Matching metals

[ThistleDown]

Not to worry. Wear what you have.

[OC Richard]

In the Army, certainly not!



Hard to tell in the photo, but the skeans, dirks, sporran cantles, jacket buttons, and jacket braid are gold/gilt, while the plaid brooches and the PM's crossbelt and waistbelt hardware are silver.



Here the DM's sporran cantle and waistbelt and crossbelt buckles mix gold and silver. The PM's jacket is trimmed in gold but all of his buckles, weaponry, badges, plaid brooch, sporran hardware, etc are silver.

[ThistleDown]

Yes, perhaps, but I think the OP was asking about TCHD and not Military or Band dress, Richard.

[OC Richard]

Yes but I've long noticed the continual interaction between civilian Highland Dress and military Highland Dress. I could have posted a pile of photos of civilians likewise mixing metals but it would have taken me a while to find them, and these Army photos were at hand.

It's apparent (at least to me) that time and time again the army preserves older ways, traditional ways, of wearing Highland Dress (civilian Highland Dress) even when such things are lost or become uncommon in civilian Highland Dress.

The list of such things is quite long, but for a few I could mention

not wearing kilts too low
not having belt loops on kilts
having boxpleated kilts
having kilts pleated to the line
wearing kilts with a higher waist
not pulling hose too high
wearing hose of a different pattern than the kilt
mixing multiple tartans in the same uniform

all things which were traditional in civilian dress, but are nowadays primarily preserved in the army.

I don't think getting all the metals to match has ever been a concern in any sort of Highland Dress, civilian or military.

[ThistleDown]

Yes, tradition evolves, regimentation does not.

[Zardoz]

Well, I've been matching leathers (always black, never really a fan of brown) as a general rule since I started caring about how I dressed, late teens I guess. And for a long time my metals- buckle, watch, rings, tie bar, usually glasses, were always gold or gold toned. This was a no brainer most of the time; if you bought a black belt at Sears it usually came with a gold buckle etc..
When I got serious about kilt wearing it seemed like damn near every thing that was readily available and 'affordable' had black leather and silver metals, including the straps and buckles on the kilts, so I adapted to that, and all my kilt belt buckles and my one metal cantled sporran are silver toned.
That being said, at no time did I think I needed to change my jewelry or glasses etc. to match. I guess I come to mentally make a distinction between metals that are 'part of the clothing' including the sporran, and the 'optional bling', so my rings and watch are still gold, and I may wear gold toned kilt pins, cuff links etc. as the mood strikes me.

[Spartan Tartan]

Given the relative expense of these items, I would expect it to be rare for an individual to have enuff that they could alwaysmatch metal...unless they always bought them with that in mind. So, I wouldnot worry about it.

[Sir Didymous]

I was actually more concerned with kilt belt buckles and sporran cantles. I thought since they were so close together that they should probably match. For dress wear I was considering a spotted calf skin (brown and white) sporran with an antiqued brass cantle. I've been shopping for some time trying to find a belt buckle that I liked, one that says "Scottish pride" but not "Kilt hire shopper". I found one that has a saltire background flanked by rampant lions. It is teatering on the edge of the later problen, but I like heraldry and the combination of elements worked for me. The problem being that it was offered in either antiqued brass or silver. So I thought to seek some advice before buying. The brooch is worn less, but is pewter and matches a buckle that I already have. and I have yet to buy a proper kilt pin. For now I am using a small brass brooch in the shape of a sycamore leaf.