I think there is a danger of over-thinking all this. Surely we must have a discretion sense lurking in our brain that knows what looks right even with a minor matter like tie length that theoretically is a tad too long. Now these clan chiefs whose pictures are being used for illustration purposes have been around kilts for more than a wee while and know what works and are quite happy with an extra inch or two of tie length. Guidelines are there to guide and not to be rigidly, even slavishly, adhered to.

Now here we are again with shades of the "too traditional" appearing and well into kilt wearing subtleties that only a lifetime of kilt wearing that allows these adjustments to one's attire and to get away with it! Which must be confusing, very confusing even, to those who are fairly new to all this and are desperately trying to find the formula that works and avoids the rather rigid look of those trying to understand the almost, it seems, impossible.

Solution? A saying that I read somewhere just today:" a mind is like a parachute, it only works when its open". That and lots of experience!