Too Traditional?

[Zardoz]

What kind of hat would you wear if you didn't know kilts existed? Wear that.

[auld argonian]

What kind of hat would you wear if you didn't know kilts existed? Wear that.

The Zen of Zardoz.....

Best

AA

[ThistleDown]

What kind of hat would you wear if you didn't know kilts existed? Wear that.

Yep, that's not traditional.

[Zardoz]

Yep, that's not traditional.

No, but it's practical. Does every element of dress, in every situation, have to fit into this narrow definition of what some consider traditional? Depending on when and where, aren't there plenty of different covers that are more practical than the balmoral and glengarry? What's next, sunglasses or rings?

[ThistleDown]

Yup. I had a scare recently with a growth on my shoulder (where I've had decades of sunburns) that I had the dermatologist remove. In the process, I learned that those of us with blue eyes are at the highest risk of skin cancer. So I'm starting to take it seriously.

How about a slouch hat? These are typically associated with kilted military units in hot, sunny climates. I seem to recall that they were worn in WWII by a Highland regiment in Burma. Would a slouch hat be completely 'costumey' or odd for a civilian to wear with a kilt in a hot climate, while still trying to be as traditional as the weather allows?

Blue eyes. Strange that these have evolved in the northern climes where brightness can be a problem, isn't it? In the summer months I need shades at 58d in the north of Scotland and at 38d, but not at 48d. The slouch hat doesn't feel acceptable with Highland dress although it certainly was with military jungle wear, as you say. What's that floppy all-round fishing hat called? That feels right as, of course, do various forms of the Panama.

[MacLowlife]

What's that floppy all-round fishing hat called? That feels right as, of course, do various forms of the Panama.

Pork Pie? Pudding Basin? Tilley(R)? Stockman? Bucket? Trilby?

I once worked at a place that sold a lot of white brim-all-around hats that somebody called an "FDR". They had a green underside and were popular with sailors. It was possible to fold the back of the brim up or down. They resembled the Lester Lanin hats of old. I am not sure either the LL or the white ones would work well with w kilt, at least not before several drinks...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LESTER-LANIN...item35b911f1d0

[CMcG]

This thread is really pure gold

If I may be permitted to use an academic analogy here, those who are following this thread -- and learning from it -- are hopefully updating their research methodology. In order for those not born into THCD to understand THCD, some special types of effort are required.

In the early years of my home discipline of ethnomusicology (the study of people making and experiencing music), people used to do "armchair" research. This involved analyzing the artifacts, recordings, and recollections brought back by people who had returned from exotic locations. This is like Xmarkers poring over old photos or even portraits. Sometimes an outside observer can find interesting things about music (or kilt wearing) that the locals might not have thought of because they have fresh eyes. More often than not, though, armchair ethnomusicology (or "ethnokiltology?) results in skewed findings due to a lack of contextual understanding.

These days, ethnomusicologists favour a more hands on approach and trying to understand a given music the way that the natives understand it. Often, this means not only observing data, but also participating in the native culture through long term, immersion aka fieldwork. Apart from involvement in both the daily and special activities of a community, an important part of that process is the interview, which can range from casual conversations to formal, structured, and recorded question and answer.

Ideally, everyone who is interested in THCD would go live in the Scotland for 6 months to a year. While that may not be feasible for most people, participating in discussions like this thread can still be very helpful. Going to events where there are other kilt wearers is also important because live observation and time between pleats n' aprons brings a lot of awareness that no amount of discussion can deliver. And one would hopefully get to meet, or at least see, some people who do come from hereditary THCD backgrounds.

Of course, wearing the kilt is not a research project for most people. Nonetheless, I think that the desire to try and understand THCD from a native perspective is very important. This is not to say that one has to cast off their own personal taste or the influence of their particular upbringing, rather that anyone who is serious about tradition needs to engage with that tradition on its own terms in order to make up for their own lack of inborn knowledge.

Part of what makes this all so fascinating is how much grey area there is. In speaking of THCD, it is perhaps important to keep reminding ourselves that it is more accurately a generalization of a group of similar but heterogeneous personal, familial, and local traditions, rather than a single, monolithic, and homogeneous thing. That is part of the reason why developing a "feel" for it and being prepared to use common sense is so necessary.

At the core of a living tradition is something old and yet current, which is a bit of a paradox. The boundaries and peripheries may be contested as to what is already historical, old fashioned, being revived, fading away, newfangled, gradually gaining favour, personal, idiosyncratic, flair, etc. Maybe we won't ever be able to get it right every time, but at least we might be able to look good, respect the tradition, and avoid getting it entirely wrong

[ThistleDown]

At the core of a living tradition is something old and yet current, which is a bit of a paradox. The boundaries and peripheries may be contested as to what is already historical, old fashioned, being revived, fading away, newfangled, gradually gaining favour, personal, idiosyncratic, flair, etc. Maybe we won't ever be able to get it right every time, but at least we might be able to look good, respect the tradition, and avoid getting it entirely wrong

That is exceptionally well said.

[CMcG]

I'm claiming #500!

...
Thanks to the diligence and generosity of many people, this thread shows a little more about THCD- and tells even more than it shows. With any luck, CMcG will be doing the

FIVE HUNDREDTH POST -LION DANCE very soon.

Just food for thought, as I am determined to see a lion dance video...

By request, here is me doing a version of the lion dance that I mentioned way back in the OP.

About a month after this video was shot, I spoke with a friend who had been in the crowd that night. She said there were a lot of rumblings of dissent and dismay about a non-Chinese being under the lion head because traditionally, a Chinese lion dance is supposed to be not only entertainment, but also a type of blessing or exorcism ritual. Apparently once I started dancing, the grumbling turned to cheers and people decided that I was able to give an acceptable rendition of this tradition.

The event I mentioned in my first post that inspired me to ask the question "Too Traditional?" was a few months before this video, but the dance was basically the same. As you may recall, the organizer had told me that I wasn't a traditional enough performer to do such a traditional dance and should have been doing a more modern version of it, with lots of jumping and acrobatics. In this video you will see the lion do 3 bows, dance around for a bit, get hungry, cautiously search for food, eat the veggies (yes, a vegetarian lion ), then spit them towards the crowd, dance a bit more, and finally do 3 more bows. The fearsome aspect of the lion is supposed to scare away evil spirits and spitting the greens symbolizes spreading wealth because of a homonym in Chinese between "green" and "money."



And now back to your regularly scheduled programming with a segue image from the tradition-mixing, Gung Haggis Fat Choy folks out in Vancouver:

[Tobus]

What's that floppy all-round fishing hat called? That feels right as, of course, do various forms of the Panama.

Hmm, I'm sure there are lots of variations of floppy fishing hats. When I'm fishing, I wear a 'boonie hat'. But I just can't see it working with any sort of traditional kilt attire.