What is Sharp?

[CMcG]

In terms of your approach to wearing the kilt, what would you call "sharp"? Alternatively, what do you see as "sharp" about the way other folks wear the kilt?

I understand that this is a rather vague question, but I think that makes it a good one for discussion, so I'm loathe to try and pin it down too much. Sharp is an adjective with a positive quality and I think it would be fun to ruminate about what (if any) differences there are between sharp and other qualifiers.

Your answer could general or specific, traditional or modern, historical or contemporary, fashionable or classic, casual or formal, etc. To get some mileage out of this, however, examples will be helpful; pictures are especially welcome, but text explanations are good too.

Before someone(s) makes a play about bladed accoutrements (sgian, dirk, etc), let me preemptively say ha, ha, ha, and please stick to more sartorial things

This is partially motivated by my recent participation in the Canada's Sharpest Man contest. I don't, however, want to make it about that contest. Instead, I'd like to use the concept as a springboard for discussion.

What say you?

[English Bloke]

The degree of "sharpness" is assisted by the confidence of the individual. It's mostly about how the clothes are carried on the person, not about the clothes themselves. Within reason of course.

[ScotFree]

The degree of "sharpness" is assisted by the confidence of the individual. It's mostly about how the clothes are carried on the person, not about the clothes themselves. Within reason of course.

Yes John, but don't you think that when you look in the mirror and say to yourself, "Myself, you look sharp!" that this helps to produce that air of confidence? I would venture to say that it is far harder to carry off a look you don't yourself think is a good one.

[Father Bill]

Respect for (and knowledge of) tradition, confidence, not overdone. That's sharp in my books.

[English Bloke]

Of course, hence the "within reason". We don't venture forth unless we've judged our appearance acceptable. My point is we wouldn't carry ourselves the same if we felt we weren't up to the mark. This goes for any clothing, not just Kilts. Good tailoring and a spot on fit helps as well. Not always possible with off the peg, which let's be honest, is how most of us buy our clothes. The only bespoke items I possess are Kilts and one suit.

[CMcG]

I agree that confidence is key, especially in terms of how one feels about themselves. Nonetheless, I have seen guys who obviously think they look like a million bucks in their kilt, but who didn't look sharp. At all! Then again, it often seems to be confidence that takes a well put together kilt outfit and gives it the *pop* that Mikilt mentioned.

Father Bill has a good point about not overdoing it, which was more or less the subject of our "Too Traditional" discussion a while back. For me, the "respect for (and knowledge of) tradition" that he mentioned plays out as classic style, neither historical/costumey nor too contemporary.

Further to the relationship of classic style and sharp, I don't usually think of modern kilts that way. I've seen guys looking cool, funky, or edgy, but usually not sharp. This could just be my own bias and I'm open to being convinced otherwise... Come to think of it, I don't usually think of formal wear as sharp either. It's just too... formal

English Bloke's mention of fit is important and yet often overlooked in this "off the peg" world. My best fitting clothing was bespoke or made to measure, but a close second would be things that I had altered. Given that I buy a lot of stuff at thrift shops, spending a few bucks to get pants/sleeves hemmed or to suppress the waist on a jacket is money well spent. There's something about clothes that hug the body while still allowing freedom of movement that is just sharp! There is a trend in menswear right now for really skinny or tight fitting clothing, which I hope stays well away from the kilted world...

One time I was at a tailor and a young guy came in to have his shirts altered, which is not something I'd even thought about, but is actually a pretty good idea. Not that I need to, after taking advantage of the cheap custom shirt industry while I was in Hong Kong

[Scout]

... Good tailoring and a spot on fit helps as well ...

That would be my #1 criteria. Kilts or pants, regardless of the style or level of formality it all needs to fit! It also all needs to be properly cared for (cleaned and pressed).

[TheBrus]

That would be my #1 criteria. Kilts or pants, regardless of the style or level of formality it all needs to fit! It also all needs to be properly cared for (cleaned and pressed).

Yes, I'd say that being cleanly and neatly dressed (attention to detail) is probably more important to being sharp than being fully accessorized. Just being sure that your hose cuffs are even, your flashes/garters are properly aligned, your kilt is on straight and not sagging... these kinds of things make you sharply dressed. However, matching the the accessories that you do have to the occasion or task at hand goes along with this.

[rondo]

I'll take a stab at this:
Today I'm working my bar/restaurant. As the owner I wear what I choose. The kitchen is hot so full on formal is a non-starter. I am wearing a clean blue 50/50 poly T-shirt with company logo , a USA Kilts Semi-traditional [Holyrood], sporran has been put in office in exchange for a blue waist apron, Brown lacer boots and bright yellow hose scrunched down. I wear a brown and yellow cotton crocheted Rasta bonnet. This outfit is very casual but it is clean, fits well, and is in excellent repair. So even though casual it is, imho, sharp.

This covers, perhaps the most casual that I dress. In the evening the T is replaced with a button shirt, a tie or bolo and often the hose get pulled up as Il move from back of house to front of house.

In any case, I am better dressed than 95% of my clientele [which I find sad, really].

Rondo

[Java]

I have to agree with the first two responses. There are some clothes that are easier to look sharp in, but to me it's more how you wear them that makes you look "sharp". We've all seen men that manage to look frumpy in a tux, and others that manage to look sharp in khaki slacks and a polo shirt. In the same way, it's easier to look sharp in a traditional kilt. But to me, a man in a canvas kilt at the right height, hem parallel to the ground, with sharp pleats can look sharper than someone that is wearing a traditional kilt in a sloppy way. Again, it is, to me, obviously far easier to look "sharp" in the traditional kilt, or maybe I should say it is harder to look frumpy in the traditional kilt. My point in using an extreme and possibly controversial example to to make the point that it's the way the clothes are worn. In my mind what many in the "Sharp man" contest failed to see is that you can't buy "sharp". It's how you wear the clothes.