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

[FossilHunter]

Cheers lads for replying further, feel free to keep it coming for anything you can think of.

I plan on buying multiple items and variants at some point, I'm just seeing what I can put together by the 21st of December and what to prioritise.

For example I'm leaning towards my first sporran being semi-dress and trying to straddle the line between everyday and dress... that is of course unless I receive advice against that.

If it helps I'll be around the Los Angeles/Bakersfield/Lancaster area, and I don't mind dressing up a tad more than is standard. I'm going to stand out in a kilt anyway and I'm not local -- yet.

I'm keeping red in mind, but any further recommendations for the colour of hose/ties/flashes/garters?

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.

[RecQuery]

Cheers lads, definitely leaning towards a good quality day sporran now. Probably supplement that with a hunting and a dress one when I get a chance.

Going with standard brogues or brogue boots, slightly dressy but not as much as ghillies.

Just trying to work out colour combinations and how best to coordinate given the tartan now.

[Tobus]

I am not a huge fan of the semi-dress sporran it does not really straddle the line between everyday dress, it simply fails at both, no for my money the better bet would be to get a good quality day sporran. My first sporran was my dad's old one & was made in 1950 it is still in use today & was the only sporran he has ever needed.

I must agree with this line of thinking, when it comes to basics and staying firmly within one level of dress without trying to blur the lines between casual/daywear and formal/eveningwear. While I certainly am a fan of brass cantles, hair, fur, and tassels for certain types of daywear sporrans, there is something to be said for the simplicity, versatility, and utility of a plain leather classic daywear sporran. Just a simple leather flap, no bells or whistles. It is understated, to be sure, but one cannot go wrong with this type.

I recently scored a plain brown leather daywear sporran made by Nicoll Bros. (Bankfoot) for less than $40 US on eBay. It's the one at top left in the following photo. Nicoll Bros. were a long-established traditional sporran-making company dating back to the 1800s, I believe. They are now Morrison Sporrans, but a lot of Nicoll Bros. sporrans can still be found on the used market at a price much lower than a new sporran.

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.

That's all well and good for locals who understand the difference between the different areas. But in this case, when advising a foreigner who will be traveling to the general area and may not know exactly where he will be, or who he will encounter, it's probably best to play it safe. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that California is an enigma to those of us who don't live there.

[FossilHunter]

That's all well and good for locals who understand the difference between the different areas. But in this case, when advising a foreigner who will be traveling to the general area and may not know exactly where he will be, or who he will encounter, it's probably best to play it safe. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that California is an enigma to those of us who don't live there.

That’s an understatement and one of the kinder words for it. Honestly it’s an enigma to those who live here as well.

[RecQuery]

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.

[YOJiMBO20]

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.

A quick primer on California would definitely be opening a can of worms.

Every part of CA has a different idea of things.

To save bandwidth, I'll just link these images rather than posting them.

CA according to San Diego: http://www.91x.com/wp-content/upload...alifornia1.jpg

CA according to Los Angeles: http://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/1329818

CA according to San Francisco: https://external-preview.redd.it/vCZ...=webp&1698e874

These maps are obviously tongue-in-cheek, but also somewhat accurate for how we view other parts of CA (though I don't know of anyone who would consider San Jose to be San Diego North).

And even within specific parts of California, there are big differences. For example, in San Diego County, San Diego City is a very different world than East County San Diego which is very different from North County San Diego.

[FossilHunter]

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.

PM sent on California.

[Steve Ashton]

If you read between the lines of most of the advice you have gotten so far, it should be that we tend to think not in "packages" when building an outfit. They will lead to to thing of a variety of things that work well together.

There is a widespread misconception that the kilt is some sort of uniform. That there is a 'proper' or 'preferred' or 'accepted' way to look at kilt outfits. The converse of accepted is that there would be something that is not accepted. About the only rule is "Pleaty part goes in the back".

This is probably due to the rental shop way of thinking. They can have only a limited amount of stock so they pick a few 'standard' items and order them in a lot of sizes.

What the members of X Marks will do is try to lead you away from this sort of "package" thinking and more towards building an outfit from items you already have or what you may already wear with pants.

Sure a jacket is normally cut specifically for a kilt and you don't normally need kilt hose or a sporran with trousers. But any shirt in your closet will work and any shoes that you already have are fine.

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.

Getting away from thinking of a kilt outfit as a 'package' opens up a lot of options you may not have thought of and sure lessens the stress of being afraid of doing something wrong.

[Baeau]

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.

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.

[Tobus]

And even within specific parts of California, there are big differences. For example, in San Diego County, San Diego City is a very different world than East County San Diego which is very different from North County San Diego.

Thanks, that clears it up!