Got my first kilt: accessories, buying advice and building a package

[ThistleDown]

Going a tad off topic for a second, but is there something like a quick primer on California? Not only am I visiting but I'm in process of immigrating via marriage. I'm kind of aware by being online and tech savvy the basics of the situation, or so I thought but now I'm not sure.

I've gone with an embossed leather day sporran and a good quality ex-hire one to tide me over until I can suitably build my collection there and elsewhere.

Can you show us, RecQuery? We would love to see what you selected. And...congratulations! On your upcoming marriage, that is . Will you be able to come home frequently?

[California Highlander]

I'm a bit curious about the statements some have made about reactions to fur in southern California. As a native San Diegan I have never seen anyone get up in arms over fur, leather, or meat. Maybe in Hollywood but for the most part, southern Californians are too laid back to care. Not that is never happens but it has never occurred to me as a reason not to buy a fur sporran (indeed I'm deciding which critter would make a better full mask sporran).

Certainly in Bakersfield and Lancaster you'll be fine. Many are familiar with the North-South distinction but the Coast-Inland change can be even more stark. There's a lot of agriculture, oil production, ranching, and hunting out that way. Nobody is likely to bother you over a fur sporran.

Honestly, I always thought of the Bay Area as where you'd be most likely run into the "fur is murder" types.

Even up north, in San Francisco, not so much of an issue as the media make it out to be. If you are selling a $$$ fur coat at Neiman or Barneys, you get protesters, you wear a fur sporran to tea or dinner or the pub or Burns night, no one cares except for a "that looks cool" comment. SF really hasn't had "fur protests" in a few years and they were always focused on the high-end retailers' fur coats. No one protested the Scottish shop selling sporrans. This is my perception as a life-long Northern Californian, originally from a rural area, but in SF area for almost 30 years.

So...y'all can come to NorCal and wear your fur sporrans likely without an issue or complaint. Just don't wear that floor length fur coat on Union Square!

[California Highlander]

Bay area........maybe Berkeley? Anything seems to happen there. I've been in the South Bay all my life, & I can't remember too much fur issue. Maybe in SF, holidays, years ago. For a long time, the fur issue was contentious in Ventura, Santa Barbara, & San Luis Counties. I knew someone with the 'opposing' view. Not a paint thrower, but I did hear of what went on. The issue we have, as of last pm, is people protesting the City of San Jose for agreeing to sell huge plots of City owned land...........to Google for a MEGA-Complex.

I also agree with Tobus, "Play it safe". The 'slightly off thread', should be considered part of "What to Wear When One Is There". Just picking close to home, there are parts of San Francisco & Oakland where one would never wear a kilt. Or be dressed a bit OTT. I'm sure, most of the everywhere has pockets like that.

Everywhere has "bad parts of town" and "bad" is relative to your own experience. Oakland gets a lot of negative press, but it's a very large city with an extremely diverse population, and there is crime that is worse in some neighborhoods.

I wear a kilt in Oakland, SF, Berkeley fairly often and seldom get even a comment. When I do, neutral or positive, and almost always positive. I've had one negative comment in the 7 years since I got my first kilt and that was from a high school aged boy. Most common questions? "What tartan/clan is that?" "Are you going to the Scottish games?" and "do you play bagpipes?" and I don't get those all that much.

Generally I wear "pub attire" around town, kilt, maybe a rugby or tee shirt and a sweater/jumper in winter. There are Scottish games in Woodland, Pleasanton (~50k attendees), Dixon, and a Tartan Day event in Fremont, all within an hour or less drive from SF, so it's not as if it's a totally foreign concept to many people.

[RecQuery]

The X Marks members will also lead you away from the "Matchy matchy' thinking. They will try to get you to think of color-coordinating instead of matching colors. In fact, in the UK, is seems they go out of their way not to match. They don't match color, pattern or texture. But they do color-coordinate as a whole outfit.

I must admit, I'm still trying to get away from the matching stuff up mindset.

Can you show us, RecQuery? We would love to see what you selected. And...congratulations! On your upcoming marriage, that is . Will you be able to come home frequently?

Thanks, actually got married back in November. When I get the sporrans I'll take pictures and post them. I'm still waiting for the paperwork to be processed but I'll be travelling back and forth until then.

[Taskr]

Here's an exercise you might try to break away from matchy-matchy.

Without really looking and not much thought, take a shirt out and set it aside. Some time later, remind yourself to get some socks -don't look at the shirt and don't bother recalling which it was. Later, grab a tie. Again, no thought to the shirt or socks. Gather up sweater or jacket and pants in the same way. Over a couple of days, even.

When you have all your selections, put them all together. They probably don't match at all and might not have been your selections if you were considering putting an outfit together, but it is entirely likely they compliment each other because they are the result of your choices when you acquired each of them. We all lean toward co-ordination.

So, in deciding on purchase, don't worry too much about what colour or shade or tone other things are. Look at the item for what it is and let the decision rest on what you think of that item on its own. "Do I like this shade of blue, and the quality of this flash", "These hose are red, but I don't like the knit. These others the weight/knit I like, and the colour is agreeable"

The mornings I've just pulled things together without much care at all, the kilt outfit looks just fine. Though, I will admit, it is good I pair the hose in the drawer (thankfully didn't make it out the door from an unfolded laundry basket selection one morning)

[Peter Carleton]

Another newbie here again. I love all the information I'm getting from you. Thanks. I'm very excited to have ordered my kilt! But it's not unusual to have 20 F +/- 10 here in Maine. Do you have suggestions for keeping my legs warm? Just hose? Or long johns? I'd like to wear, but I'd also like to be warm!
Peter

[McMurdo]

Another newbie here again. I love all the information I'm getting from you. Thanks. I'm very excited to have ordered my kilt! But it's not unusual to have 20 F +/- 10 here in Maine. Do you have suggestions for keeping my legs warm? Just hose? Or long johns? I'd like to wear, but I'd also like to be warm!
Peter

It's cold here in Canada too, hand knit hose, boots, keep your core warm and your head warm and you should be fine. When I took this photo I was so warm I had to take off my jacket & hat.

[kingandrew]

As long as you've got a good wool kilt, then you'll be fine with some wool hose, a couple of layers on top (shirt, sweater, jacket), and a balmoral bonnet. I find that a good scarf and some gloves make a real difference to me in cold weather (I've worn the kilt on some windy, frigid Beijing evenings).

You might want to look into some wool or fleece boxer briefs if you're dealing with lots of wind.

Andrew

[KiltedDixon]

I agree with kingandrew regarding a scarf and gloves.

I hiked Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle last weekend...34 F and 10-20 mph winds.

I wore a toboggan, scarf, jumper and gloves with my kilt...no coat.

Took the toboggan and gloves off to cool down once I got a break from the wind.


Stayed nice and toasty.

[Singlemalt]

I agree with kingandrew regarding a scarf and gloves.

I hiked Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle last weekend...34 F and 10-20 mph winds.

I wore a toboggan, scarf, jumper and gloves with my kilt...no coat.

Took the toboggan and gloves off to cool down once I got a break from the wind.


Stayed nice and toasty.

What is a toboggan when you where it? I have ridden lots of toboggans in my youth but never wore one???