Time for Kilt #2

[joshuawray1]

I've been doing piping gigs (weddings, funerals, etc) for 30 years and I fully agree with the people who are saying that a black Argyll jacket will be fine for your needs.

The modern standard pipe band "look" is the black Argyll jacket, black (not navy blue) Glengarry, plain hose, and ghillie brogues. 99% of the pipers who are doing gigs dress that way, so it's what clients are used to and expect.

About tartans for a "gig kilt", since many brides-to-be (and their mothers) are obsessive about wedding colours, many pipers have gone to neutral-coloured kilts, so as not to clash. Several pipers around here wear the Black Isle tartan, or tartans in grey tones, or even plain (non-tartan) black kilts. For many years I wore a Black Watch kilt for gigs for that very reason: it was dark enough for the colours not to "jump out" at a wedding.

On the other hand, the last few years I've been wearing Drummond of Perth (muted) for gigs and I've only had one bride say anything.

Pipers are tending to wear black Piper Socks/kilt hose also, or charcoal grey, and trending away from the stark white hose which have been standard since the late 1980's.

The great thing about a black Argyll jacket is its versatility. With a white wing-collar shirt and black bow tie you'll fit in with men in tuxes, with a normal shirt and long tie you'll fit in with men in suits. Also, the black jacket with its silver buttons and a black Glengarry with a silver badge looks enough like a uniform that you won't look out of place playing at a military, police, or fire event.

Luckily, I already have:

Kilt #1 w/matching flashes
(3) White Uniform Shirts
Charcoal Hose
Piper Ghillie Brogues
Ghillators
Black Glengarry
Black Necktie
Day Sporran
Belt

So it looks like I basically only need a jacket and maybe a semi-dress/dress sporran. However, I plan on getting a new kilt in my Clan Tartan and maybe some other bits and pieces as well.