Did I buy the ugliest kilt on the planet?

**Rick Landre** · 28th February 18, 06:11 PM

I like it. I think it's great. I love the indviduality of it all.

**Father Bill** · 28th February 18, 06:15 PM

Hi.

I've said this elsewhere, but the idea of an ugly tartan is somehow foreign to me. Twill is a marvellous cloth, and to me tartan is beautiful almost without fail. (Okay, there are a few corporate setts that are a wee bit forced, but that's not what we're on about here.)

Your tartan is your nametag. I went into a church for the Kirkin' o' the Tartan once and greeted the woman holding the door with "Good morning, Mrs. MacLeod." She looked shocked and puzzled that I knew her name since she didn't know me, and looked immediately to verify that she was not wearing a nametag... but the "Loud MacLeod" is unmistakeable anywhere.

Why do we tease about the "Loud MacLeod"? Because it is a beautiful thing to have something that brilliantly bold, and we love to recognize what it is.

Whether weathered, (you may chuckle if you wish) modern, ancient, hunting or standard, your tartan is recognizeable and says who you are. I joined the Clan Sinclair Association of Canada after walking down the pavilion of the clans and having been "spotted" by the association as I passed on the other side. I was wearing Sinclair Hunting modern. The chap there told me that he had said to the others in the tent that I'd be there on my way back, and he was right. The important thing here is that he spotted my kilt and knew immediately who I was.

So the thing with your tartan is this: Does it matter what colour or colours your nametag has so long as the name is spelled correctly? Matching the other things you wear may be important, but your tartan is... your tartan. Your tartan. Match your hose to your shirt or tie if you like, or perhaps just your garters. Make sure that your jacket compliments your shoes if you care about such things, but your tartan stands on its own -proudly. -beautifully. -distinctly. -perfectly.

It's always your tartan and if you're not proud of it, you need a psychologist, not a wardrobe change.

Wear it proudly. Wear it defiantly. Wear it often... and love it! It's yours!

**OC Richard** · 28th February 18, 06:35 PM

It's a beautiful tartan, the Muted.

Personally the two colours I would avoid are the tartan's two main ground-colours, those specific shades of green and blue.

Of the various hose you have in that photo my favourite is the taupe (what Cheviot calls "Bison") for the very reason that the tartan lacks that colour.

Personally I would wear a brown tweed jacket and/or waistcoat and Bison hose.

Or you can avoid colour altogether and go with charcoal grey tweed- it would look great with that tartan. I've yet to see a tartan charcoal grey doesn't look good with.

But I wouldn't mix the two- brown hose with grey jacket etc. Brown and grey take the tartan in two different directions, for my eye.

About avoiding the kilts' main ground-colours, there's an optical effect that happens when you juxtapose a jacket hose etc of one of a kilt's main ground-colours upon the kilt: that colour is diminished in the kilt, drained out of the kilt, making the kilt look more muted and dull.

The opposite effect, intensifying one of the kilt's colours, happens when you juxtapose something of a colour brighter/more intense and shifted one way or the other around the colour-wheel.

**Terry Searl** · 28th February 18, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Hi.

I've said this elsewhere, but the idea of an ugly tartan is somehow foreign to me. Twill is a marvellous cloth, and to me tartan is beautiful almost without fail. (Okay, there are a few corporate setts that are a wee bit forced, but that's not what we're on about here.)

Your tartan is your nametag. I went into a church for the Kirkin' o' the Tartan once and greeted the woman holding the door with "Good morning, Mrs. MacLeod." She looked shocked and puzzled that I knew her name since she didn't know me, and looked immediately to verify that she was not wearing a nametag... but the "Loud MacLeod" is unmistakeable anywhere.

Why do we tease about the "Loud MacLeod"? Because it is a beautiful thing to have something that brilliantly bold, and we love to recognize what it is.

Whether weathered, (you may chuckle if you wish) modern, ancient, hunting or standard, your tartan is recognizeable and says who you are. I joined the Clan Sinclair Association of Canada after walking down the pavilion of the clans and having been "spotted" by the association as I passed on the other side. I was wearing Sinclair Hunting modern. The chap there told me that he had said to the others in the tent that I'd be there on my way back, and he was right. The important thing here is that he spotted my kilt and knew immediately who I was.

So the thing with your tartan is this: Does it matter what colour or colours your nametag has so long as the name is spelled correctly? Matching the other things you wear may be important, but your tartan is... your tartan. Your tartan. Match your hose to your shirt or tie if you like, or perhaps just your garters. Make sure that your jacket compliments your shoes if you care about such things, but your tartan stands on its own -proudly. -beautifully. -distinctly. -perfectly.

It's always your tartan and if you're not proud of it, you need a psychologist, not a wardrobe change.

Wear it proudly. Wear it defiantly. Wear it often... and love it! It's yours!

You've got me worried now Father Bill, by your words above it might mean I have to get ANOTHER KILT in another tartan, if just by chance I want to go someplace incognito........ my next choice was a gorgeous purple and gold based county Wexford tartan......but it isn't woven any longer, for some reason County Wexford has opted for a tartan with more of a green base

wexford-me090.gif

**OC Richard** · 28th February 18, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

I've said this elsewhere, but the idea of an ugly tartan is somehow foreign to me.

Click on this and the idea of an ugly tartan might become less foreign

https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/bruce-o...SABEgLCY_D_BwE

**Tarheel** · 28th February 18, 06:55 PM

I say burgundy hose, pastel blue (even small checkered shirt) dark blue waistcoat or sleeveless sweater would work well for casual wear. Don't knock the tartan if you have ties to the clan (but you can complain about the family when non family members want to).

**Terry Searl** · 28th February 18, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Click on this and the idea of an ugly tartan might become less foreign

https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/bruce-o...SABEgLCY_D_BwE

By Golly that tartan re-inforces Father Bills thoughts about never an ugly tartan, for me.....some of the Dance tartans aren't particularly pleasing but even those are also far between

**Father Bill** · 28th February 18, 07:10 PM

No, I don't think it's ugly per se. It seems to me that it's likely a recently designed sett, but if it's a traditional identifier, then it has its own beauty.

**Liam** · 28th February 18, 07:20 PM

Here is my thought... the bison hose, red flashes, tattersall shirt and a red sweater vest, brown sporran.

**RichardtheLarge** · 28th February 18, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by tokareva

That's great, Im glad somebody does,but what would you wear with it?
Nothing too fancy either ,only very casual stuff.

I’ve heard the adage about ancient tartans being casual and modern tartans being formal. Don’t believe it for a second!

Tartan is tartan. Any shade of any tartan is appropriate for wear on ANY occasion, from stumping through the forest to formalwear! With highlandwear, the other accessories is what determines your level of formality, not the shades themselves!

Indeed, this is what I love about highlandwear in the first place—men are granted access to colors! This is a concept that is nearly unknown in Western wear, where navy, grey, and black reign supreme.

I wear my ancient toned kilt and hose with my formalwear and bow tie, and find the combination smashing. I encourage you to do the same.