Will's kilt

I asked Will to give me a description of the components of his kilt outfit. And I got the following:

From the top, HAIR- kidding!

The White shirt im wearing is a classic Jacobite shirt.

The waistcoat is a black lowlander (which i am) waistcoat.

With a thistle worn on my left shoulder.

Standard kilt waist buckle, usually worn with Jacobite attire and can have all different designs, mine was chrome with a basic design, some have everything from thistles to celtic swirls if you get fancy.

Worn right on my front is my Semi-dress Sporran, simple pouch for keeping valuables on me (kilts have no pockets) why not full dress you ask? Well thats traditionaly only for formal evening only events, and doesn't reflect the occasion any more or less, but isn't a day Sporran, which you would wear casually every day.
Here's some literature on it-

• "The Semi-Dress Sporran Semi dress sporrans are much more versatile than the dress sporran. This is because they can be worn to day and evening events, while the dress sporran is restricted to formal evening events. The semi dress sporran is made with shorthaired skins such as seal but have a leather lid that folds roughly half way down the front of the sporran. The lid is often modestly embossed and sometimes has small metal details. They also have the matching skin tassels as seen on the dress sporran. This is the correct sporran to wear with the Argyll jacket that can be worn with an evening shirt and neckwear or plain day shirt and tie. The semi dress sporran is even more versatile though as it can be worn with day jackets as an alternative to the day sporran.
• With the Jacobite style in mind you can get actual Jacobite kilt pouches, that arent too dressy, but accurate like this one-http://www.heritageofscotland.com/Sporrans---Rob-Roy/Sporran--Rob-Roy/pid,3485,cid,147964,product.php.
• Or if you're brave there's always the very very traditional, entire red squirrel- http://www.mccalls.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39_46&products_id=194

My kilt tartan was modern macdonald, which the boy always takes from the mothers side of the family, though my name and obviousely my fathers is from the Gordon clan, the only clan to own 2 districts, Dumfries and Galloway, (where I'm from), and Ayrshire (where we were).

The little pin on my right knee area is a Kilt pin of a Claymore sword, here's something I found that explains it well-

• The kilt pin was developed at the request of Queen Victoria as the kilt became standard dress for the Highland regiments in the British army. She made this request as she feared the man exposing himself in public…. Thus the kilt pin was worn to hold both aprons of the kilt together, however the men found this restrictive so to remain 'in uniform' they pinned it through the front apron only.
• So now the kilt pin is maintained as an important part of a highland outfit, it is worn through the top apron only, as if it is placed through both there is a risk of tearing. Thus the kilt pin is simply a decorative and traditional item.
• The kilt pins we sell are available in a highly polished finish to match any jacket that has shiny buttons; it is also available in a matt or antique finish to suit jackets and sporrans that do not have the shine. Some kilt pins come with a coloured stone, this if chosen should be matching to a colour in the kilt
• To keep us from scaring the haggis basically-- I mean horses.

My socks are called Kilt hose-

• "Kilt Hose/Socks
  There are a number of different colours to choose from when purchasing a pair of hose. Generally people will wear black or cream hose with the Prince Charlie jacket and also the Argyll Jacket.
• When wearing a Tweed Argyll most people will match up the colour of hose with the colour of Jacket. Charcoal hose with charcoal jacket, Lovat Green hose with Green Jacket and Lovat Blue hose with blue Jacket. There are other colours available: Navy, Bottle Green, Red and Yellow. Some hose also come with a symbol stitched at the top of the hose such as a lion rampant, saltire etc.
• The little flags on the socks are called 'Flashes' they're to keep my Hose from falling down and are actually part of a band that wraps round my leg, and look pretty sweet there I guess to, so they made them look ...well Flashy?

My shoes are Ghillie Brouges (90% sure, thats all thats listed name wise for shoes on the shop website i got them at)

• Shoes Ghillie Brogues - The poorer highlander usually did not have any footwear as we know it today, what clothing they did have for their feet was generally the hide of an animal, usually deer. This was then lashed to the feet with strips of narrow leather called 'thonging'. As you can imagine this kind of footwear was not really very waterproof, so the highlander would in face make holes in these 'brogues' to allow the water out this prevented the wearer from getting sore feet. These holes are the forerunner for the patterns seen on the upper leather of today’s brogues"
• I'd of done the deer hide feet thing but my sister would of killed me as you can imagine.

Almost forgot, if you look at my right leg, at the top of the sock, sticking out tucked in under the flash, is my 'Sgian dubh'

• Pronounced "Skee(a)n doo"
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgian_dubh
• This was a concealed weapon to keep on your person, as weapons were usualy left at the door to a house or tavern, like swords etc, but this provided a secret method of defense, or even attack...

Hope that describes it all for the most part, this was my choice of wear, as I don't think I suited the more formal and suave Prince Charlie or Argyll dinner jackets etc etc, I'm more of a Rob Roy man.

Will