Kilt Suits...

[Kiltedjohn]

Many thanks to C McG for posting the John Brown picture. I had believed that single-colour kilts were a purely modern innovation. Interesting to see they have a long history.

[Alan H]

Well, I'm generally not a fan of tartan overload but the first shot of Alan Cummings....heck, he looks pretty good. I'm impressed. I'm even....wait for it....

suitably impressed.

[CMcG]

Well, I'm generally not a fan of tartan overload but the first shot of Alan Cummings....heck, he looks pretty good. I'm impressed. I'm even....wait for it....

suitably impressed.

[MNlad]

Suitably impressed?

Alan, that's tailor-made for a sharp comeback, but I'll be damned if I can come up with one.

[Stitchwiz]

Alan, that's tailor-made for a sharp comeback, but I'll be damned if I can come up with one.

Emboldening added

You're almost there...

[Flynn]

Those 21st century kilt suits actually look pretty good, except for the pocket aprons. USA kilts' tweed ensembles look pretty good as well. And then we come to the Utilikilt pinstripe. With matching spats...

[DyerStraits]

I'm a fan of the kilt suit also, but I also prefer them in tweeds, solid colors or traditional menswear/suit fabrics like muted glen plaids, windowpane plaids, herringbone, Donegal tweed, pin stripe/pencil stripe/chalk stripe, etc (but with some obvious exceptions, like corduroy). I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a kilt suit in tartan, but as with any suit (or pants, sport coat, vest, etc.) in a large pattern, it has limited applications. I also agree that the apron pockets and slouched-hose-with-boots look as advocated by 21st Century Kilts do not work for me either--they simply look too clunky and sloppy, respectively. That said, I heartily applaud Howie and his staff for their efforts and do very much hope that kilt suits will one day become a relatively common ready-made/off-the-rack option, at least from Highland wear makers and stockists.

In the meantime, I myself have acted on the practical suggestion of another X-Marker and assembled my own quick-and-dirty kilt suit consisting of my beloved plain black twill daywear kilt jacket (not with military-type Argyle jacket metal buttons and details, mind you), a plain solid black twill kilt, and a plain black twill collared waistcoat. A bit on the somber side perhaps, but nonetheless a versatile kilted daywear and evening option for the office, concerts, the Opera, dining out, ceremonial events, etc., which (I hope) can be easily dressed up or down as needed.

[frank_a]

It just seems odd to me to see anyone in a kilt without a sporran, like some of those dudes in the 1st link back on page 1.

Frank

[auld argonian]

It just seems odd to me to see anyone in a kilt without a sporran, like some of those dudes in the 1st link back on page 1.

Frank

I have to agree…it just don't look right somehow. I'd expect that even some sort of thin (in the depth dimension) sporran, even if it was done in the same fabric as the kilt suit, would look better.

Best,

AA

[DyerStraits]

It just seems odd to me to see anyone in a kilt without a sporran, like some of those dudes in the 1st link back on page 1.

Frank

I agree also, although I myself sometimes do not wear a sporran with my utility/cargo pocket kilts--which admittedly do not really require a sporran because of the attached side pockets--especially while golfing, tinkering in my bike shop or otherwise puttering about on the weekends (also, the side-mounted cargo pockets, in my opinion, look much better than the front apron pockets of the 21st Century Kilts). With a "regular" kilt however, I feel a sporran is indispensable and, like other accessories--shoes, for example--should have the same degree of formality or informality as the rest of the outfit. I have seen some sporrans recently that were mainly made of textile materials instead of leather or fur, and it seems an ideal sporran option with a kilt suit would be one made from the exact same material as the suit itself, for a truly, impressively and distinctively bespoke, fully "suited" effect.