Hose?

[Bob C]

I think black hose look horrible with formal outfits. If you want that much black, wear pants.

[Bryan]

... to my eyes they almost seem to clash with most tartan patterns I've seen them with...

I agree. I've never been a big fan.

[macwilkin]

I know everyone says that diced or argyll are the dressiest hose, but I'm just not a fan of the way they look... to my eyes they almost seem to clash with most tartan patterns I've seen them with... But again, to each their own.

I personally like black kilt hose when dressing up, though I have yet to have the occasion, nor do I own black kilt hose... but just from the pics I've seen I like the looks of black hose.

Argyll or tartan hose are generally woven to match the tartan of your kilt; for example, when I had my tartan hose woven to match my kilt, I sent a swatch of material that my kiltmaker provided me so that the hose would be a match. They're not supposed to clash.

Diced and tartan are the epitome of a sharp dressed kiltie, INMHO.

Todd

[jordanjm]

For dressy I like either the Tan Cable knit, or blue Cable Knit Hamilton Dry Goods Hose.

[Phil]

When I was younger the dress code was self-coloured plain hose for daywear -

and for formal evening wear it had to be full tartan hose -

The current fashion for off-white hose is a recent introduction by the kilt-hire companies who do not want to have to stock many pairs of expensive hose in different tartans.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The only real answer, of course, is what color and style of hose will depend upon your kilt and other aspects of your outfit. There is no stock answer, and I'm not a big fan of assigning particular colors their appropriate times of day or levels of formality.

That being said, I thought this might be a good occasion to revisit a blog entry I did two years ago on the topic of kilt hose:
http://blog.albanach.org/2005/07/on-kilt-hose.html

Also, another option is the Balmoral hose that we are offering at the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop:


These have a self-colored sock with a custom hand knit basket weave pattern cuff. They are a nice option in-between solid hose and the full argyle. And, I beleive they can be worn equally well for casual and formal wear. While they are much more expensive than standard hose ($150), they are still less than the typical price for argyle hose of the same quality, which can easily be over $200.

Just another option to consider!

Then there is always the traditional cadadh. You'll have to make your own, but these will have the same effect as the argyle hose (they were the inspiration for the argyle hose, after all), but cost a lot less. Even though they are an historic style of hose, they work just as well for modern dress, even formal wear.

[Casper]

I agree with Matt... I was about to say that i'd match the hose to the tartan.

In my case:
Black hose + Black Stewart
White/cream/green hose + Hunting Stewart

[Joe Gondek]

 I agree with Matt... I was about to say that i'd match the hose to the tartan.

my thoughts also

[McG]

Awricht, I pefer the black they look more formal, i had a couple of pairs of tartan hose made £100 per pair here in scotland. Probably cheaper where you are.

[McMurdo]

You could always do what I am doing and have argyle hose knit up for you. Check here.