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Kilt Etiquette
According Debrett’s A-Z of Modern Manners, there are two
rules for kilts: they should only be worn by
those with a Scottish or Gaelic connection; and the correct
attire must be worn to suit the occasion.
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Irish Evening Dress
Brian Boru outfit shown with optional Fly
Plaid
Irish formal evening dress is
distinguished from Highland Dress by the Brian Boru jacket,
a modified Prince Charlie coatee with a shawl collar, chain closure
and round buttons with an Irish harp emblem.
The jacket is named after the Irish emperor who ruled from
1002 to 1014.
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Welsh Evening Dress
The "Welsh Charlie jacket" has tartan
highlights at the cuffs and tail and the matching waistcoat
has similar highlights on its pockets. |
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"Below the Belt"
Shown here are diced kilt hose with garter flashes.
The shoes are ghillie brogues. |
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Formal Facts: The Prince Charlie
Jacket
The back of a Prince Charlie jacket showing tails (tashes).
The Prince Charlie jacket is named after
Charles Edward Stuart, pretender to the British throne and
grandson of the deposed Catholic King of England and
Scotland James II.
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Scottish Formal Attire
Scottish evening dress
traces its roots back to the seventeenth century and is as diverse
as Anglo-American black tie, if not more so. Consequently,
this page is only intended to serve as an introduction to the topic.
It does so by repeating the descriptions in the Wikipedia "Highland
Dress" article (which has
improved considerably since the previous edition of the Guide) and enhancing them with some additional clarification and
much-needed illustrations.
For in-depth explanations of
the various components of highland dress the Guide highly recommends
Kinloch
Anderson’s web site. They are a sixth-generation family company
based in Edinburgh and are official tailors and kiltmakers to the
Royal Family which makes them a much more reliable source of
etiquette than mainstream rental shops.
Scotweb is another excellent
visual resource and most images here are taken from their site.
Highland Dress: Black-Tie Equivalent
According to Wikipedia, Scottish Highland
dress is often worn to black and white tie occasions, especially at
Scottish reels and céilidhs (traditional social dances). Customarily,
the black-tie equivalent consists of the following:
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jacket |
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black barathea kilt
jacket:
· Argyll, Braemar
jacket (least formal, see note following)
· Prince Charlie
jacket (the most popular)
· regulation doublet
alternatively, a
black mess jacket
there is some contention about whether the Montrose doublet
or Sheriffmuir doublet are too formal for black tie; they should be worn
with the accompaniments described for
white-tie equivalents.
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kilt |
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kilt
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waist covering |
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matching waistcoat,
low cut and fastened with three Celtic buttons
Wikipedia also
states that
the waistcoat can be tartan but that option seems to apply
only to the Argyll jacket or Sheriffmuir doublet
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shirt
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white shirt with shirt studs, French or barrel cuffs, and a
turndown collar (wing collars are reserved for white tie in
most locales)
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neckwear
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black bow tie
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footwear
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evening dress
brogues – defined by Kinloch & Anderson as ghillie brogues
(tongue-less brogues with long laces that wrap around the
lower leg and tie above the ankle) or buckle
brogues (tongue-less brogues closed with a strap and
decorated with a buckle on the toe of the shoe)
full-dress kilt hose
(knee-length wool socks) in diced (broad criss-crossing
diagonal stripes of two different colors) or tartan
patterns;
off-white hose are often seen but are deplored by some
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accessories |
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silk flashes (a pair
of decorative pointed vertical strips of fabric attached to
elastic sock garters) or silk garter ties (traditional sock garters made from
fabric that ties around the calf)
dress sporran
(decorative pouch worn at the front of the kilt) with silver
chain
black,
silver-mounted sgian dubh (a small ornamental knife tucked
into the kilt hose)
optional dirk (an
ornamental cut-down sword)
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outerwear
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Highland bonnet with crest badge (only suitable out of doors)
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Regarding the Braemar jacket, Scottishtartans.org reports that "Braemar" is actually just a style of
cuff (specifically, a three-button patch cuff) that can be applied
to any kilt jacket. They
are typically seen on Prince Charlie jackets but are sometimes seen
on Argyll jackets thus leading some makers to refer to the latter as
Braemar jackets. Even
more confusing, “Argyll” refers to both a style of jacket and a
style of cuff (specifically, a gauntlet cuff). While the
jacket and eponymous cuff are usually matched together it is
nonetheless possible to have an Argyll jacket with Braemar cuffs or
a Prince Charlie jacket with Argyll cuffs.
Highland Dress: White-Tie Equivalent
The more elaborate forms of
Highland Dress are reserved for white-tie occasions although it is
actually more common to see Highland Dress black-tie equivalents at
these occasions.
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jacket |
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formal kilt doublet in barathea or
velvet:
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regulation
doublet
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Montrose
doublet
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Sheriffmuir
doublet
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Kenmore doublet
all
are suitable in a variety of colors
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kilt |
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kilt
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waist covering |
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waistcoat in white
marcella, tartan (to match the kilt), or the same material
as the (regulation or Sherrifmuir) doublet
no waistcoat is worn
with the Kenmore doublet (nor, presumably with the Montrose
doublet as it is double-breasted); instead, Kinloch Anderson
says these two doublets are usually worn with a belt
Kinloch Anderson says that the Sheriffmuir should be paired
with a waistcoat that closes with seven Celtic buttons
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shirt
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white stiff-front
shirt with wing collar and white, gold, or silver studs and
cufflinks for the regulation doublet
white formal shirt and optional lace cuffs for the Montrose,
Sheriffmuir, and Kenmore doublets
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neckwear
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white lace jabot (a
cascade of lace or ruffles on the breast of a garment)
with
the regulation doublet a black silk or white marcella bow
tie may be worn in place of the jabot (highland wear often
includes a black bow tie even at white tie events)
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footwear
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black ghillie
brogues or black buckle brogues
tartan or diced kilt hose
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accessories |
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studs and links as
noted under "shirt" for regulation doublet
formal kilt pin
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
optional
fly plaid or
short belted plaid
(a square piece of cloth in the same tartan as the kilt
attached to the left shoulder of the jacket with a
decorative broach)
optional dirk
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outerwear
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Highland bonnet with crest badge (only suitable out of
doors)
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Lowland Dress
According to Wikipedia the
traditional Lowland equivalent of black tie is tartan trews
(tight-fitting trousers worn as an alternative to the kilt) combined
with a standard dinner jacket or a Prince Charlie jacket. Trews are often worn in summer and in warm climes.
Traditional white-tie
Lowland dress is a variant of standard white tie that substitutes
tartan trews for the usual full-dress trousers and may include a
suitable kilt jacket or doublet instead of the tailcoat.
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LEAST FORMAL KILT JACKETS
Argyll jacket: this is the least formal option because lapels
are notched and self-faced. Cuffs are usually Argyll
style (gauntlet) as shown.
Prince Charlie jacket (aka coatee): features peaked
lapels which are usually faced in satin; back of jacket features
short tails and cuffs are usually Braemar style as shown.
MOST FORMAL KILT JACKETS
Regulation doublet: a Prince Charlie with flaps at front and
back. The
fly plaid is optional.
Sheriffmuir doublet: shown with corresponding 7-button
waistcoat.
Montrose doublet: usually worn with a lace
jabot and cuffs.
Kenmore doublet: shown in green velvet.
LOWLAND VARIATION
Lowland Dress black-tie variation: Prince Charlie jacket
and trews. |
