One kilt, several looks. A canny Scot's take.

[Nathan]

Edit: sad face emoticon in post title was a typo. I meant to post a happy face.

I quite like this thread by Calgacus and since Richard and others have shared their preferences, I thought I'd follow suit.

Smart casual Jumper and open collar for a smart casual occasion, a tie can be added to take this up a notch. Solid hose and a simple leather sporran are best for this look.



Day wear - much like Calgacus' take on daywear. This is either a sports coat or lounge suit (business suit) equivalent. Keys to this look are a tweed Argyll jacket cut for the kilt, a day sporran and solid coloured hose. A waist belt is optional but if worn, a simple buckle style like Calgacus and I have chosen is preferable to a silver coloured plate style buckle as those are better suited to formal wear. A tattersall shirt is in keeping with the country gentleman appearance that tweed wear evokes.



Smart day wear - For a slightly dressier look, I've gotten rid of the waist belt and added a waistcoat, pocket watch and patterned hose tops. This is personal flare and the simpler look would be an equivalent level of formality.



Day wear - Highland Games - Scottish Festival Although either of the other daywear looks are perfectly appropriate, I would add a bonnet and cromach for a classic march of the clans or Highland Games look. In this picture, I've added a day plaid which some love and others hate. It is viewed as either classic or over the top depending who you ask. I am also wearing a full mask sporran which is a traditional yet controversial choice. This was a classic 20th Century look in the Highlands, but fewer people wear the bonnet or plaids nowadays. I will wear this outfit (minus the plaid) to most Highland Games this summer. I look forward to my brass cantled leather sporran to finish this outfit off and likely retire the fox. McMurdo is wearing a great Highland Games outfit here with a fine harris tweed Argyll, no plaid, a belt rather than a waistcoat and a fine Ferguson Brit sporran.



Daywear (dark less is more) I like to wear this charcoal suiting wool Argyll jacket for events where a dark suit would be worn in NA such as at this Remembrance Day concert. This is not necessary, any tweed would do as would the black barrathea Argyll. I have a simple sporran and solid hose here for an understated look. I've chosen a white shirt here.



Morning Dress/non formal evening wear

As Calgacus showed, the black barathea Argyll with a long tie is perfect for these occasions. I wear mine here with a simple black day sporran but sporran choice with this outfit is more open as discussed earlier in the thread. Although I am still in my tattersall shirt from the photo with my tweed, I would most likely choose a crisp white shirt, probably with French cuffs, if I was wearing this as a morning suit equivalent.



Black Tie/Formal evening wear 1
The same black Argyll with a tartan waistcoat and black bow tie - as per Calgacus a three button black barrathea waistcoat is great (perhaps more traditional) with this also. A 5 button black barathea or 3 or 5 button bias cut tartan waistcoat would also work. Black tie and up requires an evening/dress sporran which is fur and generally has a white metal cantle although gilt is sometimes used. This is the level at which I switch my antler handled day sgian dubh to the more ornate evening variety in black with silver mountings and a cairngorm mounted on the pommel. I wear that sgian for black tie and up.



Black Tie/Formal evening wear 2 Prince Charlie coatee and waistcoat. Plain, solid coloured hose and polished oxfords are great for a less fancy black tie event, whether the jacket you choose is an Argyll, PC or even the doublets that work with black tie. Let the women's attire be your clue. Ghillie brogues are an option so long as they have thin, leather soles and are high quality and are not the chunky, rubber soled pipe band ghillie brogues. If you don't already own ghillie brogues, there's not much advantage to spending money on a pair as polished cap toed oxfords or brogued oxfords serve equally well in the eyes of most and better in the eyes of some.



Black Tie/Formal evening wear 3 My green barathea Argyll can be worn open with a black bowtie for a great black tie look. Close the doublet with the belt over the doublet for a more formal look. Same idea about hose and shoes applies as mentioned in the Prince Charlie notes. I would note that for hose colour with black tie I avoid earth tones as they evoke day wear for me but that is perhaps a question of taste. I also avoid white hose as I have options and there are those that feel it evokes a rental look.



White tie/formal ball Any evening doublet with diced or tartan hose and buckle brogues is my preference. A jabot or bow tie can be worn here. Orionson also has a nice white tie look with his Prince Charlie Coatee in my opinion. This is the level of dress where I wish I had a sporran like Richard's goat hair above, as I think it fits perfectly with very formal and ornate attire.