Scotch/Irish mix

[FossilHunter]

The deer stalker and fore and aft are perfectly proper informal kilt attire over here.

I meant flat caps.

[Jock Scot]

Oh I see. Well, there is plenty of historical evidence to show that kilts and flat caps were worn together, but for some reason that I am not aware of,after about 1918, the general view was that the cap worn with the kilt was just not done. Perhaps it dawned on the kilt wearers that the aesthetics were not good?

[OC Richard]

Wow so many different topics floating around...

First (and I'm sure someone has brought it up) why would a flat cap be considered "Irish"? Yes there are Irish flat caps, but they're made in England, Wales, and Scotland too. So wearing a flat cap with Highland Dress doesn't involve mixing Irish and Scottish dress.

What does involve injecting Irish-ness into Highland dress is the piper's costumes of the Irish regiments. Yes the headdress is the Caubeen. I don't know if there's much history to the Caubeen, which AFAIK was not part of the pre-invasion traditional Irish clothing. (Neither did the kilt.)

Anyhow here are a couple Irish regimental pipers well showing the British military Caubeen:



About flat caps, they don't start showing up in photos of men in Highland Dress until the late 19th century, when you begin seeing them worn with tweed outdoor and hunting attire, oftentimes with spats.



Here's the king wearing one.



Here the piper, alone, rejects the cap in favour of the Glengarry



Here's the deerstalker

[MacKenzie]

https://weaversofireland.com/blog/fr...ble-flat-caps/

[LKM]

While a flat cap may not be for a more formal occasion, there is nothing wrong in my opinion with wearing one for day wear with a kilt

[Jumpmonkey]

I realized this morning that I have a similar conundrum. Every morning, before I put on the kilt, I take a shower, and wash off with a bar of Irish Springs. Anyone know where I can pick up a bar of Scottish Well, for pre-kilting ablutions?

[Baeau]

And.......connecting to another thread, is that a kilt pin, I see?

[Dollander]

I have to agree with OC Richard and others about not perceiving the flat cap being specifically Irish...or Scottish, for that matter. My sole reason for choosing a flat cap to wear with my kilts is that I happen to like the look. I used to wear baseball caps (or if I'm being honest, brimmed toupees...at least back before I finally accepted that a "skullet" isn't a good look for me ). But when I abruptly switched from trousers to kilts a year and a half ago, I just couldn't imagine wearing a baseball cap with a kilt no matter how casually I'm dressed.

However, I knew I'd need something else if I wanted to wear a cap while dressed up. I have both a glengarry and a balmoral, though the latter has the dicing that I've grown less fond of in the 25+ years since I'd obtained it. While searching for a plain black one, I stumbled upon caubeens, and decided that's the type of hat I wanted. Again, not to tribute my Irish heritage, but just because the round badge rosette and lack of a toorie appealed to me. Likewise, my decision to add a purely decorative brooch with a tartan "hackle" rather than a crest badge has nothing to do with it being a non-Scottish style of headwear, but to avoid further redundancy as I already have badges on my sporran and sgian:

[tokareva]

The caubeen you are wearing looks good Dollander but I'm confused about the photo OC Richard posted. Is the caubeen Irish or British? What is a good source for one? Thanks in advance.

[Richrail]

I've worn Flat caps, Balmoral, Glengarry, Dear stalker, Fedora and even a Derby. I like them all I don't wear the Glengarry that much, I like hats so I don't just wear one style.