Wearing it Properly
Photo: Scots Church Melbourne 2012
I do not claim to be an expert on Highland Dress or Scottish attire. However as a piper from Scotland I have worn the kilt as much as anyone else and a lot more than some. Having said that one should not take my personal opinions as authoritative.
I cease to be amazed and am often bemused at some of the standards of Highland Dress that I see when at a Highland gathering, wedding or function.
You will not get arrested by the Highland Constabulary if you do not always get the standard of highland dress "right", but for those who would like to know, here are some guidelines:
Day Dress for Men
This means kilt , sporran (purse), hose (long socks) with garter flash, brogues (shoes), a business shirt, tie, vest or highland belt, and a jacket; maybe a bonnet with clan badge, and a sgian dugh (black dagger) placed in the top of the hose and showing only the hilt. For everyday use there are many varieties of dress above the belt depending upon the occasion. One can wear anything from a rugby shirt, an Arran sweater to an anorak. Shoes and socks can also be varied to task and time from walking boots to Gillie brogues.
However my idea here is to outline those modern norms of Scottish national dress with which you can be secure with in any situation, and using this as an excepted standard you can then vary the combination for more formal or informal situations.
The Kilt
The kilt as worn today is normally made up from about eight yards of single-width tartan material, deeply pleated in the back in such a way as to display the pattern of the sett to its best advantage. The pleats are pressed in place and sewn at the waist for several inches, leaving the remainder to swing freely. The front of the kilt is unpleated and consists of two layers known as the apron, which fastens left over right. A kilt pin is usually worn on the lower right side of the apron and only pined through outer apron. The kilt when properly tailored should fit well around the waist and should drop between the top and middle of the kneecap, but should never cover the knees.
Now to that age old question "What's worn under your kilt?" Might I suggest that you close that topic immediately with a short, sharp answer, such as "Nothings worn, it's all in fine working order thankyou." There are many more comebacks to that question. My point being that this type of personal question becomes very tiresome, and if that is the best question they can ask of a Scottsman or Piper then they are probably not worth conversing with any further. One would not ask it of a lady.
Tartan
In this section I do not intend to become embroiled in the history and controversie of Tartans. However, going once over lightly may clarify the subject. Tartan is a cloth that is twill woven - the weft threads go over two and under two of the wrap which gives the diagonal lines of colour. Most kilts are made of tartan. A tartan is an identifying symbol or token of a clan, regiment, family, society, or district. Clan tartans are not a thing of great antiquity. We know now that the naming of tartans really got started in the nineteenth century with the romantic revival of the Highlands.
The first question to settle before you go kilted is which tartan is for you, and the first thing to remember about this question is that most people take it far too seriously. As a military man I am guilty of this. To begin with, there is no such thing as the "right" to wear any tartan; not legal, moral, nor divine. The whole question is a matter of good or bad taste. Selecting the sett of tartan to wear is often decided by the wearer's family name. Normaly if your name were to be Chisholm, or Douglas, or MacKay, then you would sport a Chisholm, Douglas, or MacKay tartan. Even if no specific tartan exists for your family name, a conection often exists between Scottish Clans and other names. An alternative to this would be to sport a districts, state, or national tartan, appropriate to your district, state, or national connection. Apart from the sett or pattern, tartan also comes in a variety of different shades. These are often labeled as "Moddern," "Ancient," "Hunting," or "Reproduction."
The Sporran and belt
The sporran is worn in front of the kilt, hung from a loose belt or chane a few inches below the waist. Sporrans come in a range of styles suitable to different levels of dress or occcasion. For day wear a simple brown or black leather sporran is preferable. This may be ornamented with tassels or a Celtic design etched into the leather. For evening wear or black-tie occasions the sporran may be made of fur from a nice wee beast (otter, seal or bagger being common) with a stylish silver metal cantle and tassels suspended from a light chain.
A belt is worne around the waist. This is made of black leather with a silver buckle displaying a Celtic design or Clan crest. If wearing a waistcoat one would not wear a belt.
Jacket and Vest (Waistcoat)
First off, remember that you don't necessarily have to wear a jacket on informal occasions and depending on the climet, shortsleeves or a sweater are perfectly fine. The kilt looks best when worn with the appropriate style of jacket, and this, as with other aspects of Highland attire, should reflect the occasion or level of formality. For normal everyday appearance an Argyll tweed jacket with matching vest looks very well in Scotland but not very practical "down under", but not out of the question. The normal kilt jacket should be of a fine cloth such as barathea, it is much shorter than other jackets, and is more curved below the waist so as not to infringe on the sporran. It may be the cut of an Argyll or Crail style, with cuffs and scalloped pocket flaps and epaulettes, and buttons made from deer-antler, or silver Highland style buttons which are dimond in shape. For evening wear or black-tie occasions a Prince Charlie coatee and vest, a Sheriffmuir Doublet and vest, or a Montrose Doublet will fit the formal occasion very well with an appropriate shirt and bow-tie.
Shoes, Hose, and Sgian Dubh
Footwear to be worn with the kilt should likewise reflect the level of formality of the rest of the dress. Coloured woolen hose of plain pattern and a sturdy pair of leather brogues for everyday wear, while for formal wear diced (argyle) hose are most appropriate together with black gillie brogue. The colour of the hose should complement the tartan of the kilt. The top of the hose should not be pulled up to the knee, but should be approximately 4 finger widths below the bottom of the knee cap. Hose are worn with coloured garter flashes sticking out from the overturn on the outside calves and are attached around the calves with elastic which prevents the hose from sliding down the leg. Once again these should complement the colour of the kils. the over turn of the hose should cover about half the length of the flash. A small, single-edged knife known as a sgian dubh is worn tucked into the top of the hose on the outer side of the right leg with only grip & pommel of the hilt displaied.
It is no longer acceptable to wear a dirk (short sword), this being reserved for military dress only.
Headdress
Headdress with the kilt can be either the Balmoral or Glengarry in style. This may be the traditional dark blue with red toorie or coloured to complement the kilt. Some bonnets have a diced or checked headband, but this should be reserved for the military.
Feathers are not generally worn in the bonnet except by a chief who wears three, a chieftain who wears two, and a armigerous gentleman (one who has a right of heraldic arms) who wears one. To do otherwise is considered presumptuous. Hackles' are a short thick bunch of feathers worn by military regiments and members of their regimental associations, and many pipe bands; but these are really only significant to military battalions.
The Clan Chiefs have, by customary courtesy, allowed their followers to use the Chief's heraldic crest as a bonnet badge, and this is to be encouraged. However, this courtesy does not extend to the wearing of regimental cap badges, that right is reserved for serving members of a regiment and members of the regimental association through a "right of passage." To do otherwise is ill advised.
Dressing
The easiest order in which to dress is to start with your hose, flashes, sgian dubh, and broguse. Once you are correct below the knee put on your shirt and tie, followed by the kilt, sporran and then the belt. Dressing is finally completed by the vest and jacket.
The Ladies
The recognised form of evening dress for a lady is to wear a dress in the fashion of the time, or of her own choosing. This may be complemented with a tartan sash of the clan the lady is associated with or that is compatible with the dress she is wearing. The wife of the Chief or the wife of the Colonel of the Regiment wear the sash over the left shoulder, while the other ladies wear the sash over the right shoulder.
The Message
For centuries we Scots have been forced to be proud of our disadvantages - we have so many of them. There is our climate that makes stone walls shiver in the wind, rain that hits side-on, and glinting sunlight fleetingly transforming forbidding mountains into some of the world's loveliest scenery. There is grudging soil, whose bleak austerity breeds, by sheer force of survival, hardy sheep bearing wool that makes the world's finest tweeds. There is the Scottish economy, founded on ships, coal, heavy machinery, and the amber nectar (Uisge Beatha - Water of Life). All this from a population smaller than London (5,000,000). And yes, there is the English Government.
We Scots are a proud nation with a rich heritage; pipers are the custodians of that heritage. Our three visible tokens around the world are the bagpipes, the kilt, and our Scottish Regiments. Wear your kilt early and often. You'll find that most people like to see a man in a kilt, and you'll be amazed at the lack of negative reaction, indeed at the lack of any reaction. Scotlands greatest export has always been it's people. But be mindfull that in a kilt you are not wearing a costume; it is Scottish National Dress, and is perfectly normal attire for a man of Scottish ancestry (the Albannaich). And remember that when you are out and about in your kilt you are in essence an ambassador to the Scottish nation.
Yours Aye. Iain D Townsley
If you need to hire Scottish atire for a wedding or function please contact:
The House of Scotland
309 Whitehorse Road
Balwyn, Victoria, 3103
Phone: (03) 9830 7717
e-mail: info@houseofscotland.com.au
I cease to be amazed and am often bemused at some of the standards of Highland Dress that I see when at a Highland gathering, wedding or function.
You will not get arrested by the Highland Constabulary if you do not always get the standard of highland dress "right", but for those who would like to know, here are some guidelines:
Day Dress for Men
This means kilt , sporran (purse), hose (long socks) with garter flash, brogues (shoes), a business shirt, tie, vest or highland belt, and a jacket; maybe a bonnet with clan badge, and a sgian dugh (black dagger) placed in the top of the hose and showing only the hilt. For everyday use there are many varieties of dress above the belt depending upon the occasion. One can wear anything from a rugby shirt, an Arran sweater to an anorak. Shoes and socks can also be varied to task and time from walking boots to Gillie brogues.
However my idea here is to outline those modern norms of Scottish national dress with which you can be secure with in any situation, and using this as an excepted standard you can then vary the combination for more formal or informal situations.
The Kilt
The kilt as worn today is normally made up from about eight yards of single-width tartan material, deeply pleated in the back in such a way as to display the pattern of the sett to its best advantage. The pleats are pressed in place and sewn at the waist for several inches, leaving the remainder to swing freely. The front of the kilt is unpleated and consists of two layers known as the apron, which fastens left over right. A kilt pin is usually worn on the lower right side of the apron and only pined through outer apron. The kilt when properly tailored should fit well around the waist and should drop between the top and middle of the kneecap, but should never cover the knees.
Now to that age old question "What's worn under your kilt?" Might I suggest that you close that topic immediately with a short, sharp answer, such as "Nothings worn, it's all in fine working order thankyou." There are many more comebacks to that question. My point being that this type of personal question becomes very tiresome, and if that is the best question they can ask of a Scottsman or Piper then they are probably not worth conversing with any further. One would not ask it of a lady.
Tartan
In this section I do not intend to become embroiled in the history and controversie of Tartans. However, going once over lightly may clarify the subject. Tartan is a cloth that is twill woven - the weft threads go over two and under two of the wrap which gives the diagonal lines of colour. Most kilts are made of tartan. A tartan is an identifying symbol or token of a clan, regiment, family, society, or district. Clan tartans are not a thing of great antiquity. We know now that the naming of tartans really got started in the nineteenth century with the romantic revival of the Highlands.
The first question to settle before you go kilted is which tartan is for you, and the first thing to remember about this question is that most people take it far too seriously. As a military man I am guilty of this. To begin with, there is no such thing as the "right" to wear any tartan; not legal, moral, nor divine. The whole question is a matter of good or bad taste. Selecting the sett of tartan to wear is often decided by the wearer's family name. Normaly if your name were to be Chisholm, or Douglas, or MacKay, then you would sport a Chisholm, Douglas, or MacKay tartan. Even if no specific tartan exists for your family name, a conection often exists between Scottish Clans and other names. An alternative to this would be to sport a districts, state, or national tartan, appropriate to your district, state, or national connection. Apart from the sett or pattern, tartan also comes in a variety of different shades. These are often labeled as "Moddern," "Ancient," "Hunting," or "Reproduction."
The Sporran and belt
The sporran is worn in front of the kilt, hung from a loose belt or chane a few inches below the waist. Sporrans come in a range of styles suitable to different levels of dress or occcasion. For day wear a simple brown or black leather sporran is preferable. This may be ornamented with tassels or a Celtic design etched into the leather. For evening wear or black-tie occasions the sporran may be made of fur from a nice wee beast (otter, seal or bagger being common) with a stylish silver metal cantle and tassels suspended from a light chain.
A belt is worne around the waist. This is made of black leather with a silver buckle displaying a Celtic design or Clan crest. If wearing a waistcoat one would not wear a belt.
Jacket and Vest (Waistcoat)
First off, remember that you don't necessarily have to wear a jacket on informal occasions and depending on the climet, shortsleeves or a sweater are perfectly fine. The kilt looks best when worn with the appropriate style of jacket, and this, as with other aspects of Highland attire, should reflect the occasion or level of formality. For normal everyday appearance an Argyll tweed jacket with matching vest looks very well in Scotland but not very practical "down under", but not out of the question. The normal kilt jacket should be of a fine cloth such as barathea, it is much shorter than other jackets, and is more curved below the waist so as not to infringe on the sporran. It may be the cut of an Argyll or Crail style, with cuffs and scalloped pocket flaps and epaulettes, and buttons made from deer-antler, or silver Highland style buttons which are dimond in shape. For evening wear or black-tie occasions a Prince Charlie coatee and vest, a Sheriffmuir Doublet and vest, or a Montrose Doublet will fit the formal occasion very well with an appropriate shirt and bow-tie.
Shoes, Hose, and Sgian Dubh
Footwear to be worn with the kilt should likewise reflect the level of formality of the rest of the dress. Coloured woolen hose of plain pattern and a sturdy pair of leather brogues for everyday wear, while for formal wear diced (argyle) hose are most appropriate together with black gillie brogue. The colour of the hose should complement the tartan of the kilt. The top of the hose should not be pulled up to the knee, but should be approximately 4 finger widths below the bottom of the knee cap. Hose are worn with coloured garter flashes sticking out from the overturn on the outside calves and are attached around the calves with elastic which prevents the hose from sliding down the leg. Once again these should complement the colour of the kils. the over turn of the hose should cover about half the length of the flash. A small, single-edged knife known as a sgian dubh is worn tucked into the top of the hose on the outer side of the right leg with only grip & pommel of the hilt displaied.
It is no longer acceptable to wear a dirk (short sword), this being reserved for military dress only.
Headdress
Headdress with the kilt can be either the Balmoral or Glengarry in style. This may be the traditional dark blue with red toorie or coloured to complement the kilt. Some bonnets have a diced or checked headband, but this should be reserved for the military.
Feathers are not generally worn in the bonnet except by a chief who wears three, a chieftain who wears two, and a armigerous gentleman (one who has a right of heraldic arms) who wears one. To do otherwise is considered presumptuous. Hackles' are a short thick bunch of feathers worn by military regiments and members of their regimental associations, and many pipe bands; but these are really only significant to military battalions.
The Clan Chiefs have, by customary courtesy, allowed their followers to use the Chief's heraldic crest as a bonnet badge, and this is to be encouraged. However, this courtesy does not extend to the wearing of regimental cap badges, that right is reserved for serving members of a regiment and members of the regimental association through a "right of passage." To do otherwise is ill advised.
Dressing
The easiest order in which to dress is to start with your hose, flashes, sgian dubh, and broguse. Once you are correct below the knee put on your shirt and tie, followed by the kilt, sporran and then the belt. Dressing is finally completed by the vest and jacket.
The Ladies
The recognised form of evening dress for a lady is to wear a dress in the fashion of the time, or of her own choosing. This may be complemented with a tartan sash of the clan the lady is associated with or that is compatible with the dress she is wearing. The wife of the Chief or the wife of the Colonel of the Regiment wear the sash over the left shoulder, while the other ladies wear the sash over the right shoulder.
The Message
For centuries we Scots have been forced to be proud of our disadvantages - we have so many of them. There is our climate that makes stone walls shiver in the wind, rain that hits side-on, and glinting sunlight fleetingly transforming forbidding mountains into some of the world's loveliest scenery. There is grudging soil, whose bleak austerity breeds, by sheer force of survival, hardy sheep bearing wool that makes the world's finest tweeds. There is the Scottish economy, founded on ships, coal, heavy machinery, and the amber nectar (Uisge Beatha - Water of Life). All this from a population smaller than London (5,000,000). And yes, there is the English Government.
We Scots are a proud nation with a rich heritage; pipers are the custodians of that heritage. Our three visible tokens around the world are the bagpipes, the kilt, and our Scottish Regiments. Wear your kilt early and often. You'll find that most people like to see a man in a kilt, and you'll be amazed at the lack of negative reaction, indeed at the lack of any reaction. Scotlands greatest export has always been it's people. But be mindfull that in a kilt you are not wearing a costume; it is Scottish National Dress, and is perfectly normal attire for a man of Scottish ancestry (the Albannaich). And remember that when you are out and about in your kilt you are in essence an ambassador to the Scottish nation.
Yours Aye. Iain D Townsley
If you need to hire Scottish atire for a wedding or function please contact:
The House of Scotland
309 Whitehorse Road
Balwyn, Victoria, 3103
Phone: (03) 9830 7717
e-mail: info@houseofscotland.com.au
