Kilt with Vest???

[Deil the Yin]

Seeing as how I'm now addicted to Xmarks... I thought I would submit a few pics to solicit opinions.

I bought this vest in Inverness actually, expressly to wear with my kilt here in S Georgia as it is often, ie most of the year, to humid and hot to wear with a jacket. Unfortunately I didn't have my kilt on when I bought the vest/waistcoat, and I wish now that I had bought a smaller size vest. I've also been a little unsure of it because it has a very distinctley Western style to it...(go figure), but it is terribley handy with all its pockets and such.

What think ye of this kit? Please rate on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best, 1 worst. Feel free to post comments as well, just please, gentlemen, be gentle with me...

[Kid Cossack]

I'm no mathemetician so I won't do a number scale, but it'd be in the 6-7 range. I do think it'd look better if it was an inch or two shorter. I've been looking for a suitable vest to wear with kilts, as well. Good show.

[Deil the Yin]

Thanks. Yeah, the vest doesn't quite fit the way I'd like it too, with or without the kilt...

[cavscout]

I could give maybe an 8.

The pics appear dark on my monitor so I can't see if you are wearing a belt, but a casual belt might help blend everything together. Not one of the large flashy buckles

A tailor could probably alter that vest for you as thin as the leather is.

[Deil the Yin]

Good Lord! You boys are on the ball today!

I've been considering having the vest altered to suite me better, but am afraid it would turn out even worse... The garment is actually completely lined and with a fabric back. I do have a cool 3" kilt belt that I often wear, but sometimes it seems a bit much for a casual outing...

[cavscout]

Yeah, 3" would be a little big. But you could drop down to a 1-3/4" or 2".

I just noticed also the kilt might be a little low on the knee also. But bringing it up might make the vest look really long.

[O'Neille]

I'd hike the kilt up a bit, get a inexpensive (harbor freight) tool belt and dye it to match the sporran. I'd have the vest altered and you'd be set. Doesn't look bad the way it is though. With the above changes I'd say you could go from a 7 to a 9 easily. O'Neille

[Pour1Malt]

guid lueking kilt...

but the kilt lueks a bit tae low...

pull it oop a bit...

an ya need a belt.... 2 1/2"-3"


ai think the vest is tae lang tae wear wi' a kilt....

nice boots an scrunched doon hose!

slainte mhath!

[Deil the Yin]

Thanks for the input, fellas.

I do wish my kilt wasn't so long. When I ordered it, I had been measured here in the States by a seamstress that works on kilts, but who was not the actual kilt maker. After sending these measurements to the kiltmaker (Hugh MacPherson- Edinburgh), they said it needed to be longer (???). When I questioned this, they said that some men even wear it to their first rib. Against my gut (no pun intended) I went with a longer length (they're the experts, right?), and now regret it very much.

With my odd waist, when worn at the proper knee level, the kilt foreshortens my trunk and looks very odd and also makes it difficult to wear a casual shirt. In these pictures the top of the kilt is a full handswidth above my navel, which somehow has become my rule of thumb for where to wear my kilt. If I am wearing a buttoned up kilt waistcoat everything looks fine though. The aforementioned 3" belt helps quite a bit, too, but is somewhat bulky at times.

So the plan is to have Mr Newsome, who got my measurements himself, make me one of his excellent four yard box-pleat kilts (in Weathered MacGregor) with the proper length. Now just as soon as I win the lottery...

[GMan]

I like the looks of the vest, with a caveat of what others have stated.