Something that Hamish wrote years ago that stuck in my head

[CMcG]

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When you put on a tartan kilt with a lot of other stuff, the focus of your kit should be the kilt and the tartan. That's what Hamish wrote.

This makes perfectly good sense to me. I mean, you spend a bluidy lot of money on that thing, it only makes sense to let people SEE it. Hamish's point was actually about the tartan or solid tie question, but I think the principle carries over. At least, that's how I put the stuff on. I don't adorn myself with a bucketload of gewdygaw "stuff". Let the kilt be what it is, it's plenty "busy" enough as it is. Keep the rest of the outfit simple.

Words of wisdom, IMHO.

Wise words indeed. I started a thread a while back called Less Can Be More where I also advocated for a bit of restraint towards Highland attire. I can understand where people get excited about having acquired various kilt accessories and wanting to wear them when they get the chance, but it is easy to overdo it

That being said, it would be a shame for kilt-wearers to end up in the same old drab menswear box that many guys put themselves—apart from their kilt. There's plenty of room for personal expression without somehow overshadowing the tartan; some dudes are peacocks and more power to them!

There are also, as always, contextual factors.

If I'm just heading down to the pub for a casual evening:


Or heading to a black tie event with a bunch of Xmarkers:


Hamish himself is known to give it a little extra too, as at this Ferintosh Burn's Supper.


Or out tromping about:

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To me it is the Tartan that we want to shine. We want our kilt to stand out. Why would you push the Tartan into the background? This is what you are doing when your entire color palette is based around the colors of your kilt.

Does anyone pick sock colors to match their pants? Nope.

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I am a strong believer in the KISS Principal. Keep It Simple Stupid. Sure you can wear bright colors, but they should be small, accent pieces. I dislike hair sporrans for the same reason. The eye is drawn to the sporran and the kilt is just there, in the background, somewhere.
The extreme example of breaking the KISS Principal would be a drum major. I've seen many when you can't see the kilt at all.

While I agree that the dreaded "matchy-matchy" look comes off as contrived, there's nothing wrong with being colour coordinated i.e., choosing a palette that complements one's tartan.

As for sock colour and p@nts, people do it all the time. Perhaps not fretting over an exact colour match, but definitely making sure to wear dark socks with dark p@nts.

And yes, the KISS Principle is helpful. But context is still key. A drum major is in uniform, so their outfit isn't up to them. For civilians, hair sporrans are certainly a statement piece and will draw attention. But if that is the effect one wants, then there is nothing wrong with it. For example, an epic sporran can be just the thing if one is trying to stand out from a bunch of kilted guys with more subdued sporrans.