Flat Caps. No no and thrice no! Suitable hats when wearing your kilt. Discuss

[davedove]

No they aren't. Now if you accept that its not the right thing to wear with a kilt but say to yourself bugger it I don't care I'm going to wear it anyway that's fine. You are accepting that people are going to look at you and think you are eccentric or ignorant.

Perhaps my earlier leiderhosen and cowboy boots parallel was wide of the mark. Perhaps a better simile would be a tweed sports jacket. I have a damn fine tweed sports jacket. However if one day I put my kilt on and said to myself ah hah! I need a tweed jacket to top this off, I know I put on my old faithful sports jacket it would be wrong. I'd look an arrse in it - same goes for the flat cap: Discuss...

I personally think a flat cap looks great with a kilt and have worn one often. And I don't agree that people will think you look eccentric, at least no more than they do when you wear a kilt. Many people have told me that the flat cap looks great with the kilt. I think this may be another of those across the pond cultural differences. But then, I'm not looking to wear a kilt exactly like someone else would. I look at the kilt as another article of clothing to blend into my wardrobe.

The tweed jacket isn't a good example either. The normal sports jacket isn't cut for a kilt; that's why it looks wrong. A nice tweed jacket cut in the right fashion looks great.

[Jock Scot]

Dave I have no problem with individual "flair and imagination" when it comes to any style of dress, kilted or not, but some things go together and it works well. Matt's picture above with his bucket hat and trousers is a fine example of that. Other things do not work together and never will , like flat caps and kilts.Oh and Jamie's bucket thing!

[Jock Scot]

Thanks Rex! I knew I could rely on you.

[Adam Pound]

I personally think a flat cap looks great with a kilt and have worn one often. And I don't agree that people will think you look eccentric, at least no more than they do when you wear a kilt. Many people have told me that the flat cap looks great with the kilt. I think this may be another of those across the pond cultural differences. But then, I'm not looking to wear a kilt exactly like someone else would. I look at the kilt as another article of clothing to blend into my wardrobe.

The tweed jacket isn't a good example either. The normal sports jacket isn't cut for a kilt; that's why it looks wrong. A nice tweed jacket cut in the right fashion looks great.

I guess I look like a lemon, as I wear my solid black ball cap with my Freedom kilt. I think nothing of it, because it's just another piece of clothing I wear. Of course I also wear an old beat up floppy hat when I'm hiking in my kilt, but that's because I'd rather not get a bad sunburn or have mosquitoes eat my scalp than look good.

Here in Canada, our extremes do affect what you wear. I think I posted a pic of me in a SWK Shadow while wearing a toque fer cryin' out loud. Ain't nobody going to think a toque looks good with a kilt!
Adam

[Nighthawk]

OK- this thread is too long for me to read the whole thing. So I'll just ask- what about a fedora? I've been thinking about getting myself a black one lately.

[starbkjrus]

Well I didn't wear a hat at all to work today as the temps have warmed up a bit.

Haven't we beaten this topic er....flat by now?

[RockyR]

I personally think a flat cap looks great with a kilt and have worn one often. And I don't agree that people will think you look eccentric, at least no more than they do when you wear a kilt.

I agree with this statement whole-heartidly. Most people who wear kilts already think 'bugger all' to anyone else's opinion of our choice of dress (no pun intended... ). People usually focus on the 'tartan skirt' much more than the headwear.

I love my flat caps. I have 6 or 8 of them in different tweeds and a black wool and a black linen one. When my grandfathers (either side of the family) died, I inherited all of their flat caps as somethnig to remember them by. I started wearing them and adopted that 'look' when I was 18 and continue to wear them today. Since I wear kilts every day, I end up wearing them with kilts.

My take on 'the look' is this: As long as the cap tones well with the colors in the kilt, it'll look fine. I have a tan tweed cap I'd never wear with a 'modern' tartan, but looks great with a Weathered tartan or a solid tan kilt like my FK or UK. If there's a good amount of black in the kilt, I'll wear a black flat cap. I have a lovat blue and a lovat green cap for my Ancient and Muted kilts.

I have never received a 'why are you wearing THAT hat' comment from any kilt wearer or non kilt wearer (and I often meet STAUNCH traditionalists in my line of work ). I was actually a little surprised to see people have such strong negative opinions on this matter.

Ron... this quote's for you...

'Different horses for different courses'.

BTW... IMHO, I think ANY hat in a formal situation looks a bit silly (a gentleman wouldn't wear a hat inside ANYWAY), so I don't wear flat caps or balmorals or cowboy hats or any hat with an Argyll or PC. Others disagree and I don't fault them for it.

My $.02... or in this case, it was probably more like $.06.

[Jock Scot]

Rocky, when all said and done whether we wear a flat cap with the kilt, or not, as the case may be, is hardly an earth shatteringly important matter. Perhaps the traditionalists you come across are too polite to comment,not bothered,or, don't want a black eye! Sorry ,only joking. Outside this website most of us would never dream of openly laughing, or, commenting on any one's style of dress. However that does not mean that I and others do not have a point of view.

This great website encourages friendly discussion and allows for honestly held opinions to be aired, robustly put sometimes maybe, these points of view may also not be voiced out load in public for reasons of tact and diplomacy. Providing these firmly held views are voiced courteously, we all get an opportunity to learn of other points of view. I suppose it can be a surprise to learn that what I/we thought was a non issue suddenly becomes one.

[Good Egg]

Rocky, when all said and done whether we wear a flat cap with the kilt, or not, as the case may be, is hardly an earth shatteringly important matter. Perhaps the traditionalists you come across are too polite to comment,not bothered,or, don't want a black eye! Sorry ,only joking. Outside this website most of us would never dream of openly laughing, or, commenting on any one's style of dress. However that does not mean that I and others do not have a point of view.

This great website encourages friendly discussion and allows for honestly held opinions to be aired, robustly put sometimes maybe, these points of view may also not be voiced out load in public for reasons of tact and diplomacy. Providing these firmly held views are voiced courteously, we all get an opportunity to learn of other points of view. I suppose it can be a surprise to learn that what I/we thought was a non issue suddenly becomes one.

Quite: What do you do when a friend from, say TN, accompanies you to the Cowal Games and is planning to wear a flat cap with his otherwise well turned out gear? A little embarrassing to mention it, but worse to leave the mentioning to some drunk Glaswegian Ned who might mistake your friends southern manners as an invitation to a rumble.

[HeathBar]

Quite: What do you do when a friend from, say TN, accompanies you to the Cowal Games and is planning to wear a flat cap with his otherwise well turned out gear? A little embarrassing to mention it, but worse to leave the mentioning to some drunk Glaswegian Ned who might mistake your friends southern manners as an invitation to a rumble.

As a resident of the state of Tennessee I would wear my black balmoral (no dicing) if attending games in Scotland. I would wear it if attending games in the USA or Canada for that matter. But I do own a made in Scotland, Harris Tweed, flat cap, that I do wear with the kilt in a casual manner. Usually when I'm attending the meetings of our Scottish Society. When at a Scottish Games, I am usually manning a tent for my clan society or the Scottish Society. So I dress with more of a "uniform" style. That's means my s/s officer shirt with the embroidered clan badge, the balmoral, and usually tan hose. I would not wear the flat cap in this situation. I have worn a wide brimmed straw hat due to sun and heat. But since I now have the balmoral, I wear that instead.

If I were to attend a games as a guest and not in any official capacity, I would wear the best daywear outfit that the weather permitted and it would include the balmoral.

But just for mucking about, I'd go with the flat cap. It's what I wear nearly every day anyways. So as not to cause an international controversy, when I do get the opportunity to visit Scotland, I will not wear the flat cap with the kilt. I'd probably just go without.