Accessories for a new kilt.... questions from a newby

[JohnMcNab]

Thanks to everyone for the comments.

Livonian: I pick up the loud hose when I visit the UK. Fortunately, I have able to go at least one time every year.

Larry

[OC Richard]

First and foremost, thank you for your service to our country!

Yes a grey jacket is versatile, hard to go wrong.

About bright hose, I love them! Why not have bold accessories, especially as the jacket is grey.

About the stag motif, yes, there's a small number of motifs which show up all the time in Highland Dress, the most common being the thistle, the stag's head, St Andrew holding his cross, and the Lion Rampant. These are seen over and over both in civilian and in military Highland Dress.

The stag's head, in the military, is most associated with The Seaforth Highlanders and The Gordon Highlanders, a stag's head forming the cap-badge of both regiments, as well as appearing on the sporran badges and numerous other places.

The dearly departed Pipe Major Alisdair Gillies in the uniform of The Queens Own Highlanders (formed by an amalgamation of The Seaforth Highlanders and The Cameron Highlanders). Note the stag's head badges on the Glengarry, brooch, crossbelt, and on an embroidered arm-badge



The regimental toast of the Queens Own Highlanders was, not surprisingly,

Slainte agus buaidh gu brath le Gillean Chabar Feidh!

And one of the main regimental marches is Cabar Feidh.

Here's a civilian guy in the 1860s wearing spectacular deer's horn motif hose



Personally I think the putting badges (of any sort) on accessories can easily be over-done, in civilian kilt-wearing. Sometimes less is more!

[JohnMcNab]

OC Richard, thank you for your comments and information. I love the stag motif hose. I agree that less can be more, especially when one is not in uniform. I am going to tastefully wear a stag theme accessory or two as pursuing the cabarfeidh is one of my passions.

[MacPherson85]

The only time I wear White kilt hose or black kilt hose is for formal occasions (weddings, funerals, burns supper, etc.), other than that I usually just wear cream, grey or any other color hose for any other time. If you plan on going to any formal occasions, maybe get yourself a formal dress sporran with a full cantle, but it really is personal preference. I also wear semi formal sporrans even to formal occasions.

[Jock Scot]

I can relate, well, to your Stag and bird interests, but be careful with the stag with everything when it comes to kilt attire. As already mentioned the "less is more"----with the emphasis firmly on the "less" bit-----way of going about kitting yourself out with kilt attire is generally more effective in the long run.If you are lucky enough to belong to a Clan with a stag crest (probably and properly worn within a strap [belt] and buckle worn on your bonnet) then that helps no end. Sadly I am not that lucky.

As to loud kilt hose, well yes, there is scope to be adventurous there, but there are times when loud can become deafening!