Rugby Wear

[230Ball]

I'm considering a favorite rugby shirt with kilt as casual pub wear. This may be a dweeby question, but should the rugby shirt be tucked or un-tucked? If tucked, I presume a belt is in order. Any suggestions on a casual belt/buckle if this is the case?
Cheers

[Father Bill]

Others may not agree, but always tucked with a kilt or it looks more like a skirt, but the belt is still optional. If you do choose a belt, you should likely avoid one of those 'belly-plate' buckles in favour of a two or one tongue buckle. The plate is fairly formal.

Not 'dweeby' at all.

[Karl R]

If you do choose a belt, you should likely avoid one of those 'belly-plate' buckles in favour of a two or one tongue buckle.

I apologize for the thread hijack, but what do you mean by "belly-plate" buckle?

Kilt belts seem to come with a reasonably standard size buckle. Since I live in Texas, that's an average (or a smidge below average) size for a belt buckle.

[OC Richard]

Kilt belts seem to come with a reasonably standard size buckle. Since I live in Texas, that's an average (or a smidge below average) size for a belt buckle.

There are two traditional sizes of waistbelts worn in Highland Dress.

One is the 2.5 inch wide Victorian "dirk belt", worn to support a dirk. Though originally civilian, it was adopted for military pipers in the 1840s and today is regarded as a "military style" belt. It generally came as a set with a crossbelt, which supported a sword.

The other is the slightly narrower, and purely civilian, Evening Dress belt adopted in the early 20th century for use with the then-new Montrose jacket. It was generally worn alone, no dirk, no crossbelt.

Here's full Victorian civilian Evening Dress showing the dirk belt and crossbelt



This style of dirk belt and crossbelt has been maintained to this day by the army pipers



Here are two sets of hardware: left modern chrome-plated, right vintage solid German Silver



A set including plaid brooch, 1930s



The narrower 20th century civilian Evening Dress belt appeared as part of the Montrose jacket



By far the most common pattern of civilian Evening Dress buckle



Here it is being worn

[Karl R]

There are two traditional sizes of waistbelts worn in Highland Dress.

Here's full Victorian civilian Evening Dress showing the dirk belt and crossbelt

I hear what you're saying, but I'm still missing the point. Are the gentlemen in the photos wearing belly-plates, or not? It looks like they have an extra 1/2" (at most) in each direction over the ones I attach to my belt.

[OC Richard]

I hear what you're saying, but I'm still missing the point. Are the gentlemen in the photos wearing belly-plates, or not? It looks like they have an extra 1/2" (at most) in each direction over the ones I attach to my belt.

I've never heard the term "belly plates" and I'm not sure what it means.

With ACW accoutrements the term "belt plate" is used for rectangular solid belt buckles, as opposed to a "frame buckle" which is an open rectangle with tongue.

With Highland Dress I've generally heard them called "buckles" regardless of shape.

Also not sure what you mean by "an extra 1/2 inch in each direction". The buckles are rectangular. Nowadays they're always "landscape" but in Victorian times they would often be "portrait". The photo I posted above shows both dirk belt buckle styles with the same hardware pattern.

These Highland belts don't buckle like a belt used for jeans. The buckle has a loop for the belt (which loops back onto itself) on one side, and a tongue on the other side, that goes into a hook-like loop of metal. So you do the adjusting BEFORE you put the belt on.

The rear of the buckle



The belt

[Father Bill]

I apologize for the thread hijack, but what do you mean by "belly-plate" buckle?

Kilt belts seem to come with a reasonably standard size buckle. Since I live in Texas, that's an average (or a smidge below average) size for a belt buckle.

Yes, wear what you can get that you like. For Highland wear, the rectangular shiny buckles are generally for more formal wear so it would be mixing orders of dress. You’ll have to decide if you want to look like a Scot or a Texan.

[Rlail]

Yes, wear what you can get that you like. For Highland wear, the rectangular shiny buckles are generally for more formal wear so it would be mixing orders of dress. You’ll have to decide if you want to look like a Scot or a Texan.

Why not both? shrug

[Father Bill]

Why not both? shrug

Okay, let me be clearer: a Highlander or a Cowboy?

[FossilHunter]

I'm considering a favorite rugby shirt with kilt as casual pub wear. This may be a dweeby question, but should the rugby shirt be tucked or un-tucked? If tucked, I presume a belt is in order. Any suggestions on a casual belt/buckle if this is the case?
Cheers

I sometimes wear a polo shirt with a kilt. I think tucked is about the only way to go that looks good (in my opinion).

Personally I think you could go beltless. It’s a casual look (rugby shirt) and sometimes I forgo a belt when I’m dressing down.

If you want a belt, I would avoid the plate buckles as Father Bill suggested. Though I have occasionally seen brass versions of plate buckles worn to good effect with more casual outfits.