Kilt outfits and colour selection

[OC Richard]

At least with people new to Highland Dress, I think it helps to cast things in terms of what they're used to, "Saxon" dress.

Here's matching.



When I Googled "matching suits shirts ties" (I worded it various ways) I came upon a large number of advice articles, none of which were about outfits like that.

Rather, they were all discussing co-ordinating suits, shirts, and ties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-XfcKuK5jU

Co-ordinating involves using contrasting things and is the diametric opposite of matching.

I think there's a strong visual reason to not match the kilt's colours in the accessories: it tends to drain colour from the kilt, diminishing the beauty of the tartan.

Say if a kilt is around 50/50 red/green. If your jacket and hose are the same green as the kilt's, the green in the kilt visually fades due to be subsumed by the surrounding green. It's why photographers wouldn't photograph a green object against a matching green backgound. (Well they might, if the client demanded it.)

Without being surrounded by a sea of matching green, the green in the kilt is free to vibrate against the red in the kilt (green and red being complimentary colours).

And wearing an outfit entirely of cloth the same colour as your skin wouldn't do your complexion any favours.