Here at The Student, we are very excited about our upcoming Winter Ceilidh, and in the spirit of Christmas-inspired festivities, we thought it would be helpful to describe what to wear – after all, if you don’t take part in a ceilidh when you’re in Edinburgh, when would you?
For a formal or black tie ceilidh, maxi dresses and suits are best, but incorporating kilts, jackets, shawls, or brooches can be a great way of paying homage to the dance’s Celtic origins. Whilst these could be purchased, they can also be rented from places around the city or student-specific sites, much like how people rent formal dresses or suits for black tie dinners.
If the ceilidh is more casual, a shirt or long-skirt vibe can be perfect; I have also heard of people going to ceilidhs in jeans and a jumper and having the best time! My best advice would be to make sure to wear something you can move in, so you can get properly stuck in with the overall joy that becomes infectious once everyone gets dancing (or trying to, at least).
Even if you are going to a more relaxed ceilidh, feel free to accessorise to your outfit further: earrings, brooches, or tartan scarves are all good choices. If you’re wearing traditional Scottish attire, why not opt for a sgian-dubh (small knife) to really mark you out as a local.
Another thing to be aware of is your footwear for a ceilidh. Please make sure they are comfortable, and you can dance in them! (And yes, that does probably include leaving your emotional-support Doc Martens at home, unless they are exceptionally well worn in.) This generally means choosing flats over heels –ballet flats, pumps or brogues are all good options.
Alternatively, traditional ghillie shoes or dance shoes can be perfect if you have them. Try also to avoid smooth soled shoes, because these will leave you sliding all over the floor: in all the chaos of a ceilidh, this is the last thing anyone wants!
So, my main advice would be, wear something comfy and something that you can dance in so you can enjoy the experience as much as possible! The Student’s Winter Ceilidh will be on November 29th, with a relatively relaxed dress code (I will be wearing my comfiest nice jeans so I can still take part). We hope to see as many of you as possible there – tickets are selling out fast on EUSA for what promises to be a fun-filled night! You can buy your tickets here.
Photo by Ardian Lumi on Unsplash