Month Four: Deciding Groomswear
How formal you need to be for your wedding day is the first consideration with groomswear: pub or palace, lochside inn, chic city boutique or country house hotel, grand castle, lighthouse, boat, atop a mountain, spring, summer, autumn, winter, outdoors or indoors - and so forth! For informal there's lounge suits, black-tie works well for an evening do, for a formal wedding you've dinner suit, tails, frock coats and white tie. But in Scotland you've one outfit that can be safely selected for any style of wedding - the kilt. Highland Dress and tartan are among the most dramatic and romantic of all the symbols of Scotland and Scots believe it to be the finest National Dress in the world!
Exactly when the first tartans and first kilts evolved is uncertain. The word tartan derives from the French 'tartaine' which means checkered cloth. The original tartans were simple checks of one or two colours, dyed with local plants, roots, berries and trees. Thus people in the same Highland areas of Scotland would wear the same coloured tartans. Today there are over 5,000 tartans and it is part of a 200 million pound industry. Clans were groups of people under the control of a chief whose name was adopted by his local subjects, thus their clothing became one means of identifying a clansman's origins, so in turn their tartan became the clan tartan. The Gaelic 'Feileadh Mor', the 'Feileadh Bhreacain' or the 'Belted plaid' are the predecessor to the modern day kilt. Originally it was a basic garment of 6ft tall cloth, belted around the waist and draped over the shoulder. The modern-day kilt owes its origins to the eighteenth century. If the subject interests you there's more on the history of Highland Dress and tartan on the informative website of Kinloch Anderson one of Scotland's oldest and foremost Highland Dress experts which holds the Royal Appointment as Tailors and Kiltmakers to HM the Queen (Her Majesty's exclusive Balmoral tartan is worn only by immediate members of the Royal Family).
Trews are as an authentic style of Highland Dress as the kilt. Originally made up of breeches and stockings all of one piece, modern day trews are more like trousers, made in tartan but without a side seam and often high waisted so as to be worn with a short jacket as an alternative to the kilt.
How to correctly wear and accessories Highland Dress requires expert advice based not only upon knowledge of past tradition and heritage, but also upon an understanding of modern trends. Even the sporran has several forms relating to whether it is day, semi-formal, formal or military wear. There's what jacket to wear- the Coatee and Vest (an evening formal jacket with short tails at the back and Celtic buttons that are not fastened), Doublet (of which there are several forms), the Argyll Jacket (semi-formal and suitable for day or evening wear but longer than the Coatee and Vest) and the Tweed jacket. Increasingly popular, many modern day grooms opt for a velvet jacket.
Then there are additional, essential accessories that form part of Highland Dress such as the Sgain Dubh (Gaelic for black knife) worn nowadays for ornamental purposes, the kilt pin, kilt hose and garter flashes, headwear, ties and brogues. The best place to start would be our Groomswear suppliers search. That will take you to a wide variety of outfitters who offer both hire services or who can dress you out from head to toe in an outfit that is eventually likely to be passed on as a family heirloom.
The next thing to decide is whether the groom's party will all dress the same (which can look stunning). If it is to be Highland Wear does the groom have a clan tartan, (if you are not sure go to scotclans). If not perhaps just choose one you like and ask your bride for her thoughts as you could begin to tie in a Highland Wear theme with the outfits worn by the bride's party (who may of course decide for you which tartan it is to be!).
If it all sounds daunting it does not have to be and indeed will be fun, memorable and the photos will never date! If it is too far to travel in advance for fittings do not let that deter you; many of our Groomswear suppliers located all across Scotland will be delighted to reserve suitable Highlands Dress for you and your groomsmen to pick-up the week of your Scottish wedding.
Finally, in Scotland it is considered lucky on her wedding day for a bride to put an old sixpence coin into her shoe. A nice touch would be for her groom to have that sent to her on the eve of her wedding. A search on the popular auction websites usually results in your being luck enough to secure one for a few pounds!
Next time we'll be looking at food for your wedding breakfast; which in Scotland means fantastic, fresh local produce, meat and fish including from our mountainsides, lakes, lochs and seas. Delicious!
VisitScotland's Wedding Planner
Wedding Top Tips
Month One: Getting Started
Month Two: Finding Your Dream Venue
Month Three: Bridal Wear
Month Five: Wedding Day Food
Month Six: Wedding Day Flowers
Month Seven: Photography
Month Eight: Transport
Month Nine: Guests
Month Ten: Hair and Beauty
Month Eleven: The Big Day
Month Twelve: Honeymoon
