Another hoses question

[Dirk95]

Hi All,
Hope you are well in these strange times. I've been thinking just lately as there's nothing else to do about a query with hose if you have white in your kilt, a line or pattern can you wear white or ecru hose, I don't wear them normally unless it's black and white formal night on a cruise. I know some are against them as they feel they look cheap or like a rental outfit. I normally wear self coloured or tartan top cuffed. I know it's another question about hose but it would be interesting to know what you think.
regards
Dirk 95
Derek

[FossilHunter]

Hi All,
Hope you are well in these strange times. I've been thinking just lately as there's nothing else to do about a query with hose if you have white in your kilt, a line or pattern can you wear white or ecru hose, I don't wear them normally unless it's black and white formal night on a cruise. I know some are against them as they feel they look cheap or like a rental outfit. I normally wear self coloured or tartan top cuffed. I know it's another question about hose but it would be interesting to know what you think.
regards
Dirk 95
Derek

I think that I see what you’re saying, kind of like wearing bright red hose with loud Macleod tartan to accent to red line on it?

However, I still think I’d pass on white hose. I just don’t like white socks, kilted or otherwise.

And any tartan with white in it would still have other colors to play off of if you wanted to have a match of some kind.

[Father Bill]

Can you wear them? Sure. Should you? Up to you. Would I? Nope.

[McMurdo]

Yes you can wear them if you like then go ahead. I would suggest getting the best pair you can, preferably hand knit, that seems to make a difference in how they look, for me natural is much better than white.

[Jock Scot]

White hose would not be everyone's choice. On a slightly wider point, the traditional kilt wearers thinking goes along the lines of not bothering too much with the matching of colours with anything and particularly with one's hose.

[OC Richard]

if you have white in your kilt, a line or pattern, can you wear white or ecru hose

Seems to me that most traditional kiltwearers didn't usually think in those terms, in terms of matching the kilt-colours with the hose. I know I don't, I prefer co-ordinating colours (which often involves contrast).

I don't wear them normally unless it's black and white formal night...I know some are against them as they feel they look cheap or like a rental outfit.

Preferences in Hose-colour is one of those things of fashion that changes over time, for no apparent reason.

In Victorian times tartan hose were common, and selfcoloured kilt-hose were nearly always grey, brown, or (less often) brick red.

Through much of the 20th century selfcoloured kilt-hose were usually seen in a limited number of colours such as Lovat blue, Lovat green, stone, and ecru.

Starting, what, around the 1970s ecru hose began replacing the traditional tartan hose for Evening Dress. Then in the 1990s gleaming pure-white hose became hugely popular for Evening dress.

Now the fashion has moved away from white and ecru and to anything but: black, charcoal grey, navy blue, royal blue, red, claret, even yellow and purple.

There's no right and wrong in it, it's just the vagaries of fashion.

Here are some top pipers gathered in Scotland for a formal event, as you see none are wearing white or ecru hose.



The same here, dignitaries at a Highland Games

I normally wear self-coloured or tartan top cuffed.

I really like the tartan-top hose, to me they look classy. They were popular in the 1920s and they've never gone out of style.

[imbrius]

I really like the tartan-top hose, to me they look classy. They were popular in the 1920s and they've never gone out of style.

I'll second this. It's a shame that House of Cheviot no longer makes their tartan-top selfcoloured line anymore. It was nice of them to sell me a pair from back stock, though. I simply adore them for dressier occasions.

[ShaunMaxwell]

I'll second this. It's a shame that House of Cheviot no longer makes their tartan-top selfcoloured line anymore. It was nice of them to sell me a pair from back stock, though. I simply adore them for dressier occasions.

Some can still be found.

Ancient Scott:

https://horseandhoof.com/house-of-ch...t-113854-p.asp

https://www.kiltsocks.co.uk/product/...ancient-scott/

Cheers,

SM

[imbrius]

Some can still be found.

Ancient Scott:

https://horseandhoof.com/house-of-ch...t-113854-p.asp

https://www.kiltsocks.co.uk/product/...ancient-scott/

Cheers,

SM

I actually ordered from Horse and Hoof using that form before and they sent me an apology e-mail saying that the item was discontinued and that they could not process my order.

I did not know about kiltsocks.co.uk.

[OC Richard]

What's strange about the tartan-top hose is that at the last Highland Games I attended (before they all got cancelled) a shop had a whole box of them.

Some would match modern red & green tartans, some would match ancient blue & green tartans.

Here they are, lower left, in the 1936 R G Lawrie catalogue