Attire

When you put on your Clan’s colors you are putting on your family’s

history. The tartan and subsequent Highland dress should always be

worn with dignity and with an understanding and observation of the

tradition they represent. It is a uniform and an icon. People normally

take immense care in correctly wearing proper Highland Dress, and

that is what it deserves, because men have died in war wearing it and

men and women suffered death, transportation, privation, and hardship

because the tartan was their native wear and they refused to obey the

18th century ban on tartan promulgated by the Hanovarian Government

after the 1745 Jacobite Rising failed.

It is important to stress that Highland dress is referred to as “Scottish

Attire” both in Scotland, and by those of Scots descent or affiliation

around the world, and rightfully so. It is not a “costume,” but attire, and it is important to

remember this. As the late J.C. Thompson said in his wonderful book “So You’re Going To

Wear The Kilt?”: “ ...The kilt is perfectly normal dress for any man of Scottish ancestry or

connections, and anyone who feels differently is simply displaying their ignorance.”

Modern Highland Dress for Men

Highland Dress is not just for special occasions. It can be worn at anytime. Men

who wear the kilt regularly find that it is a sensible, comfortable garment which can

be worn with ordinary shirts or sweaters. It does not necessarily need all of the

accessories listed below. The kilt is the most important item of Highland dress. It

usually reaches just to the top of, or slightly above, the knee. There is often a kilt pin

attached to the front flap for decoration. What you do or don’t wear under the kilt

is your own business. A good Scotsman will not tell when asked. (When asked what

is worn under the kilt, especially by a lady, a typical reply is "nothing worn, m'am,

everything is in perfect working order," usually accompanied by a wink).

Any ordinary shirt or sweater may be worn with the kilt. Some men, when

attending a very formal occasion in the evening, like to wear a lace jabot around the

neckline, and sometimes frilled cuffs, and for very formal affairs a fly plaid which is

pinned to the shoulder with a brooch and drapes behind. Others prefer a plain shirt

and tie, or an evening dress shirt and bow tie. A belt is usually worn at the waist,

over the kilt. The buckle is often brass or silver, and sometimes has detailed carving

on it, or is set with a cairngorm, which is a semi-precious amber-colored stone found

in the mountains of Scotland.

Special kilt jackets can be bought, which are jackets and blazers with a different

cut that those worn with trousers, and are usually shorter to better show off the kilt.

One for everyday wear could perhaps be a tweed jacket; another for formal evening

wear is often black, although other colors are sometimes worn.

Some typical jackets are:

Prince Charlie - This is a black,

formal, jacket with tails behind, a short

front, straight sleeves with no cuff, and

typically silver or chrome buttons. It is not

meant to be buttoned in front, and is

usually worn with a matching black waist

coat (vest), though it is seen often today

without the vest and with a belt, instead.

It is almost always worn with a standard

tuxedo shirt and black or tartan bowtie.

(A fly plaid is not typically worn with the

Prince Charlie though it is seen more often

lately).

Roger Gill McArtor

Argyll - This is usually a black, single

breasted jacket with "gauntlet cuffs"

(cuffs which are rolled back to about

mid-forearm) and silver buttons. It is

considered "semi-formal" wear and can

be worn for daywear or semi-formal

evening occasions. Most men start with

an Argyll as it gives them the most

options. Variations of the Argyll exist,

such as tweed versions in various colors,

and even some variants with sleeves more

like the Prince Charlie. The Argyll is

typically worn with a standard white

dress shirt and tie.

Montrose Doublet - The Montrose

Doublet is a close fitting, double breasted

jacket that is usually seen on very formal,

full dress occasions (for the Groom or

father of the Groom in weddings, etc)

which only comes to the waist, and is

worn with a belt. The Montrose is usually

seen worn with a lace jabot, and a fly

plaid on the shoulder.

Sheriffmuir

- The Sheriffmuir jacket is another

very formal option to the Prince

Charlie or Montrose. It has

"Inverness Flaps" extending off the

sides, from the waist. The jacket is

typically worn with a shirt and vest

and lace jabot and does not typically

button in the front. A fly plaid is also

generally worn with the Sheriffmuir

for a complete "full dress" look.

Special jackets are not always necessary. A simple pullover would be quite

acceptable. In cold weather, men who wear highland dress sometimes wear a large

tweed cape known as an Inverness cape. Waterproof capes can also be worn when it

is wet.

Some men like to wear a Balmoral bonnet with

Highland Dress. Another type of bonnet, known

as a Glengarry, is often worn by pipers.

The kilt looks best when worn with knee-

length hose (socks). These are usually held up

with an elastic garter. Small strips of ribbon,

known as garter flashers, hang down below

turned-down tops of the socks. These can be in

one color, or tartan. The shoes worn with the kilt can be anything from hiking boots

with high socks in outdoor, casual occasions, to expensive "ghillie brogues". For

most occasions standard, black dress shoes or brown shoes (in daywear situations)

can be worn. For formal affairs one typically sees the black patent leather "Mary

Jane" shoes with a large buckle, or black patent "ghillie brogues" which lace up

around the ankles and have open tops. One sees standard, black leather ghillie

brogues worn with most variants of Highland dress, in everything from daywear,

with a Jacobite shirt and Jacobite waist-coat or jacket, to the most full-dress

Montrose or Sheriffmuir outfit. Ghillie brogues come in many varities and colors

and you can usually find a pair that is right for any given level of dress.

The sgian dubh (skee-an doo), or black knife, is often worn by men in Highland

dress. The knife is tucked into the top of the right kilt hose, with just the top of the

shaft showing. Although the original purpose of the sgian dubh was for skinning

animals, it is nowadays largely ceremonial, although it does make a useful pen-knife.

For formal, full dress affairs one typically will also see a jeweled "dirk" hanging

from the belt. The dirk is a long knife, or a short sword, depending on how one

looks at it. The dirk was the weapon of choice, and usually the first deployed, by the

Highlanders of old. Today, the dirk is ceremonial and typically is only seen for full

dress affairs and only with a Montrose or Sherrifmuir jacket. (It is recommended by

many, that while the Prince Charlie coat is formal dress, that it be kept simple, and

it is not recommended that one wear a dirk or a fly plaid with it).

The sporran, or kilt purse, is made of leather or

hide, sometimes with a design on the flap. The

sporran is hung high in front of the kilt on a plain

strap attached to the waist of the kilt. The general

rule is that the top of the sporran should hang

about one hands-width breadth below the navel.

Sporrans come in three styles, plain leather variants for daywear and informal

occasions, "semi-dress" variants in some combination of leather, fur, and sometimes

chrome or silver to be worn for semi-formal daywear or evening occasions, and

dress sporrans for formal and full dress affairs. The dress sporran is typically very

expensive, and made from either horse hair, or various furs: mink, muskrat, rabbit,

or seal-skin (in Scotland. Be warned that seal-skin is illegal in the U.S.! You can face

a stiff fine if you should buy one and get caught with it here in the States. Not all

Scottish importers are up on this, and you will find some Internet sites that will sell

you a seal-skin sporran on-line. Be warned of the risks! This can also serve as a

warning for those who travel to Scotland and buy one in ignorance before trying to

bring it back through customs. There are many other options available for a dress

sporran, in the States.) The dress sporran typically has an elaborate chrome or

silver top with engraving work, and fur tassles with chains, etc.

The cap badge is worn on the balmoral or glengarry bonnet. It is

now made of silver or white metal and shows the clan crest,

which must be surrounded by a strap and buckle unless worn by

the clan chief. The badge is normally worn on the left side of the

cap, on a cockade of ribbon. Alternately, if you are familiar with

your traditional clan badge, this can be worn in the bonnet,

tucked into the cockade, or behind the metal badge (for Clan

Arthur, this is a sprig of Fir Club Moss or Wild Myrtle). A Clan Chief wears three

eagle feathers in his bonnet, and his sons or chieftains will wear two eagle feathers.

A Clansman who bears his own personal coat of arms may wear one eagle feather.

Any other clansman should never wear any feathers, especially eagle feathers

(which are illegal in the U.S., anyway) in their bonnet!

Highland Dress for Women

Many women wear kilted

tartan skirts, frequently mid-

calf length, with or without a

kilt pin. Sporrans and kilts are

never worn by women unless

required to do so as part of

the uniform of a mixed pipe

band. A kilted tartan skirt is

worn with the usual range of

women’s blouses, pullovers,

and jackets; whatever is tasteful.

Nowadays, white gowns with tartan sashes are seen all over

the world, especially at Scottish Highland Balls and Dances.

Sashes are worn across the upper half of the dress, from the

right shoulder diagonally across to the left hip where the two ends are knotted

together. A brooch pins the sash to the shoulder. The wife of the clan chief pins the

sash to her left shoulder in opposition to the position of her clanswomen’s sashes.

A style of dress known as Aboyne Dress is made up of a full-length tartan skirt,

a white blouse , and a velvet waistcoat with a pinned-on sash. Pumps are also

worn.