Hose Color with a Dress Tartan and Prince Charlie

[Friday]

Black wing-tips polished to Marines specifications would be fine.

IMHO the ban on white hose and tartan flashes seem to be based on not wanting to look like a rent-a-kilt wearer. Many business renting kilts find it easier to let you have any color kilt hose you want as long as they are white. The same for flashes, tartan flashes in the same tartan as the kilt are easy for rental places to supply.

If you read enough of the back threads you will see the hose color and flash style goes back and forth every couple of years. What combination of hose colors and flash style makes you feel you look your best? Or, if you are like me, which combination makes you look your best in the eyes of your wife?

This is clothing and not a uniform, yes there are some standards of dress but these should work within you personal sense of style.

[madmacs]

This is clothing and not a uniform, yes there are some standards of dress but these should work within you personal sense of style.

...and budget

[Chas]

The rental aspects of tartan flashes apart, the main thing wrong with them is that they are all too long - far, far too long.

If you can put them on and only have 2" tops (absolute max) showing - no problem. A little splash of colour on dark hose is not a bad thing.

Oxfords or wingtips, will work in practically all occasions. You are probably going to be on your feet a lot that day. Buying a new pair of shoes for the occasion could mean pain.

Regards

Chas

[Spartan Tartan]

When is the wedding? Have you cpnsidered diced hose?

If not diced, I'd go with claret hose as well. I prefer garter ties, so would wear a set of those in a complimentary color to the kilt for a splash of color. I would avoid black--but because there are so many other colors

If you have tartan flashes...wear those. they are fine. just roll them so less material shows (as previously noted, they are quite long).

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I agree with David that claret (maroon) colored hose would look very nice, and I would suggest either yellow or white (ecru) flashes. Some versions of the MacPherson Dress tartan I have seen are woven with purple in which case purple hose would also be a good choice.

[Tobus]

If it were me, buying these things for a wedding but planning to wear them in Scotland at a "black tie Highland Chieftain's Ball", I would most definitely try to stick with the traditional Highland customs so as not to look 'touristy' at the latter event.

As to hose, claret/maroon would be perfect. White or ecru hose may be worn, but can have a very generic look to them if they're not very thick.

For flashes, definitely stay away from tartan flashes. Plain red flashes (with a very minimal amount showing) would be better. Or even better than that, woolen garter ties. I always favour red, regardless of the tartan. But in your case, red garter ties would look strange with claret hose, so perhaps yellow would be perfect since the MacPherson dress tartan has a yellow line.

On shoes, I would go with plain black polished Oxfords or a cap-toe shoe. Wingtips (brogues) really aren't the best shoe for this level of dress, even though it is occasionally done.

[Friday]

The rental aspects of tartan flashes apart, the main thing wrong with them is that they are all too long - far, far too long.
Chas

Why? What is this length factor based?

For flashes, definitely stay away from tartan flashes.

Why?

[creagdhubh]

Bob,

I would like to say at the outset, congratulations on your purchase of a kilt in the very smart, Macpherson dress tartan (also known as the "Macpherson of Cluny" tartan). I have seen it worn by many of my fellow Macphersons, to include my Chief, Sir William Alan Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie, both here in the US, and abroad at various Clan Macpherson events, to include our annual gathering and rally in that beautiful part of Scotland known as Badenoch - from whence we (Macphersons) all came.

From personal experience and in accordance with traditions amongst the Clan Macpherson men, to include Cluny, the majority of Macpherson men wear "Argyll" style hose in the Macpherson dress tartan colours in order to match the tartan of the kilt as best as possible. This is by far, the vast majority when men are kilted in the Macpherson dress tartan, which is typically reserved for formal, evening events only - think black-tie events. I have seen a few Macpherson men within the clan wearing plain claret or maroon hose with the Macpherson dress tartan, since many of the woven setts today contain the double magenta stripes. However, my Macpherson dress tartan has double scarlet stripes, which is actually the original colours approved by Ewen Macpherson of Cluny, or "Old Cluny," the chief of the Clan Macpherson from the mid-nineteenth century until his death in 1885. Old Cluny submitted his sample of the Macpherson dress tartan (as well as the famous Macpherson 'hunting' tartan, or the breacan glas, "the grey plaid of Cluny.") to Wilson's of Bannockburn.

So, my recommendation would be "Argyll" style hose made in the Macpherson dress tartan colours to match your kilt, with flashes in either yellow to match the single yellow stripe of the tartan, or in claret, to match the double magenta stripes of the tartan. Scarlet flashes would work just as well too, as that is what I typically choose to wear, yet I am also matching to the double scarlett stripes in my version of the Macpherson dress tartan. Cluny wears scarlet flashes with his "Argyll" style hose the majority of the time. As far as footwear is concerned, plain black shoes would look far better than the "Ghillie" brogues, in my opinion. I prefer the bar and buckle brogues that have silver buckles attached to the toes and are designed in the "Mary Jane" style in order to show more of the design and colour of the "Argyll" style hose, or plain hose if one chooses to wear.

Here are a few visual examples of Macpherson men (to include Cluny and Clan Macpherson Chieftains) wearing the Macpherson dress tartan at several Clan Macpherson events:









Best of luck!