Buchanan Highland Wear and Dress Code Guide
Proper wearing of Scottish Highland attire is essential. We must emphasize that we are wearing modern Scottish national dress not a costume (from WEARING HIGHLAND ATTIRE by Thomas G. Mungall, M.Ed.,1992, 1999, 2001, 2007 & 2008).
Remember that a Kilt is effectively like a pair of pants, but unlike pants which change for the occasion, the kilt stays the same but it is how you dress it up that sets the tone as to whether its anything from casual/informal up to very very formal.
Buchanan Clan members should avoid cheap acrylic kilts (typically from Pakistan) and should only wear authentic 5 or 8 yard kilts made from worsted wool in either 13 or 16 ounce weight fabric. Ideally, said kilt should only be in the official Buchanan Modern tartan. Any second Kilts, etc. should be done in other official variations such as Ancient or weathered. Other additional kilts can be done in the official hunting (currently only woven by House of Edgar, see tartan registry for the exact design) or other recognized tartans such as the blue by Locharron.
It is important to purchase flashes and a fly plaid when you get a kilt to ensure that they match. A matching tartan tie is also worthwhile to purchase as well for certain occasions.
Ceilidh (Informal)
Jacket?
Shirt: Jacobite Shirt
Sporran: Historical, plain leather or day sporran or full-mask sporran.
Belt and Buckle: Silver, Brass or other color buckles with a black or brown belt as appropriate
Flashes: Elastic garter with tartan or plain color.
Kilt Hose: Plain toning kilt hose
Shoes: Plain oxford brogues or gillie brogue-style shoes. Doc Martin style boots are also acceptable footwear.
Accessories:
Kilt pin
Sgian dubh
Optional bonnet, Balmoral or Glengarry with crest and badge or a flat cap.
Dressy Informal
Jacket?
Shirt: Dress style, preferably oxford cloth shirts; tattersall or tiny gingham check shirts are also appropriate (ideally with French cuffs and cufflinks)
Five button Waistcoat (can be tartan, but should be done on the bias. No belt should ever be worn with a waistcoat)
Necktie Tweed tie, plain wool or silk tie
Sporran: Historical, plain leather or day sporran or full-mask sporran.
Flashes: Elastic garter with tartan or plain color.
Kilt Hose: Plain toning kilt hose
Shoes: Plain oxford brogues or gillie brogue-style shoes
Accessories:
Kilt pin,
Sgian dubh
Optional bonnet, Balmoral or Glengarry with crest and badge or a flat cap.
Morning Dress or Daywear Plus
Daywear comes in varying levels of formality, similar to wearing a sport jacket, suit or evening wear. Always ensure your attire matches the occasion. For events where men will be wearing morning suits or "cutaways," Highland garb should be a more formal version of daywear.
The appropriate sartorial elements for this level of formality include:
Jacket: Black (or charcoal) semi-formal kilt jacket (e.g., Argyll/Crail jacket with Braemarstyle cuffs).
Kilt: The traditional Highland garment.
Dress Shirt: White or in a solid color, ideally with turndown collar, French cuffs, and cufflinks.
Tie: Single color silk or wool. Coordinated with the overall attire.
Kilt Hose: Off-white or solid color.
Shoes: Black oxford brogues or gillie brogue-style shoes.
Flashes: Elastic garter with tartan or plain color.
Sporran: Leather, animal head, or fur.
Waistcoat: Five- or six-button waistcoat in black, grey, putty, or tartan on the bias. Possibly made from matching material to the jacket or tartan on the bias.
Footwear: Gillie brogues or similar formal shoes such as oxford brogues.
Accessories:
Sgian Dubh: Tucked into the right sock as a final touch.
Kilt pin.
This attire is suitable for more formal occasions where evening wear is not appropriate, such as church services, Kirking of the Tartans, daytime receptions, and morning or afternoon weddings.
General Daywear (Sportswear)
Tweed or Crail Highland Jacket: also known as Tweed Braemar or Tweed Crail, typically done in Charcoal, Black, Blue, or Green Lovat Tweed.
Waistcoat: Five-button waistcoat in matching tweed (optional). A belt is never worn when wearing a waistcoat
Belt and Buckle: Brass or other color buckles for tweed kilt jackets
Necktie: Tweed tie, plain wool or silk tie, or silver-grey silk wedding tie/ruche cravats (not tartan).
Sporran: Plain leather or day sporran or full-mask sporran.
Kilt Hose: Plain toning kilt hose (off-white hose must never be worn with tweed jackets).
Shirt: Dress style, preferably oxford cloth shirts; tattersall or tiny gingham check shirts are also appropriate (ideally with French cuffs and cufflinks)
Flashes: Elastic garter with tartan.
Shoes: Plain oxford brogues or gillie brogue-style shoes.
Accessories:
Kilt pin
Sgian dubh
Bonnet (Balmoral or Glengarry with crest and badge)
Semi-Formalwear
Day or Evening, Think “full matching suit”
Jacket: black Barathea Argyll Jacket.
Waistcoat: Black Barathea five-button waistcoat.
Shirt: White with turndown collar, French cuffs, and cufflinks.
Belt and Buckle: If not wearing the waistcoat or cummerbund.
Sporran: semi-formal sporran.
Neckwear: Silver grey wedding tie or black bow tie for the evening.
Hose: Plain kilt hose.
Shoes: Ghillie brogues or plain brogues.
Accessories:
Kilt pin
Sgian dubh
Wedding (Afternoon)
Jacket: Tweed jacket (dark grey tweed is also correct) or Barathea Argyll Jacket.
Waistcoat: matching tweed or Black Barathea five-button waistcoat.
Shirt: White with turndown collar, French cuffs, and cufflinks.
Belt and Buckle: If not wearing the waistcoat or cummerbund.
Sporran: semi-formal sporran.
Neckwear: Silver grey wedding tie or black bow tie for the evening.
Hose: Plain kilt hose.
Shoes: Ghillie brogues or plain brogues.
Accessories:
Kilt pin,
Sgian dubh,
Black Tie Dinner / Ball / Evening Wedding Reception
Jacket: Coatee and Vest (Prince Charlie Jacket), Barathea Argyll Jacket, Regulation Doublet, Montrose Doublet, Sheriffmuir Jacket, or Kenmore Jacket.
Waistcoat: Matching, low cut and fastened with three to five Celtic buttons (can be tartan on the bias).
Shirt: White tux style with shirt studs, French or barrel cuffs, and a turndown collar (wing collars for white tie).
Neckwear: Black bow tie or white lace jabot, silk cravat.
Footwear: Evening dress brogues (buckle brogues or ghillie brogues), dress kilt hose (diced or tartan patterns are most formal; solid-color hose are less formal), silk flashes or silk garter ties.
Sporran: Dress sporran with silver chain.
Accessories:
Sgian dubh,
Dirk (optional),
Highland bonnet with crest badge (suitable outdoors).
Kilt pin
There is ongoing debate about whether the Montrose or Sheriffmuir doublets are overly formal for black tie events; they are generally paired with accessories meant for white-tie attire.
The Coatee, also referred to as the Prince Charlie jacket, is the most widely chosen formal evening jacket. It is typically made of black barathea, though velvet and other fabrics are acceptable. The lapels are usually crafted from silk, and the buttons on the Coatee are decorative and not functional. Red should never be worn, unless the wearer is a veteran.
White Tie Dinner
Jacket: Kilt jacket (Regulation Doublet, Montrose Doublet, Sheriffmuir Jacket, or Kenmore Jacket in barathea or velvet).
Waistcoat: White marcella, tartan (matching the kilt on the bias), or same material as the jacket (no waistcoat for Kenmore or Montrose doublet).
Shirt: White stiff-front shirt with wing collar, studs, and cufflinks.
Neckwear: White lace jabot (black bow tie for regulation doublet).
Footwear: Black formal shoes or black buckle brogues.
Hose: Diced or tartan kilt hose.
Fly Plaid: NOT TO BE WORN IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR CHIEF WITHOUT THE CHIEF’S PERMISSION, AND IF GRANTED, OVER THE RIGHT SHOULDER & NOT THE LEFT. The Chief rule is similar to the wedding rule: you don’t want to upstage the groom, and it shouldn’t be worn without consultation with the wedding planners.
Accessories:
Silk garter flashes or garter ties,
silver-mounted sporran,
sgian dubh,
fly plaid or short belted plaid (optional),
dirk (optional),
Highland bonnet with crest badge (suitable outdoors).
Kilt pin
General Guidelines
Bonnets: Remove indoors unless under arms. Only two types are appropriate: Glengarry (worn two fingers above the right eye) and Balmoral (worn straight with the side pulled down over the right side). For casual or day, a tweed flat cap can be worn.
Cromachs: A good walking stick is always appropriate.
Kilt Pins: Optional but should be appropriate for the level of dress and occasion.
Flashes: Should be worn coming forward from the side of the leg.
Sgian Dubhs: Matched to the level of formality.
Sporrans: Should be appropriate for the occasion. Formal occasions require silvermounted sporrans traditionally done in fur such as seal, mink etc.
Be careful not to mix formal wear with daywear or vice versa. An example of this is wearing daywear and a jeweled, silver-mounted dirk, or a half-belted plaid and brooch. An even worse example would be to wear a formal doublet or Prince Charlie coatee with daywear, which would be just as ridiculous as wearing a tweed jacket with evening wear. Tennis shoes with formal wear are also inappropriate!
Flashes are often worn incorrectly and should properly come forward from the side of the leg, with the front edge of the flashes in line with the laces of the shoes.