Kiltify me!

[CDNSushi]

I don't know if "kiltify" is a word, but it is now! Anyway, I'm looking for a bit of fashion advice from the rabble here.

What you see here is a picture of me at work (a junior college in Japan) on a non-teaching day. On days I teach I wear a dress shirt and tie, but this is my business casual: black jeans, warm, gray turtleneck, plum jacket. (A little more dressed up than the Steve Jobs blue jeans and black turtleneck look).




Anyway, I was thinking to myself: surely I could pull off a similar look kilted. (Also, I don't think too many people would mind if I did it from time to time)...

If you were to put together a Highland version of what I'm wearing in the photo, what would you recommend in the way of: tartan choice, jacket, hose, anything else that might make the look complete?

That also leads me to my last question (albeit, most likely an ignorant one): what's the difference between a jacket that's meant to be worn with pants and a jacket that's meant to be worn with a kilt?

Thanks everyone!

Jim D.

[Jack Daw]

Black Watch, with dark green, navy blue, or black hose.

[Spartan]

Black shadow tartan might be a possibility.

[The Wizard of BC]

Less expensive ---
A Black Casual Model FK with Celtic Cross Buttons.

A bit more expensive ---
One of the Black on Black Tartans in Wool. Ben Dubh (The Black Mount) from Marton Mills is my favorite.

The Jacket worn with a Kilt is shorter in the body than that worn with pants.
The Jacket worn with pants is supposed to be long enough to cover the pucker at the back of the crotch of the pants while the jacket worn with a Kilt should not go below the bottom of the Fell or the widest part of the buttocks.

[Bugbear]

May I suggest a black, denim hakama. I'm just joking.

I have noticed that a lot of the jackets that have the stretchy band around the bottom, I can't remember what it's called, are short enough to wear with a kilt. It's a jacket like a letterman jacket. Ask Riverkilt; he knows all about it. They could be used with jeans or a kilt.

[CDNSushi]

May I suggest a black, denim hakama. I'm just joking.

LOL! Problem with that, Ted is that no longer would I have people asking me if I'm Scottish or if I play the bagpipes, but they'd be asking me why I'm still wearing my "kendo outfit."

I actually own a variety of traditional, Japanese outfits -- I wear a very nice yukata whenever I'm doing tea ceremony. I'd still like to acquire a more formal mens' kimono at some point. I already have the "fundoshi" though -- (you can wiki that if you don't know what I'm talking about).

[Bugbear]

That does not mean you could not wear tartan tabi with your kilt, or any other tabi for that matter.

[Jock Scot]

The great thing with the kilt is that you can dress it up or down as the occasion dictates.So going to the beech= kilt plus T shirt. Going to church= Kilt plus tweed jacket and waistcoat. Going to a dinner party= kilt plus a PC jacket. You can adjust as the mood and occasion dictates ,but I think you get the picture?

You really ought to get jackets that are cut for the kilt otherwise the kilt will not hang and swing correctly. Oh by the way,this side of the Pacific AND Atlantic we call a dress shirt the one that is used for evening wear,say with a tux or in kilt terms, a PC.

[Dean]

CDNsushi,

I would say that a nice vest and button up shirt would be good enough. My school in Tokyo would freak if I wore a kilt to work. (I have to wear a jacket at all times.)

I was in Kofu a few weeks back. I should have called, but it was short notice.

[McMurdo]

Well as you are wearing a sweater, a kilted alternative would look something like this:



I'm wearing one of my Clan Tartans, with a black mock neck sweater, and my lovat blue argyll jacket, notice the cuffs eppelettes length and the buttons on the pockets, these are the main differences between a kilt jacket and a regular jacket.

As for Matching, I think there are times we put to much stock in it, if I am wearing my Clan Tartan, I just wear something I think looks good with it, even if it isn't completely matching, it's your clan tartan and therefore nobody should tell you that you are wearing it incorrectly.