Kilt and necktie in matching tartan?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I think Jamie looks very smart. There is a sort of tradition that nothing tartan should be worn above the waist when kilted but, like all such rules, it is there to be broken. Where exactly it originated I do not know but, looking at genuine costumes such as these from the National Museum of Scotland refutes any historical basis for such beliefs -

It has often been repeated (and for good reason) that tartan neck ties are not ideal to wear with the kilt. However, the suggestion that nothing tartan should be worn above the waist when wearing a kilt has no basis, neither historically (as you demonstrated) nor in traditional or modern highland attire.

I'll add this painting of the MacDonald boys for another historical example.


And as for more modern examples, there are all manner of perfectly appropriate tartan accessories meant to be worn with the kilt "above the waist," including waistcoats (vests), fly plaids, pipers' & drummers' plaids, tartan doublets, and so forth.






In fact I can really only think of two accessories "above the waist" which really don't work well in tartan if one is wearing the kilt -- tie and cap. Make that three if you also include the shirt.