Sartorial Bliss Points

[GRKilt]

The idea of sartorial bliss from the "Overdoing It" thread got me to thinking about the idea of bliss points from the food industry. The idea is that there is an optimal level of, say, sugar in Coke that will satisfy the consumer so that more would be too much. As I understand it, everyone has their own bliss point, which is why there are so many different sugary cereals out there: they target different tastes.

I wanted to explore that idea based on my 6 months of wearing kilts. I have tried several different looks, with different levels of satisfaction.

I started out with with the UT Kilts deluxe model. Since that was July, I just wore it in place of shorts for everything from cleaning the basement to playing with the dog.



I liked this look for a summer and utility purpose, but wanted to try out something a bit more traditional looking. So, I got a Sportkilt and started to try out a more formal look, with a button down shirt and a converted tweed jacket. I quickly decided that the Sportkilt was too light weight to use for anything other than a very casual look:



Then I moved on to a USA Kilts semi-traditional in the Murphy tartan, which paired nicely with the tweed jacket. For Christmas, my wife surprised me with a semi-traditional in the Scruffy Wallace tartan.

I wore the tweed jacket and waistcoat for several events during the holidays and decided the look was way over the top. So, I followed Jock Scott's advice and switched to a wool sweater. This hit the right mark, as it matches the level of formality I tend to see.



Based on my short experience, I can say it takes a lot of effort to find the bliss point. It seems at times like a moving target.I recognized I had a couple of preferences. I like boots. I do not like flashes, and will frequently scrunch down my hose. I will wear a sporran if I am going out, but not casually at home. I prefer button down collars, and will wear a flat cap. But, I am not going for the "THCD" look. The kilt is way out of the ordinary here, so I tone down some elements and try to mirror what other people are wearing.

The last three pictures get close to what I want to achieve (other than the blur). When I hit this point, my choices started to push back into my ordinary day wear, and I am wearing more sweaters and ties at work. That tells me I am hitting the right point.

[Kiltboy]

That's an interesting read. I didn't realize it, but went through a near-identical process over the past few years. Your last two pictures come close to my own "bliss point". For me, it's casual, but smart.... with tartan.

[Highlander31]

Nice story. Congratulations on developing your own style.

Sounds similar to the path I traveled. While living in the SF Bay Area, I had settled on jackets and ties. Now that I live in a rural coastal area, it's pretty much sweaters, and on a rare occasion a jacket and tie.

[S Mitchell]

That's a nice look.

I think I'd wear wool jumpers much of the time (kilted or not) if it weren't so warm here in the Phoenix area. I'm still looking for ways to wear the kilt which are smarter than with tee shirts but cooler than with long sleeve dress shirts.

[Father Bill]

Short sleeved business shirts?

[Carlo]

Long sleeved shirts with the sleeves rolled back?

[S Mitchell]

Short sleeved business shirts?

That's a serious possibility. I never wear them in my non-kilted attire and so I don't own any. I'll have to shop around on the interwebs and see if any strike me. I might also consider polo shirts.

[Liam]

Looks like you are well on your way to finding your own style!

Cheers...Bill

[OC Richard]

Coming up on 40 years kilted now, and the 'bliss point' or what seems most natural or right has been steadily evolving.

Being a piper, I'm usually wearing kilts when I'm being paid to, and a certain level of smartness is expected.

I tend to grab the same kit nearly all the time, so that kit must be what seems right or natural to me. It's a black Argyll, blue shirt, random tie (striped, often red), IOS 16oz handstitched kilt, 100 year old goathair sporran, blue or claret hose with contrasting flashes, ghillies, black Glengarry or Balmoral. I rarely wear a waistcoat, belt, kilt pin, sgian, or any other doodads.