Male highland dress includes kilt (or trews), sporran, sgian dubh and ghillies. Ghillies, or ghillie brogues, are traditional thick soled shoes with no tongues and long laces. The laces are wrapped around and tied above the wearer's ankles so that the shoes do not get pulled off in mud. The shoes lack tongues so the wearer's feet can dry more quickly in typically damp Scottish weather. The ghillie brogue is named after the ghillie, the traditional Scottish gamekeeper and outdoorsman.
Female highland dress includes women's shoes, also called ghillies, that are tied in the same way but have thin soles for indoor wear and dancing. Traditionally, women and girls do not wear kilts but may wear ankle-length tartan skirts. A tartan sash or shawl may also be worn. Women may also wear dress tartans which are modified versions which include white in place of a more prominent colour.
Morning dress
The morning suit version of Highland dress consists of:
- Black (or charcoal) semi-formal kilt jacket in superfine wool or barathea; Argyll-, Crail-, and Braemar-style jackets are suitable
Five- or six-button waistcoat in black, grey, putty, or tartan
Kilt
White shirt with turndown collar, French cuffs, and cufflinks
Tie in a single colour
Black brogues
Tartan, argyle, diced, or dark hose (white and off-white hose should be avoided)
Flashes or garter ties
Day Dress sporran. These have less intricate designs and are often black leather. However a full dress sporran is not considered inappropriate
Day Dress sgian dubh. Again less intricate than a full dress one, these are typically made of horn or antler.
Dirk
- Morning dress.jpg (75.1 KiB) Viewed 28626 times
Traditionally, black tie Scots Highland dress comprises:
- Black barathea jacket with silver buttons – Regulation Doublet, Prince Charlie (coatee), Brian Boru, Braemar, Argyll, and black mess jackets are suitable. There is some contention about whether the Duke of Montrose and Sheriffmuir doublets are too formal for black-tie occasions.
Matching or tartan waistcoat
Kilt
White shirt with shirt studs, French or barrel cuffs, and a turn-down collar (wing collars are reserved for white tie in most locales)
Black bow tie or white lace jabot
Evening dress brogues
Full-dress kilt hose (diced or tartan) (Off-white hose are often seen but are deplored by some, such as the late David Lumsden of Cushnie)
Silk flashes or garter ties
Dress sporran with silver chain
Black, silver-mounted Sgian dubh
Dirk (optional)
Highland bonnet with crest badge (only suitable out of doors)
- Black tie.jpg (281.28 KiB) Viewed 28626 times
The traditional white-tie version of Highland dress consists of:
- Formal kilt doublet in barathea or velvet — the regulation doublet, Montrose doublet, Sheriffmuir doublet, and Kenmore doublet are suitable in a variety of colours. Velvet is considered to be a more formal material. The Prince Charlie (coatee) is considered to be less formal, although when introduced it was to be worn with a White lace jabot. Tartan jackets are also seen.
Waistcoat in white marcella, tartan (usually to match the kilt), red, or the same material as the doublet; no waistcoat is worn with the Kenmore doublet
Kilt with formal kilt pin
White stiff-front shirt with wing collar and white, gold, or silver studs and cufflinks for the regulation doublet, or a white formal shirt and optional lace cuffs for the Montrose, Sheriffmuir, and Kenmore doublets
White lace jabot; a black silk or white marcella bow tie may be worn in place of the jabot with the regulation doublet (highland wear often includes a black bow tie even at white-tie events)
Black formal shoes or black buckle brogues
Tartan or diced kilt hose
Silk garter flashes or garter ties
Silver-mounted Sporran in fur, sealskin, or hair with a silver chain belt
Black, silver-mounted, and jeweled sgian dubh
Short belted plaid with silver plaid brooch (optional)
Scottish dirk (optional)
Highland bonnet with badge (only worn out of doors)
- White tie.jpg (71.69 KiB) Viewed 28626 times