly all the time, im in Florida and my normal weekend attire never involves a shoe choice besides flip flops, unless i am running / working in the yard. I'm generally a t-shirt and shorts guy, so in that light a more relaxed, less traditional look appeals to me more. Although i have to say my grandmother, being from Scotland, doesn't agree!

Here is me at a concert in orlando.

[creagdhubh]

Four,

You look very comfortable indeed! I will say, perhaps for next time you might consider wearing a sporran? After all, you may need a place to put your money, keys, etc...right?!

Cheers mate,

[Four]

Four,

You look very comfortable indeed! I will say, perhaps for next time you might consider wearing a sporran? After all, you may need a place to put your money, keys, etc...right?!

Cheers mate,

Admittedly, i don't have a sporran yet, I've been searching for the perfect one for a couple months now.. i'm a bit particular for someone so comfortable... so my search continues. I also dont have any kilt hose yet, as i can never find shoes that i think feel / look right.

oh well.

Luckily, that night my wife held me things. Unfortunately i got in trouble because of some unwanted attention from several young lass.. but that's another story.

[MacLowlife]

Has anyone else had to distinguish between things that are traditional and have some significance (a sporran, a sgian dhu) and something that is traditional, but has no known significance ( color of flashes, button shape, sock color) when discussing the kilt?

Ohh, I see, and what does it mean that the gentleman over there has a BLACK whatsit on top of his head? Is it because you have a red face and he has black whiskers?

I would imagine at some point, the young Duke of Argyll having to say something on the order of "Because I LIKE pink hose, that is why."

And I know that some newer tartan designs assign cosmic significance to the width and color of every thread ( and this one is for the wee lassies who used to laugh at me whiskers, and this one is for me dear sainted ma, and this is for the whisky I drink, but this is for the vomit...)