DO you have a favourite level of traditional dress?

[MacKenzie]

Jock, are you telling us all that you traipsed around the countryside, willy-nilly in your youth, with NO SHOES AND SOCKS ON?

Just like the rest of us.

[neloon]

Jock is also hinting at another aspect that has changed - in the middle of last century, the kilt was widely worn by young lads. At any one time, about two thirds of the boys in my junior school class in the 1940s/50s (in Aberdeen - Royal Deeside influence) would have been wearing the kilt. When, in 1960, a new headmaster ordained "no long trousers under the age of 16", the kilt became even more popular! The kilt was also very prevalent among scouts, hikers, etc. Another thread addressed the reasons for some of these fashion changes.
Alan

[Jock Scot]

Jock, are you telling us all that you traipsed around the countryside, willy-nilly in your youth, with NO SHOES AND SOCKS ON?

**horrors**

Indeed I did, as did my sons and as do my grand sons. What I was taught and what I have passed on is having the discretion and knowledge to choose one's attire to fit the event. It is this bit that is so damned difficult to get people to understand here it seems. Overdressing is just as awful as underdressing for any given event. And before anyone asks. NO! I don't always get it right!

Interestingly, not being a follower of highland games , as you well know, and certainly not an international one like we had in Inverness last September, I did wonder what the suitable dress form would be. I was certainly not going to drive 70 something miles to the airport dressed in tweeds on a scorching(for us) day. I certainly was not going, as a mere spectator, to wear tweeds in those conditions either, so a certain amount of common sense came into play and I wore shirt sleeves and no tie, with black brogues and hose worn at the proper height with the kilt. Personally, I think from the picture taken without my knowledge, I got my THCD kilt attire decisions about right for the event.

[OC Richard]

Scottish city street scenes and farming photographs/videos from the 1940 and 1950's and 1960's and interestingly enough...not a kilt to be seen.

Probably didn't see any bathing suits either, or wedding dresses, or sports kits, yet people wear all of these things.

When people make such observations I'm at a loss as to what is being claimed.

To engage in reductio ad absurdum, one could pour over old photos of men and conclude that women didn't exist.

[MacThomas]

Another thread addressed the reasons for some of these fashion changes.
Alan

Alan, please could you in which thread this has been addressed
Thanks in advance

[neloon]

Alan, please could you in which thread this has been addressed
Thanks in advance

I was thinking of this thread
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...perhaps-84843/
I made a comment at post #201 that seemed to be approved of but much more could probably be said.
Alan

[Nathan]

Gee, Nathan, you should be happy with my posts! I mean, I just wrote that I think you guys are probably more-or-less spot-on with what you're doing with "THCD". I used to think you were all so focused on one little aspect of it all, just the "dressy stuff" and so pretty much stayed away. Now, after looking at a couple of hours of old video, I'm changing my mind. The "regular guy" in Scotland, even going back to the 1930's didn't wear a kilt. More-or-less only the gentry wore this kit. So you're all trying to dress like the gentry. OK, well... It appears that you're succeeding!

You also make a good point. "THCD" is a subset of "traditional". So we could say that what a highland athlete or a highland dancer wears is "traditional", as in it's something that's been worn for a long time and hasn't changed much.. but it's not THCD. Seems reasonable....

EDIT:

Taking this a step further....this picture:



with it's lovely and quite traditional kilt doesn't really qualify as "THCD" because I can't imagine Scottish Gentry in the 1930's, 40's 50's or 60's wearing a kilt with, say, no jacket or without a tie, or with their sleeves rolled up. -- Jock Scots picture at Inverness with Mark, notwithstanding!

Your observations don't bother me, they're just off topic. I was asking what people's favourite level of THCD was.

Regarding your point about the 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, I don't think that anything that has happened since then is untraditional. I think the tradition is still evolving, albeit slowly. Jock's photo from the Highland games, that you responded to, demonstrates that you can see the gentry of 2015 wearing Highland attire without a jacket, given the proper temperature conditions and circumstances.

Traditional Highland Civilian Attire is not frozen in time but, in order for an innovation to make it into the traditional Highland Civilian canon, it needs to be adopted and accepted by the people who have unbroken traditions of Highland attire in their families. To be sure, many of these people are the landed Highland gentry.

[Nathan]

For all of those folks who most enjoy smart day wear, here are some xmarks members showing our particular approach to it.

[ASinclair]

Very sharp gentlemen!

[Alan H]

y'all look GREAT!