Figure 1.--.

The key elemements of the Higlands dancing costume worn by boys is of course the kilt. There are, however, several other garments needed for the complete outfit which inclusde include the following:

Caps

Girls often dance bare headed. Boys usually wear caps. The Balmoral is the most common cap. The Glengarry often worn by pipers is less commonly worn by Highland dancers. The cap is often adorned with a colored pom or feather.

Jackets

Black jackets were popular. Often they were made of velvet. Other colored jackets were also worn as well as tweed jackets. Some of the jackets, especially the black ones had decorative braid.

A dancer asks, "Do any of the experienced sewers amongst you know of good way to get the braid onto these jackets without it puckering the velvet and pulling it out of shape? This is especially the case round the front neckline where the curvature is sharpest, I don't find there is so much of a problem at the bottom points. I just find the nature of the braid absolutely impossible to ease round the curve. I've tried pushing it under the presser foot with a screwdriver, but it doesn't ease at all and consequently pulls that part of the jacket badly. Hopefully somebody has the magic trick!

One sewer suggests, "This is why I end up sewing it on by hand - the braid has some stretch to it, so you can ease it around the curves. It also may help to baist it on. One person had suggested steaming the braid in a rice steamer to make it limp, then it stiffens up." Another seer suggests, "Soak the braid in very hot water to make it pliable and stretch and apply the outside edge of the curve before doing the inside. You can also buy some magic 2-sided tape that you can sew through. It is narrow - about a quarter inch. Tape the braid in place before sewing it. I tape the braid this way and it works great. I also stretch the outside curves. I also use the tape to stick the lining to the velvet before I sew it. In this case, I tape it at the extreme outside edge and don't sew through the tape because I don't want any tape visible when I turn it right side out."

Waistcoats

Waistcoats are made in velvet, mostly with gold or silver trim. The velvet is made in a wide range of colors to complement the dancers kilt.

Shirts and Blouses

Boys generally wear white shirts with bowties. Some boys with fancy costumes might wear a lacey jabot. Blouses are worn by the girl dancers and come in various styles. The square neck is popular. They are now mostly made in white poly-cotton broderie-angise trim with half sleeve.

Kilts

The kilt is perhaps the best known of all the garments worn in Scottish Highkand dancing. The kilt is worn by almost all boys doing Higland dancing. The kilt has fairly standard construction. The kilt is almost always the clan tartan, contrasting with boys doing Irish step dancing who normally wear solid colored kilts. The tartan patterns have an interesting history of their own. HBC has not yet addressed this topic, but plans to in the future. Solid colored kilts are almost never seen in Highland dancing. Girls primarily wear tartan dresses or Aboynes, but when performing certain dances also wear kilts like the boys. (See "Girls Dancing Costume" below.) One important element of the kilt, including the ones worn by dancers, is that they are heavily pleated. There are different ways of doing te pleating.

Highland Dancers Capes

One of the most popular styles is the Inverness hooded cape with or without tartan trim. They are mostly made in red, burgundy, emerald, navy and olive.

Footwear

There are various styles of Highland dance shoes. The most important is the Ghillie style. "Billy Forsyth" dance pumps are popular. Specials shoes are worn for the jig. Jig shoes are made in red, green or red/green.

Highland Dancers Hose

All Highland dancers wear kneesocks, often with flashes. The dancers generally tartan socks to match the tartan of the kilt, but some wear white kneesocks.

Swords

The sword is an important element for many Higland dancers. It is of course used in several dances.

Sailor Hornpipe Costume

The hornpipe costume according to the BATD hornpipe book consists of the following. The jumper should be of navy blue material (serge or twill) or white drill, shaped to the body and with set in sleeves. The jumper must have a standard neck front opening with double thickness collar attached. the bottom of the jumper should be in line with the fork and the sleeves to extend to the wrist-bone. The trousers should be of the same material and to be the same color as the jumper. The trousers should be bell-bottomed style, the circumference of the trouser-bottoms to be two to three inches wider than the cicumference of the knee. Trouser bottoms to be plain. Th vest (undershirt) is to be white drill with square neck and bound with navy binding. The cap should be regulation white or navy blue with circular crown. The collar is to be navy or blue denim with white stripes. Should be worn with either navy or white suit.

Created: December 9, 2001
Last updated: April 20, 2002