Fedora with the kilt?

[thescot]

Please don't wear a fedora with the kilt. Please.

Really.

Unless you're titled and have it in straw.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...le-pics-59601/
(scroll down to the photos of Romilly Squire and Mark Harden of Cowdenknowes)

This thread has all been pretty interesting. Personally I wouldn't wear a fedora with a kilt, but I have to say that Steve looks pretty good in that fedora and leather jaket. In fact, if it's raining, I might wear one, too.

[CMcG]

What are the thoughts from the community on wearing a fedora with a kilt?

I think there are two main considerations.

The first is the outfit one is wearing. If one is wearing Highland attire, in the traditional way, then a fedora does not work. It comes from a different time and place, so it would be incongruous with the rest of the outfit. If one is wearing the kilt as regular clothing then a fedora can work, as we have seen from some of the photos posted. In this case, I think it works better with at least a collared shirt, because it is a bit dressier of a hat than, say, a baseball cap.

The second is the weather. If it is very sunny or very rainy, the utility of the brim on a fedora trumps fashion concerns. There are other hats that could do the same thing, like the panama hat, Tilley hat, or even a pith helmet ith:

[Cowher]

I think there are two main considerations.

The first is the outfit one is wearing. If one is wearing Highland attire, in the traditional way, then a fedora does not work. It comes from a different time and place, so it would be incongruous with the rest of the outfit. If one is wearing the kilt as regular clothing then a fedora can work, as we have seen from some of the photos posted. In this case, I think it works better with at least a collared shirt, because it is a bit dressier of a hat than, say, a baseball cap.

The second is the weather. If it is very sunny or very rainy, the utility of the brim on a fedora trumps fashion concerns. There are other hats that could do the same thing, like the panama hat, Tilley hat, or even a pith helmet ith:

Fantastic response

[AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH]

hello rurouni2111 from australia. your question;reaction to a fedora with the kilt. my answer,2 different ones; the first would be,'that's not right'. but then that would be followed closely by 'well,he's wearing the kilt.O.k he's wearing it his way and it may not be the way i'd choose,but he is wearing it and that's got to be a good thing!' I must say this twin reaction is largely due to this very forum xmts.to any of you out there who may be taking the time to read this, when i started here i was very much influenced by the ideas of my family about the wearing of the kilt,which were in turn carried over from styles concidered acceptable from the military and or from the middle of last century. i still feel many of these styles look sharp.

Wanting to wear the kilt in a way that shows how much i appreciate my cultural background has always been important to me.may i share this family story;In the early 1930's not long after a large chunk of my family had immigrated from scotland to australia,my gt gt granfather came to visit.known in the family by his nick name jock the hangman,he had served long term as a proffesional soldier in a kilted highland regiment in places like india,egypt and the boer war.as my gt uncle jock related to me,he was only a young boy sent down th street with jock th hangman to pick up the messages.on the way they saw a kilted piper busking.Jock the hangman,with his one glass eye,an old battle wound,stood for a moment. He then marched straight up to this fellow and tore strips off him!

"Ye call yersel a scotsman?Ye're naething but a disgrace!look at ye man,shufflin up and doon here.Pick up yer feet and march properly.ye havn'ae even shined yer shoes!"
it was said this poor man shambled off much deflated(as were no doubt his pipes by then!)Now stories like this really impressed me and to this day i dont want to bring disrepute on the scottish national dress when i do wear it.There will always be that part in me. And when i see certian kilted sights i can't help thinking'old jock the hangman would turn in his grave if he saw that!'But...

There is something in my love of the kilt that goes beyond shined shoes and never wearing it without a sporran because "that just isn't done".I love the thought of such a beautifull,expressive,alive garment beng something that the old gael wore everyday,without a second thought to it.It complimented their lives, their country,and it was as much a part of their culture as pibrochs,gaelic poetry and their celebration of the warrior.And the gael of the scottish highlands weren't the only ones who at some stage in history wore,(yes i'm going to say it!)skirts!The spartans,the romans,the men of fiji and others have recognized that wearing a garment that ,apart from around your waist ,leaves you completely unrestricted,yet still does the job of cover and protection,is agreat way to dress, and get the business done!

you fellow scots descendants will agree,many of us have been brought up with the old adage'a kilt is NOT a skirt' yet what defines a kilt?even the dictionary says it is any short pleated skirt.(aye it goes on to say esp one worn by men in the scottish highlands)but i don't think we can technically insist that any who wear a kilt should do so in a way that suits our ideas of 'our' kilt.

Yes there most definately is a scottish kilt and scot's or those descended from will continue to have firm ideas as to how and with what it should be worn.And as sure as the clans used to fight each other there will be debates with celtic temperaments flaring over these matters still.But here's what has been slowly sinking into my thick skull since i joined you all;This forum is about a community of kilt wearers. it's not about a community of wearers of the scottish kilt. It's about all kilt wearers.And xmts i thank you for teaching me that because i think i'm a better man for it.

Where once i would have seen some alt kilt or whatever and thought 'that's not a kilt!That's no more a way to wear the kilt than i'm the b----y queen of sheeba!'(hey old jock th hangmans blood's in me!)now i will look and also think 'that may not be my way,but he is a fellow kilt wearer.i'm going to march right up to him and shake him by the hand!'So i salute you one and all on this forum.wheather you wear the kilt the scottish way for our old culture or whether you want to wear some innovative thing out of some modern material in glowing colours that wouldn't look out of place in a throbbing underground rave sorrounded by sweating partygoers swilling bottled water and lit by flashing lazer lights.We'r all brothers and i say slainte!It's half past twelve at night down under just now and i should be well in bed but i'm takin a dram right now to salute EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! And i'm following it up with a pint of guinness for old jock the hangmans memory.I like to think that he could see my point.HAIL THE WEARING OF THE KILT!

[McElmurry]

hello rurouni2111 from australia. your question;reaction to a fedora with the kilt. my answer,2 different ones; the first would be,'that's not right'. but then that would be followed closely by 'well,he's wearing the kilt.O.k he's wearing it his way and it may not be the way i'd choose,but he is wearing it and that's got to be a good thing!'................

......................We'r all brothers and i say slainte!It's half past twelve at night down under just now and i should be well in bed but i'm takin a dram right now to salute EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! And i'm following it up with a pint of guinness for old jock the hangmans memory.I like to think that he could see my point.HAIL THE WEARING OF THE KILT!

Another great response!

[robbiethepiper]

[QUOTE=AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH;968494].to any of you out there who may be taking the time to read this, QUOTE]

Well, please don't be offended by this, BUT... I DO take the time to read your posts; They just take longer to read than others. This is because of the lack of spaces after stops and minimal use of capital letters.

It is, of course, your right to punctuate as you please. Bear in mind that I am not only a traditionalist, but an unrepentant curmudgeon and proud to be called an "Auld Crabbit", so why should you pay any attention to me? However, I believe their may be others that find your writing frankly, hard work, but are too polite to say so. It's not a matter of "rules", simply that sticking with the conventions makes communication more effective and life easier. Your audience would, I feel, be grateful if you reviewed your personal choices. I write this not to "put you down", merely in hope...Robbie

[CMcG]

When it comes to written English, I am curmudgeonly far beyond my years and prefer proper capitalization, punctuation, paragraphs, spelling, and grammar. I wonder if a kilt traditionalist would liken a fedora to a lack of any of the mechanics of writing i.e. it makes the outfit hard to read?

[JSFMACLJR]

Unless you're titled and have it in straw.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...le-pics-59601/
(scroll down to the photos of Romilly Squire and Mark Harden of Cowdenknowes)

This thread has all been pretty interesting. Personally I wouldn't wear a fedora with a kilt, but I have to say that Steve looks pretty good in that fedora and leather jaket. In fact, if it's raining, I might wear one, too.

Now straw hats are a different matter altogether! I have worn panamas and other straw hats with the kilt in the summer sun whilst heated. I consider straw hats a practical matter, and not really a fashion statement, when worn with the kilt in the heat of the summer.

[Irish Jack O'Brian]

Well, I'm laughing and that's a good thing! As a fan of other English writers who broke the rules - James Joyce, Jack Kerouac, e.e. cummings, etc - I rather enjoy wading through the verbal shrubs, especially since there are some good ideas therein.

When I first came to XMTS, I naively thought there would be support for anything to do with love of the kilt. I was shocked to come across the idea that one was not worthy of wearing the kilt just because one had some far away familial connection without asking permission from some 'chief' or getting written permission from some higher authority. Or if I did wear the kilt and was not a born Highlander (no Lowlander need apply), I would be a phoney and a poseur of the first order. There would be much eye-rolling and clucking of tongues.

I was p****d and some of my first posts were from this wounded vantage: "How dare you question the right of a freeborn man of the Diaspora to wear the costume of my forebears?!!?"

I've calmed down now. I recognize "old jock the hangman." He is my old Uncle Woodrow, a dour, nay sour, old coot full of rules and certainties. A right unpleasant old rascal from the Scots side of the family. But I remember he was also mercilessly prodded and poked by Uncle Elmer from the Irish side of the family, with a wink and a chuckle. They were a regular comedy act and it was only years later, at Uncle Woodrow's funeral, that I came to understand how close they were.

So, I'm going with Uncle Elmer. I wear whatever I choose. No permission needed from some Kilt Police somewhere. You can give me all the "it's just not done" you want. I'm a freeborn artist of the colonies and I'll wear the skirt any which I decide. And as for the fedora...yeah...sure.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

It's fiction, but in the Katherine Kurtz novel, Lodge of the Lynx, on page 496
A few Free Masons at an event in Scotland are described as wearing kilts and "top hats."

Kurtz is describing the "Masons Walk" at Melrose Abbey, an event that has taken place on St. John's Day (Dec 27th) for nearly 250 years. In 1990/91 I made a stab at attending every event or festival traditionally held in Scotland, and that included a visit to the Masons Walk. There were upwards of 150 Freemasons present that night (many in top hats, denoting their status as masters of their lodge) and starting out from a pub (I think it was the St. George) they formed up in the street, marched twice around the mercat cross, and ended up at Bruce's grave in Melrose Abbey, a speech was given, they sang 'Scots Wha' Hae', and marched back to the pub. Because it was a cold and snowy night, many a whisky was consumed!

Ms. Kurtz's description of the event tallies with what I recall seeing when I was there.