Tenues Trews

Tartan trousers, cut close through the leg and traditionally made from cloth cut on the bias so the sett runs at an angle down the leg. They are older than the modern kilt and were the everyday Highland dress of the gentry. Today they are the recognised formal alternative to a kilt for men.

A kilt reads more traditional and gets more attention. Trews read quieter and travel better, and they are the usual choice for men who want Highland dress without the visibility, or who have to sit through a long formal dinner. Both are correct at a wedding. See tartan kilts if you are weighing the two.

Entirely. Trews are formal Highland dress in their own right, not a substitute or a compromise, and they have a longer history than the modern kilt does. Nobody will read it as avoiding the kilt. They are also the practical choice for older guests and for anyone who has to travel a long way.

The same jackets as with a kilt. An Argyll for daytime and a Prince Charlie for evening, with a white shirt and a plain or tartan tie. Ordinary black shoes rather than ghillie brogues, since brogues belong with a kilt. No sporran, no hose and no flashes, because trews have pockets and cover the leg.

Close through the thigh and calf without gripping, and long enough to break slightly over the shoe. They sit higher at the waist than modern trousers. Send waist, hip, inseam and outseam, and take the inseam from the crotch to the top of the shoe heel rather than to the floor.

Premium acrylic woven to the sett, cut on the bias where the style calls for it so the pattern runs diagonally down the leg. Acrylic holds a pressed crease and keeps colour through repeated wear, and it is noticeably lighter than heavier traditional cloth over a long evening in a warm room.

No. Trews have pockets, which is the entire reason a sporran exists, and hanging one over the front of trousers has no precedent and looks odd. Wear ordinary shoes rather than ghillie brogues too. The jacket, shirt and tie stay the same as with a kilt.

For many people, yes. They attract far less attention, they need fewer accessories, and they behave like ordinary trousers when you sit through a long dinner. The trade off is presence, since a kilt makes a stronger impression in photographs. See kilts if that matters more to you.