DO you have a favourite level of traditional dress?

[Jock Scot]

I guess my point is that the way I see it, "traditional" is not synonymous with "clean" , "nice", or "dressy".

"Traditional" means " the way things have been done for a long time"... and people have been both dressed nicely, and also gotten sweaty and dirty in kilts for a very long time.

EDIT:

I actually just spent about 30 minutes looking through archives of old Scottish city street scenes and farming photographs/video's from the 1940 and 1950's and 1960's and interestingly enough...not a kilt to be seen. So IN FACT, I could be wrong about that supposition that people have gotten dirty and worked hard in kilts, for a very long time. It might have been a LONG time ago, that people did that - "LONG" being outside our range of what's "traditional" here on the forum, and what's "historic".

Your edit is bang on target Alan. The only people who got to wear the kilt en masse when covered in muck and bullets, literally, were those from the Scottish infantry Regiments until 1940. And the Government were paying for the kilts! In three score years and ten, plus a tad with much of my time spent on farms and out on the hill with gamekeepers, stalkers and so on and I can only think of one farm worker who wore the kilt at work and one stalker(not local to here) who wore the kilt out on the hill, we all thought that they were completely mad! I have never been convinced that the kilt was ever worn generally for "dirty" work by Highlanders in times past. The occasional Factor, a few landowners did wear the kilt rather more often, but that was in smart form not for manual work. I think that the Victorian romantic artists have led many astray with their thinking here.

If we think about it realistically, the kilt is really not and was not, a sensible garment to wear on a fishing trawler, down the pit, in the ship yard, heavy construction work and so on. So inevitably the kilt was worn, by those that could afford one , or those by luck who obtained one somehow, for best or show and yes, that was and still is the traditional time to wear them.

[IsaacW]

I have always loved the look of this lad, working in a kilt. Now, I do not know the circumstances of this image. It could be that he was posed and not like this often. It also looks as though his kilt may be ex-army.

Additional caveat: I, in no way, am saying this lad is normal or common. He likely ranks with one of the "daft" men that Jock mentions above. Still, it is a smashing look!!

[Domehead]

"The only people who got to wear the kilt en masse when covered in muck and bullets, literally, were those from the Scottish infantry Regiments until 1940. And the Government were paying for the kilts! In three score years and ten, plus a tad with much of my time spent on farms and out on the hill with gamekeepers, stalkers and so on and I can only think of one farm worker who wore the kilt at work and one stalker(not local to here) who wore the kilt out on the hill, we all thought that they were completely mad! I have never been convinced that the kilt was ever worn generally for "dirty" work by Highlanders in times past. The occasional Factor, a few landowners did wear the kilt rather more often, but that was in smart form not for manual work. I think that the Victorian romantic artists have led many astray with their thinking here.

If we think about it realistically, the kilt is really not and was not, a sensible garment to wear on a fishing trawler, down the pit, in the ship yard, heavy construction work and so on. So inevitably the kilt was worn, by those that could afford one , or those by luck who obtained one somehow, for best or show and yes, that was and still is the traditional time to wear them" - Mr. Jock Scot

Per my familial & cultural education - Spot-on.
Ryan

[Jock Scot]

I have always loved the look of this lad, working in a kilt. Now, I do not know the circumstances of this image. It could be that he was posed and not like this often. It also looks as though his kilt may be ex-army.

Additional caveat: I, in no way, am saying this lad is normal or common. He likely ranks with one of the "daft" men that Jock mentions above. Still, it is a smashing look!!

I doubt that any of us will know the circumstance of the picture, but I don't think it was studio posed, rather an opportunistic type pose, if there is such a thing! Our blacksmith has a tool box just like that, so I wonder if the passing lad was asked to hold the pony for a moment? Whilst the blacksmith was attending to something else? I was caught similarly a few weeks ago! The pony looks too well groomed and the head collar does look rather smart to be a rustic working pony, so a carriage pony of some sort? The sledgehammer? Perhaps the lad was off to do something else with it before he got roped in? The kilt looks as though there might be a fairly major repair behind the hammer head? The sporran, hose, shoes? Hand-me-downs as the kilt might be, from the boss? I think so.

Who knows? For certain sure, I don't! It is a super picture though.

[IsaacW]

I have wondered if it isn't a carriage horse for a more important man and this is the farrier (would be doing smithing) that was working on re-shoeing or trimming the hooves. Again, we will likely never know.

[Jock Scot]

I have wondered if it isn't a carriage horse for a more important man and this is the farrier (would be doing smithing) that was working on re-shoeing or trimming the hooves. Again, we will likely never know.

I am thinking aloud here,but I don't think the blacksmith(farrier) has started yet, as there is no debris littered around the hooves.

[MacKenzie]

I am thinking aloud here,but I don't think the blacksmith(farrier) has started yet, as there is no debris littered around the hooves.

And, that hammer is a little heavy for shoeing and it's handle is a little long for smithing.

[Tobus]

And, that hammer is a little heavy for shoeing and it's handle is a little long for smithing.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. The farrier who works on my horses would laugh at using that huge sledgehammer for his work. All his hammers are much smaller than that; you don't need much for shaping a shoe on an anvil or pounding the nails into the hoof.

I really think this lad has nothing to do with farrier work. For starters, that hair sporran he's wearing would be completely incompatible with what a farrier does, which involves a lot of bending over with a horse's hoof between your legs. Most modern farriers wear leather aprons or even leather-lined trousers because it's so abusive on one's legs and clothing. The way you have to trap the fetlock between your legs just wouldn't work with a kilt or bare lower legs. Not for someone who does it all day long, anyway. The first time that horse yanks his hoof out from between your legs, you'd be sorry you wore a kilt.

It is an interesting photo, though.

[IsaacW]

Good points, Tobus. I do believe that a kilt itself may not be handy (say nothing of the sporran) in farrier work. A sledge can be (and is) used for some smithing but certainly not the type a farrier would do. Again, it brings up questions to who this is and what he is doing. The only info I have is that this was taken in Pitlochry.

IW

[IsaacW]

Now... back to the OT... this outfit is not too traditional anyway (historic, not traditional). Hair sporran in day wear, Argyle hose in the same, and finally... the flat cap!

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program...