Pimpin' :)

[unixken]

I have a tam-o-shanter made from the same 10oz wool, and though there is a small difference in sett size, I think the 45 degree rotation and the visually busy colors of the Buchanan Modern tartan will make it difficult to pick up on what appears to be only an inch or so difference, in the rather large-ish asymetrical Buchanan sett. At least that was my feeling when I held the hat up against the kilt.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

If you look at the photo of myself in my New House Highland tartan, you'll see the sett size on my waistcoat is a bit smaller than the sett size on the kilt. I agree, I think it looks nice if the sett size is the same, but I also think having a slightly smaller sett size in the waistcoat doesn't spoil the look.

I was wearing this same outfit, plus a plaid in the same tartan, at the Stone Mountain Highland Games. I was talking with a man who was fretting about getting a tartan waistcoat made and not having the sett size match his kilt tartan precisely. He was very concerned about it, until I pointed out to him that the tartan in my kilt, waistcoat, and plaid were all three slightly different set sizes, from three different weaves. He looked me up and down, and then decided matching the precise sett size wasn't that important. :-)

[Dale Seago]

I agree with Matt -- I think slightly differing sizes might even enhance the "visual interest".

[unixken]

A more important concern would be that the dyes don't differ significantly, when two different runs of fabric are used. I went with wool from the same tartan mill as the kilt, to maximize the likelihood of matching dyes.