What to wear for Burns night
Yes, it often involves tartan.
Are you celebrating Burns Night? Or maybe you’re wondering what it is? Well, Burns Night is on the 25th January and is widely celebrated not only in Scotland but across the world as an applause of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. He wrote several poems and songs that are still famous to this day, including ‘Auld Lang Syne’.
But have you ever wondered what people wear on Burns Night, and how you should dress for a Burn's Night event? Of course, it varies depending on location and type of celebration, but here's a general overview of the Scottish tradition alongside a few tips on what to wear.
What happens on Burn's night?
If you’ve not been to a Burns Night before, you might be wondering what you actually get up to on the night. People come together for a Burns supper and eat the traditional meal of haggis, neeps and tatties with a side of whisky drinking.
Normally, the host of the supper will give a brief background on the life of Robert Burns and a few of his poems will be read out. Often, the night ends with some traditional ceilidh dancing, which is a lot of fun after a few glasses of whisky.
How should men dress for Burns Night?
Tradition says men should don a kilt. For those who don’t own one, you can hire the full look right down to the obligatory sporran from our highland collection.
If you or any other guests are Scottish, tradition would see you wear your family’s tartan. For those without Scottish blood, there are no set rules for which tartan you can wear, but if you’re at all worried about it, the Royal Stewart is officially open for anyone to wear. More styles are available to order in-store, so head to your nearest to see swatches of the full line-up.
The Burns Night dress code: making it work for you
If you don’t fancy the full regalia, how about a little tailored tartan? A dress suit in dark or light-hued check cloth is a more subtle way to join in. Or work a pair of tartan trews into your outfit for a nod to the night that’ll also work with other pieces you already own.
And finally, if you’re not keen on adding tartan to your outfit or really can’t get hold of anything tartan, a dinner suit will feel suitably formal for a night of national pride.
