LEO Class A/Mess Dress with kilt

[True Blue]

I know from other posts some law enforcement departments allow the wearing of kilts. I wondering if anyone's department have a Class A/Mess Dress version or if there is a generic standard. I was thinking of running an optional kilt version past my chief. I was thinking of one of the law enforcement tartans with a montrose doublet (no Jabot) or one of the other fromal jackets with police buttons and using duty belt (minus equipment).

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks

[dutchy kilted]

Hey Brother!

I was at the Maryland Irish Festival in Baltimore last year and saw a Baltimore City or Baltimore County cop in dress A uniform top with duty belt, kilt, spats, etc. I can't remember what hat he had on, if any. Very sharp looking.

It might be worth contacting those departments to see if they can help you out. I believe he might have been part of a departmental pipe band, but this was late in the evening and the Guinness was flowing.

[LANCER1562]

When I have gone to the Highland Games in Pleasanton, CA I have seen several Pleasanton P.D. officers wearing their regular uniform shirt, kilt, duty gear, black socks and appropriate duty shoes while working crowd control. At the police funerals that I have attended, the piper is usually wearing standard Class "A" uniform (8 point service cap, Ike jacket, uniform shirt with tie, black hose, black low quarters, white dress gloves and full duty gear) with the kilt instead of the uniform trousers that the rest of the assembled are wearing.

I think that if you went with the full dress uniform people might think you were either a member of a police pipe band or were attending a funeral. Scaling it down to the Class "B" version might be a better option.

Run these ideas by your Chief and see what he says.

[SlackerDrummer]

I think it depends on what your current uniforms are like. When I played in the Prince George's County Police Pipe Band, we wore black barathea Argyle jackets. I always thought we should have taken their dress uniform jackets, like this:



and had them cut down like this:



That would be a better Class A uniform than either the jackets we wore or the Montrose doublet you're proposing, IMO.

[AFS1970]

I have always thought that the Ike Jackets worn by many police departments could probably be pressed into this type of service, but I have never done this myself. When I was a Firefighter, I did wear my kilt with a blue "commando" sweater with my FD patches and badge, but that would be at best a Class B.

[SlackerDrummer]

The Ike jacket would be my second choice, but the cutaway seems a little classier. As I said, it would depend on the current dress uniform of the department in question. I would try to come as close as possible, within the range of kilt-appropriate jackets, to what they already wear. It is, after all, a uniform.

[MacLowlife]

You might check out (NORCALPIPER's) Skye Highland Outfitter's offerings. I think their Lowlander jacket might work for you, for instance...

http://www.skyehighlandoutfitters.co...er_Jacket.html

[True Blue]

Thanks all.

I'm not really talking about a Class B situation but rather a formal setting where the Class A's would be worn. (we have more then you would think) We currently wear the standard Class A jacket and have never worn the Ike jackets.

That being said everyone hates them and would prefer to go back to the old style double buttoned police doublet, which is why I mentioned the Montrose doublet because it is very similar in look. Change to police buttons, add badge, ribbons and cross strap and from the waist up you wouldn't know the difference.

MacLowlife, the Lowland jackets look nice and could work. Thanks.

[ElCid07]

I've solved this problem in a similar way as SlackerDrummer... when at The Citadel we would wear our Dress White Blouse, but would fold the front flap of the blouse in and tape or safety pin it in place to create a space for the sporran. A couple of guys bought extra blouses and had them tailored in that fashion as well.

Before...


After...

[True Blue]

That's great and simple idea. Thanks