The wonder of accessories....

[cryptonom]

So now that I've been bitten by the Kilt bug, I find myself weighing the different accessories that come with Kiltedness (Kiltitude?). The list of questions is as long as my arm, but here are a few for the more kilted among us:

What do you find "necessary" for a kilt? Hose? Sporran? Pin? Flashes? With a "modern" kilt? With a "traditional" kilt?

My preference is for the neo-kilt (the style, not the brand...the Amerikilt, the Utilikilt, that ilk) and there's a lot of leeway in their use. But I'd love opinions.

Suggestions for buying the following:

Kilt Belt. I find myself looking at paying $50 for a belt, and saying to myself "That's half a kilt!"

Sporran strap. Gotta say, I really don't like the way that the traditional "chain" looks. I'd much rather a thin leather strap or something. Any sources?

Kilt Hose. It looks to me that most tend to wear boots/heavy leather shoes with kilt hose. No athletic shoes? Sandals? Again, just looking for opinions.

Speaking of sporrans, what's the story with the whole "formal/informal" sporran? Why is fur formal? I personally much prefer the look of a good leather (I'm loving the stuff that Freelander is doing, for instance), but would consider investing in a fur if it were deemed "necessary" in some way.

Well, that's enough rambling. Gotta go back to earning money for that damn 8 yard Bear Kilt that I'm drooling over....

[bubba]

Kilt Belt. I find myself looking at paying $50 for a belt, and saying to myself "That's half a kilt!"

Sporran strap. Gotta say, I really don't like the way that the traditional "chain" looks. I'd much rather a thin leather strap or something. Any sources?

Kilt Hose. It looks to me that most tend to wear boots/heavy leather shoes with kilt hose. No athletic shoes? Sandals? Again, just looking for opinions.....

Personally, I like my wide kilt belt, but most any wider belt will do. I made my own sporran strap. It's a pretty simple project. I do wear atheletic type shoes most of the time. They're black walking shoes. A sporran is handy if you have no pockets in the kilt. With the contemporary kilts with pockets it's not needed.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Kilt Belt. I find myself looking at paying $50 for a belt, and saying to myself "That's half a kilt!"

Sporran strap. Gotta say, I really don't like the way that the traditional "chain" looks. I'd much rather a thin leather strap or something. Any sources?

Kilt Hose. It looks to me that most tend to wear boots/heavy leather shoes with kilt hose. No athletic shoes? Sandals? Again, just looking for opinions.....

Personally, I like my wide kilt belt, but most any wider belt will do. I made my own sporran strap. It's a pretty simple project. I do wear atheletic type shoes most of the time. They're black walking shoes. A sporran is handy if you have no pockets in the kilt. With the contemporary kilts with pockets it's not needed.

Firstly the kilt belt: You can get away without wearing one if you don't have one to begin with. I don't have one in Brown as yet so I usually wear a jumper which covers the top of the kilt.You can make a belt quite easily too

Sporran Strap: Is a very good Idea and much better for the kilt. They can be made cheaply enough. I'll send you details if you like.Most kilt suppiers have some.

Kilt Hose: I wear for the most wool hiking socks of knee length. Try and avoid White.Greens and Offwhite are best. Red is also good. I like to push the socks down with boots and have the hose up with shoes. Any plain shoe will do. Do however try not to mix black and brown.

Sporran: There are many out there. they are all a matter of taste. Try to avoid the cheap cardboardy ones. They tend to have no room for much anyway.

Good luck with your choices

[Hamish]

Hi Cryptonom,

I have to agree with what Bubba and David have already stated, but I'd like to take the opportunity to expand on their words a little.

A Kilt Belt is often considered to be a 2¼" wide leather belt with a large, oblong, celtic-design buckle. That is really more of a Dress Belt and would be totally out of place with a casual, self-coloured contemporary kilt, such as those you mention. A plain wide leather belt with a large pronged buckle looks best, or possibly a military style webbing belt depending upon how you are dressing overall.

The Sporran Strap If you must wear a sporran with the kilt, and there is absolutely no need if the kilt has pockets or comes with its own fabric sporran, then keep it as plain as you can, and a leather one is best. Utilikilts and Amerikilts are casual garments, not Dress Kilts, and so a fur or otherwise Dress Sporran would, again, be totally out of place. Straps are to be recommended over chains because of the harsh wearing effect on the fabric - this is much more important with woollen kilts but is, nevertheless a consideration. Sporran chains are associated with Dress outfits rather than casual or informal ones.

Kilt Hose generally looks better pushed or rolled down to the ankle when worn with boots and casual kilts (or kilts worn casually!) It is a matter of achieving a 'visual balance' with your entire body. Hose and boots, worn as above, tend to add 'weight' at the bottom of your frame - anchoring you to the ground in a way. Curiously, the effect does not work with shoes; with shoes the hose looks better worn up to a couple of inches below the kneecap. When wearing the hose pulled up like that, it is not at all necessary to wear garter flashes - unless you are wearing a tartan kilt (even then, it's not essential but is usual). The flashes should then match one of the colours in the tartan, unless your kiltmaker has provided you with tartan flashes with the kilt!

You mentioned Sandals. These are fine with kilts in summer and when you are dressing really casually, perhaps with just a T-shirt - but leave the hose off. Hose or socks do NOT work with sandals - as a rule!

Kilt Pins are really more decorative nowadays than anything else. They were introduced to add a little extra weight to the front apron of the traditional kilt, but most modern ones are too light to have any effect. One thing to beware: never pin the front and under aprons together. That way lies the path to ripped kilts should you snag the pin on anything fixed! Personally, I feel that kilt pins are totally out of place on modern casual kilts - it is as if the wearer is trying to make his American kilt look Scottish when, in fact, he should be proud to be wearing a uniquely American-designed kilt! If you want to, however, there is nothing stopping you. It is your choice.

There are thousands of photos of guys in kilts scattered across the Net - individuals albums, kiltmakers websites, etc., etc. Look at as many as you can and form your own ideas about what works and what doesn't. You'll soon learn to judge these things for yourself.

Above all, take a good look at yourself in a full-length mirror before leaving your home kilted, Many guys (and gals) would not step outside their homes if they really looked at themselves before venturing out! But they do and then wonder why folks they meet laugh at them ..... it's not the kilt that's being mocked; it's the overall messy 'look' the kilt-wearer is presenting to the world!!

I've 'gone on' somewhat with this, but I hope it has helped you. Good Luck, and don't forget to let us see your photos as soon as you have some.

[cryptonom]

That does indeed help, Hamish. Thanks for the reply!

I do lean towards the modern kilt, but plan on getting at least one traditionally styled tartan, and for that I will invest in a good sporran, hose, etc....it's just daunting that all of that will cost me as much as a decent kilt! :-)

I look forward to hearing other opinions!

[Martin]

I look forward to hearing other opinions!

Hamish has spoken !

[Mike n NC]

Thanks Hamish! You answered a couple of my questions too and I'm sure you helped more than one newbie with that post.

Mike

[Anthony]

Welcome cryptonom,

My preference is also the neo-kilt. Since I wear a kilt with a T-shirt I prefer, boots with socks that come to the top of the boot or flip-flops (sandals).

To me knee socks and boots just look bad, like it's all one had to put on so they're making due and socks pushed down to the top of the boot looks like ones to lazy to pull them up, but then thats just me.

I'm finding that even with a kilt that has pockets a sporran could be useful. I mean even most pants don't have enough pockets for wallet, 3 or 4 sets keys, wireless phone, lighter, cigarettes, cash, change, checkbook...

And a wide leather belt. Had one made to fit a wide (2 1/4" id) bronze buckle I got off ebay, belt and buckle set me back $45.00