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  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrScott View Post
    Refresh me on how long a jacket should be with a kilt? I wear my DNKE at my bellybutton. Is about bottom of the belt the generally accepted guideline?
    It will, of course, vary with your body proportions, how low/high you wear your sporran, the type of jacket, and the overall aesthetic you desire. A jacket with a cutaway or swept front closure can be longer at the sides and back as long as they allow sporran clearance in the front (though it's generally best if the sides and back extend no lower than the fell of the kilt). Flat-bottom jackets don't have as much leeway.

    Personally, if I were trying to make a flat-bottom closed-front jacket work with a kilt, I would want it as high up as I could get it without it riding up over the kilt straps/buckles when I sit or bend over. Or, looking at it another way, I would want it to just cover a kilt belt if I were wearing one (which I probably wouldn't under a closed jacket). It's best if the jacket ends right around your natural waist so it doesn't have to flare out at the bottom or puff out above the bottom closure. In my opinion, Ike jackets are the perfect length and shape for this, and their exterior belt-type closure essentially replaces the kilt belt.

    When I'm looking at jackets that aren't specifically made as kilt jackets, in order to see if they will work with a kilt, I tend to gauge them in relation to sleeve length. An original Ike jacket, for instance, is much shorter than the sleeves. Reproductions and more modern "patrol jackets" tend to have longer torsos which make them too long (for me) to wear comfortably with a kilt.

    I've never found a modern jacket on the non-kilt market that is short enough to satisfy me for wearing with a kilt, which is why I think I'll have to convert something by shortening it. For reference, here's a 1950s Ike jacket that I can barely squeeze into. This is the length I'd consider ideal.


  2. #12
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    28th November 20
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    A Barbour Bedale might suit the bill. Shortest of the classic Barbours, cut for equestrian (or 2-wheeled) use. Double zip so you can open from the bottom if it interferes with your sporran while sitting down. Sized to fit over a wool sweater but you can add an insulated liner and a hood if you want. Waxed cotton, impervious to sparks from the camp fire. Hard wearing and repairable, look after it and it could see you out - which is why you can pick up well-used examples very reasonably on the second hand market. Not cheap to buy new, but they even come in a choice of 4 different colours these days .

    Regards, EEM
    "Humanity is an aspiration, not a fact of everyday life."

  3. The Following 2 Users say 'Aye' to Micrographia For This Useful Post:


  4. #13
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    22nd October 17
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    There are some great ideas listed on this thread.

    My favorite casual kilt jacket is a Harris Tweed "varsity" jacket I got many years ago from Lands end. It is a zip-up jacket in a classic tweed material (which looks great with the kilt). The sleeves are the same tweed, rather than a more traditional varsity jacket, which usually has leather sleeves. It hangs just below the waist and has brown knit ribbed cuffs, collar, and waistband. When I wear it with a kilt, it just covers the waist buckles and ends at the top of the fell. No problem with my sporran, especially if I am wearing a belt with sporran hangers.

    So a classic "varsity" letterman-type jacket would likely work well. http://www.neffco.com/Varsity-Jackets?view_all

    I agree with Tobus that a motorcycle jacket can look pretty boss with a kilt (and a good pair of boots). And there are several military-style jackets that will do the trick: Ike jackets, battle dress jackets, nylon flight jackets. A good source for repro military jackets is What Price Glory. For reasonably-price, quality leather motorcyce jackets, Schott NYC is a respected source.

    The Barbour Bedale and the Filson jackets shown above are also great options. A golf or Member's Only jacket might also meet your needs.

    Much depends on the weather you want to brave and the overall look you are seeking (punk rebel, construction worker, golfer?). And your budget will also be a determining factor, especially when looking at costlier materials like tweed, leather, or alpaca.

    Happy hunting!

    Andrew

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  6. #14
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    Interesting options there, Andrew. I googled tweed varsity jackets and saw a lot of choices. I never knew they came in other materials besides the usual solid-coloured wool with leather arms. Personally, the ribbed short collar style of a varsity jacket isn't my thing with a kilt, but it might appeal to the look that others are going for. Between varsity jackets, Ike jackets, bomber jackets, drizzler jackets, and probably a number of other named styles I'm unfamiliar with, there ought to be a lot of variety.

    And it's worth mentioning that there's always the option of a good thick jumper (sweater) in lieu of a jacket. Search the forum for threads about Aran jumpers and military-style "woolly pully" jumpers. I've worn mine out-of-doors for many hours when it was 20F, and was quite warm underneath it. My ears didn't fare so well, but that's another matter entirely. Some examples can be seen in this thread: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...no-belt-94909/

  7. #15
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    Why hasn't anyone mentioned a denim jacket? There are numerous makers now, not just Levi and Wrangler, and you can get them with fleece if you want a warmer jacket. I have one that I've been wearing for years- though now it looks it and I rarely wear if off the farm. (Funny how barbed wire will air condition all my jackets...)
    I think I've seen them in other colors besides blue.
    B.D. Marshall
    Texas Convener for Clan Keith

  8. #16
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    20th June 11
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    Quote Originally Posted by bdkilted View Post
    Why hasn't anyone mentioned a denim jacket? There are numerous makers now, not just Levi and Wrangler, and you can get them with fleece if you want a warmer jacket. I have one that I've been wearing for years- though now it looks it and I rarely wear if off the farm. (Funny how barbed wire will air condition all my jackets...)
    I think I've seen them in other colors besides blue.
    Agreed, a sherpa-lined "trucker jacket" like this one from Levis should do quite well down to the 30s at least, more with a wool sweater underneath.

  9. #17
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by bdkilted View Post
    Why hasn't anyone mentioned a denim jacket? There are numerous makers now, not just Levi and Wrangler, and you can get them with fleece if you want a warmer jacket. I have one that I've been wearing for years- though now it looks it and I rarely wear if off the farm. (Funny how barbed wire will air condition all my jackets...)
    I think I've seen them in other colors besides blue.
    When I was a young kilter (over 45 years ago) that's what I wore because I couldn't afford a proper jacket. I still have it, although it's a little holey as well.
    "Touch not the cat bot a glove."

  10. #18
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    6th December 11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Micrographia View Post
    A Barbour Bedale might suit the bill. Shortest of the classic Barbours, cut for equestrian (or 2-wheeled) use. Double zip so you can open from the bottom if it interferes with your sporran while sitting down. Sized to fit over a wool sweater but you can add an insulated liner and a hood if you want. Waxed cotton, impervious to sparks from the camp fire. Hard wearing and repairable, look after it and it could see you out - which is why you can pick up well-used examples very reasonably on the second hand market. Not cheap to buy new, but they even come in a choice of 4 different colours these days .

    Regards, EEM
    This is my jacket of choice, kilted or not. I like the shorter length for walking, biking in all types of weather and it works as well in California as it did in Scotland. The zip in liner and the snap on hood give it versatility.

    Clan Mackintosh North America / Clan Chattan Association
    Cormack, McIntosh, Gow, Finlayson, Farquar, Waters, Swanson, Ross, Oag, Gilbert, Munro, Turnbough,
    McElroy, McCoy, Mackay, Henderson, Ivester, Castles, Copeland, MacQueen, McCumber, Matheson, Burns,
    Wilson, Campbell, Bartlett, Munro - a few of the ancestral names, mainly from the North-east of Scotland




  11. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tobus View Post
    In my opinion, Ike jackets are the perfect length and shape for this
    This is pretty similar to what I meant by British/Canadian Battledress tunic.

  12. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by bdkilted View Post
    Why hasn't anyone mentioned a denim jacket? There are numerous makers now, not just Levi and Wrangler, and you can get them with fleece if you want a warmer jacket. I have one that I've been wearing for years- though now it looks it and I rarely wear if off the farm. (Funny how barbed wire will air condition all my jackets...)
    I think I've seen them in other colors besides blue.
    A leather "trucker's" jacket could work well in black or tan.

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