Modern (Tactical) Kilts, the wear and accessorizing thereof. . .?

[MNlad]

For example: with the TDK, I will wear Corcoran Jump Boots, folded knee-high socks, a Wilderness Tactical web belt, one of a number of small, nylon pouches serving as a sporran, a modern tactical small knife as a sgian dubh, and one of several bits of jewelry pressed into service as a kilt pin. Colors are as appropriate, usually brown boots with brown belt and the same as with black).

Sounds good to me. The only exception I might have is with the kilt pin. They seem out of place to me on a modern kilt. Exceptions are, like Steve said, a patch sewn on, an embroidered pattern, etc. Since this is a "tactical" kilt, the last thing you want is a piece of bling getting in the way or giving away your position (just kidding ).

Welcome to the rabbble.

[Huginn and Muninn]

I'm another one whose Utilikilt was a gateway kilt into THCD. But I've taken several cues from THCD in how to accessorize, as I feel that the silhouette and proportions are similar. I always wear tall socks, although not always with a turnover. I'll usually wear tall boots, some boots taller than others. I like a knife in my sock, and sometimes it is a sgian, sometimes a modern knife. I also just like knives. I wear a kilt pin with a narrow apron because San Francisco is windy. I've worn a sporran with my UK mocker, since the pockets are hidden and sometimes awkward to store items. But that's only when I'm dressing up my top half as well, with at least collared shirt and sometimes vest/waistcoat.

[Panache]

I have always found that my modern kilt outfits look best when worn simply. You can have a nod to traditional highland dress, but keep it simple. For instance my traditional tam works well with my X Kilt and Stillwater Kilts nylon sporran.



Cheers

Jamie

[Tartan Hiker]

Steve mentioned using patches in lieu of kilt pins. I sew fuzzy-side Velcro onto my overaprons. I use contact cement to adhere hook-side Velcro to the back of patches and other items I want to use as a "pin." Makes for a quick-change kilt "pin" and maintains the look of modern BDU's.



Here is the same kilt in action just yesterday. Snapped a photo after spending 5 hours doing maintenance on a muddy section of trail here in western NC.

[The Professor]

Hmm. . .well. . .much of this seems to revolve around the short aprons of the "tactical" kilts.

Mind you, I'm one one for convention, but . . .while perusing one maker's site for a patterned kilt that suits my liking, I noticed they offered a more traditional kilt in single colors. I might go this route and choose a more traditional pattern (although I've seen some around here that take even that term to task) in an earthtone color for more casual wear.

Until then, I guess I'll just wear the kilts I have with my own personal flair (just two pieces of flair, mind you, not eleven). There's a lot to be said for eccentricity!

But this, then, opens the possibility for another topic.

The Professor

[rmccool]

As others have noted, there are no kilt cops. As long as you steer clear of lewdness or deliberate mockery of traditional Highland dress, you should wear whatever you like.

With that said, contemporary kilts - and perhaps especially those of "tactical" ancestry - seem to me to be a poor match for some accessories that are commonly worn with traditional kilts. For example, as others have noted, kilt pins don't usually look right on the narrow aprons of contemporary kilts. I'd also suggest that flashes are probably a bit much.

On the other hand, I do think that a casual sporran looks fine, especially since carrying too much in the pockets of lightweight contemporary kilts (such as the 5.11 TDK) feels awkward to me and can alter the way the kilt hangs and feels. I think that the nylon Nightstalker sporran from Stillwater Kilts is the perfect sporran for the TDK. If there was ever a "tactical sporran," it's the Nightstalker.

I usually wear nylon-and-leather 5.11 boots with my TDKs, with thick, gray wool boot socks scrunched down on top of them. I just can't bring myself to wear sneakers or sandals with my TDKs - not because they're non-traditional, but more because they're non-tactical. Instead, when the boots are too hot or heavy, I go with a pair of sneaker-like black shoes designed for wear with the more casual styles of public safety uniforms and a pair of relatively plain, inexpensive kilt hose in a color that coordinates with the kilt and/or my shirt. The hose hide my scrawny, scarred legs without spoiling the casual look. Others have worn tall boot socks to similar effect.

If you want to experiment with a more traditional style of dress while keeping the cost reasonable and the kilt care simple, you might consider one of the PV casual or semi-traditional kilts available from Rocky and company at USA Kilts. They offer a much more traditional look than contemporary kilts with a relatively small investment of funds and effort. I believe that some of the other XMTS vendors also offer similar options.

Whatever you choose... wear it with pride!

[Alan H]

You know, you can learn something from looking at the structure of this forum.

There are a dozen sub-forums about "tradtitional" kilts, or at the least, tartan kilts that maintain some significant ties with the more-or-less traditional attire of Scotland. We debate, ad infinitum, whether the color of ones flashes must coordinate with one of the contrasting stripes of your tartan... or what Lord Mumphry wore at the Cotillion in 1919, or whether someone will go ballistic and stone you if you wear their tartan, Oh. My Lord. We have a bazillion threads about how the traditional tartan kilt evolved, whether you can wear wool while throwing at the Games, what the appropriate color of belt would be for a Jacobite-era kilt and so on.

Then there's the "contemporary kilt forum".

None of that happens there, in that single sub-forum. Why? Why don't we discuss the myriad minutiae of contemporary kilts, ad infinitum such that the sub-forum spawns nineteen sub-sub-fora? Why?

Because you strap it on, you wear it and you go about your business. That's it. There are no rules or even guidelines to break.

So do that. Strap it on. Wear it. Go about your business. Carry on.

[The Professor]

Ah. . .well. . .there you go.

Strapping it on. Wearing it. Going on about my business. Carrying on.

Thank you. I shall endeavour not to waste anyone's time any more with such inane, repeated questions.

The Professor

[PodKiDo]

Ah. . .well. . .there you go.

Strapping it on. Wearing it. Going on about my business. Carrying on.

Thank you. I shall endeavour not to waste anyone's time any more with such inane, repeated questions.

The Professor

It looks like you took offense where non was intended.