Kilt outfits and colour selection

[Steve Ashton]

I once wore two matching socks, but for the life of me can't remember any time I counted how many colors were in what I wore.

I guess my only "rule" to myself is I refuse to dress in TCHD or like I stepped out of some old catalog.
I'm not a Highland Scot, not pretending to be Scottish, and not going to a Halloween ball. When meeting someone on the street it is the visual "first impression", before you open your mouth, that sets the tone. I don't want my first impression to be "Oh look, a Scot in a kilt. Where are the bagpipes?". I would prefer that they don't even notice the kilt at first glance.

I also don't dress in an outfit inspired by a military uniform. I wore a uniform for much of my adult life and don't think I need a military look to prove how macho I am in my kilt.

This is much the same "first impression" thinking I use if I dressed in pants. My goal is that I never have to wear this T-Shirt.

[McMurdo]

Here is a recent photo of me:



From the bottom to the top I'll go through the outfit:

Shoes: Black
Hose: Purple
Kilt: Predominately Blue and Black with Red & White stripes
Sporran: Brown
Jacket & Waistcoat: Light Brown
Tie: Red, Green & Blue
Shirt: Tattersall

I don't try to look like anything I am not when wearing Highland Dress. I am a First Generation Canadian who is proud of his heritage and culture. This is simply for me where regular kilt wear has taken me over the years as my personal style has developed. I wore the hose with this kilt because I had never done it before and I've always found this a difficult tartan to pair things with.

Another recent photo this one a bit more casual:



Shoes: Black
Hose: Claret
Garter Ties: Green
Kilt: Graham of Mentieth (Green, Blue, Black & White)
Sporran: Brown with a Brass Cantle
Wolly Pully: Navy Blue
Shirt: Tattersall

So lots of colour here as well, but to my eye they all work well together.

[Jock Scot]

I once wore two matching socks, but for the life of me can't remember any time I counted how many colors were in what I wore.

I guess my only "rule" to myself is I refuse to dress in TCHD or like I stepped out of some old catalog.
I'm not a Highland Scot, not pretending to be Scottish, and not going to a Halloween ball. When meeting someone on the street it is the visual "first impression", before you open your mouth, that sets the tone. I don't want my first impression to be "Oh look, a Scot in a kilt. Where are the bagpipes?". I would prefer that they don't even notice the kilt at first glance.

I also don't dress in an outfit inspired by a military uniform. I wore a uniform for much of my adult life and don't think I need a military look to prove how macho I am in my kilt.

This is much the same "first impression" thinking I use if I dressed in pants. My goal is that I never have to wear this T-Shirt.

I can understand and agree with much of what you say Steve, but from what I have seen from some of your pictures you do sometimes do a very good job of THCD and we regular kilt wearers over here don't want to look like we make our attire choices from a catalog either. It is an understandable mistake that some of those new to kilt attire make as they have a picture to follow in their mind, still it could be worse, they could go down the Hire Company route!

Yes, your perfectly legitimate tartan choice-------Xmarksthescot tartan and the US Marine Corps tartan ------- would baffle most Scots as they are not familiar with them, but then, most Scots would probably only recognise their own tartan and perhaps a few more anyway, I think most of us over here see a tartan kilt without much conscious thought. How they are wearing it however, does often register briefly in the mind.

[OC Richard]

About rules, rules are usually customs which have been noticed, then transmitted orally or through writing.

The custom exists whether or not anyone becomes conscious of it, or whether or not anyone conscious of it puts it into verbal form and transmits it to others.

You wouldn't say "there he go" or "there they goes" whether or not you were aware of the rule concerning S at the end of certain verbs.

And longtime kilt wearers accessorise their kilt according to a host of customs whether or not they are aware that the customs exist.

Those new to kiltwearing might violate these customs just as people new to English might say "there he go". To help newbies we verbalise customs, and customs once spoken are often taken to be rules.

Imagine somebody that knew nothing about Highland Dress brought you this photo saying "I want to put together a kilt outfit for my wedding, I found this nice photo of Scottish outfits, I wonder if you could explain everything to me."

Suddenly you would be in the position of trying to take note of, and verbalise, a large number of customs, some of which you might not previously have been consciously aware of.

[Jock Scot]

About rules, rules are usually customs which have been noticed, then transmitted orally or through writing.

The custom exists whether or not anyone becomes conscious of it, or whether or not anyone conscious of it puts it into verbal form and transmits it to others.

You wouldn't say "there he go" or "there they goes" whether or not you were aware of the rule concerning S at the end of certain verbs.

And longtime kilt wearers accessorise their kilt according to a host of customs whether or not they are aware that the customs exist.

Those new to kiltwearing might violate these customs just as people new to English might say "there he go". To help newbies we verbalise customs, and customs once spoken are often taken to be rules.

Imagine somebody that knew nothing about Highland Dress brought you this photo saying "I want to put together a kilt outfit for my wedding, I found this nice photo of Scottish outfits, I wonder if you could explain everything to me."

Suddenly you would be in the position of trying to take note of, and verbalise, a large number of customs, some of which you might not previously have been consciously aware of.

A very well worded and nicely put post there OCR and very much describes my problem when giving------asked for---usually-----advice, to newcomers and sometimes those not so new to kilt attire who are wanting to follow the more traditional side of kilt attire on this website. It is sadly a problem of tactful delivery of the message that I feel I have not altogether solved, even now.

Thank you.

[Ivor]

Oh dear! Even I can recognise that all is not right. I take it that this was not some sort of pantomime act?

[Father Bill]

It is sadly a problem of tactful delivery of the message that I feel I have not altogether solved, even now.

Thank you.

No, dear friend; 'tact' is not your strongest suit. You're far better off in the realm of 'norms' and normality. Nonetheless, sometimes your lack of tact is . . . how does one say? "Endearing?"

[Jock Scot]

No, dear friend; 'tact' is not your strongest suit. You're far better off in the realm of 'norms' and normality. Nonetheless, sometimes your lack of tact is . . . how does one say? "Endearing?"

Well, I suppose I set myself up good and proper for that reply Bill!

[Father Bill]

Well, I suppose I set myself up good and proper for that reply Bill!

Always glad to help!