How important is a belt?

[Jack Daw]

What the OCR says.

[creagdhubh]

Greetings!

I agree with many of the valid points in which many of you have stated previously in regards to the wearing of a waistbelt and buckle with the kilt, or the option of simply leaving the waistbelt and buckle at home.

I believe that the kilt does not require a waistbelt and buckle in order to sufficiently keep the kilt from becoming too lose, or perhaps because the kilt is not fitting correctly - this is obviously all done by the initial tailoring of the kilt and the kilt straps and buckles - that is an aspect I am sure we can all agree upon. I do own several waistbelts and buckles in which I do wear with my Highland attire when I so choose, but it is definitely not often.

I own a patent leather waistbelt restricted for evening wear, when I choose to wear the fullest of formal dress, complete with a Highland dirk - that is the soul purpose of wearing a waistbelt with evening attire for me. I wear a silver plated buckle with the 'evening waistbelt', which I also restrict for only evening attire. I also own a brown leather waistbelt with a brass buckle from McRostie, but purchased from Kinloch-Anderson. When I choose to wear a belt with my Highland day attire (not often), I will wear this belt with no waistcoat if wearing a tweed day jacket. I also own a smooth black leather waistbelt in which I wear a silver plated buckle with the personal crest of Cluny encircled by a belt and buckle. I do wear the preceding for only daywear and usually with darker coloured tweed day jacket (charcoal and other grey tweeds). When I choose to wear no jacket or waistcoat for daywear, typically when it becomes too hot for heavy tweeds, I do not wear any waistbelt and buckle at all.

Naturally, everyone who wears Highland attire will have their opinions, preferences, and tastes when it comes to the wearing of a waistbelt and buckle for either day or evening attire, and that is just fine. I agree with the point that the waistbelt and buckle is strictly for additional ornamentation and not entirely functional (it wasn't designed to 'hold up' the kilt, that's superfluous) - unless of course one wears it to hold the dirk frog and dirk for formal occassions, like I do.

It's a wee bit difficult to see the entire waistbelt and buckle, but here I am wearing the smooth, black leather waistbelt with the silver buckle containing the crest of my Chief.


A warm, sunny day in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. No waistbelt and buckle required.


Slainte mhath,

[creagdhubh]

You look quite smart Richard! Love your sporran molach!

[Newfoundlander]

Wow, quite a lot of smart looking lad in the pictures here!

I find myself in between the two camps of bet or no-belt. If I'm wearing formal attire than I always wear a belt with my price charlie, but that's largely because I think it adds to the look nicely. Now if I'm in a rugby shirt, or even in a nice shirt and knit sweater on a date or something, I never wear a belt because of the bulge the buckle makes. So, I guess I usually only wear it for the look more so than the functionality.

That being said, the belt I have is plain smooth black leather, and the buckle is a pewter buckle from L&M Highland, and my sporran is a plain black leather with celtic engraving. So it's kind of an understated look anyway since there's no gleaming chrome.

As for the wedding your attending. Unless you feel your going to get a lot of use from the formal sporran and belt I wouldn't invest in them. I'd invest in a good bottle of Macallan instead =) One thing I've done in the past is gone to a kilt hire shop and rented a formal sporran and belt for the night for only a few dollars. If you don't need it very often, that might be a better use of your cash.

[DrCelt]

Wow, quite a lot of smart looking lad in the pictures here!

I find myself in between the two camps of bet or no-belt. If I'm wearing formal attire than I always wear a belt with my price charlie, but that's largely because I think it adds to the look nicely. Now if I'm in a rugby shirt, or even in a nice **** and knit sweater on a date or something, I never wear a belt because of the bulge the buckle makes. So, I guess I usually only wear it for the look more so than the functionality.

Glad to hear you can get away with wearing a "nice shirt and knit sweater" without a belt...

But of course I agree. I'd wear a belt with the Prince Charlie as well, unless I had a waistcoat on.

[markv]

Since we're on the subject of belts, and I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm very close to ordering my first kilt and was wondering from where you, who have 2-inch, non-plate, belts purchased them? All I seem to be able to find are the belts with shiny silver/brass/pewter plate buckles.

Thanks and sorry for the hijack.

-Mark

[Dale Seago]

Since we're on the subject of belts, and I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm very close to ordering my first kilt and was wondering from where you, who have 2-inch, non-plate, belts purchased them? All I seem to be able to find are the belts with shiny silver/brass/pewter plate buckles.

Thanks and sorry for the hijack.

-Mark

I have two 2.25-inchers with the "hunter" buckle from Mojo Leather, one dark brown/brass and one black/silver:

http://www.mojoleather.com/sporran-k...bbrownelt-p-92

I also have a 2.5" black one w/brass roller buckle from Oconee:

http://oconeeleatherworks.com/Belts.htm

All 3 are excellent (I have two Mojo Leather sporran straps, too). Both makers go to the effort of smoothing the inner side and rounding/burnishing the edges to reduce wear on the wool.




EDIT: You can see me wearing the dark-brown Mojo Leather belt below. Clearly, my Mojo is working. . .

[Downunder Kilt]

I have two 2.25-inchers with the "hunter" buckle from Mojo Leather, one dark brown/brass and one black/silver:

http://www.mojoleather.com/sporran-k...bbrownelt-p-92

I also have a 2.5" black one w/brass roller buckle from Oconee:

http://oconeeleatherworks.com/Belts.htm

All 3 are excellent (I have two Mojo Leather sporran straps, too). Both makers go to the effort of smoothing the inner side and rounding/burnishing the edges to reduce wear on the wool.

Have the same (have the standard buckle on the Oconee belt) Dale and wholeheartedly agree with your assessments. I note that Steve from Oconee is having a break at the moment though and not accepting new orders