White Kilt Hose versus Black Kilt Hose

[Jimmy]

Yup, I'm glad everyone thinks differently. What a boring world it would be if we all thought the same and dressed the same.

But I'm curious. Why are you opposed to coloured hose? Why only wear the extreme ends of the spectrum?

I can't really give you a definitive answer to this, I just like black or white, certainly I could never wear diced tartan hose, they remind me of old fashioned kilties from my childhood and what we saw on television, sometimes you think these items are too Scottish. Its the same with a plain or tartan Glengarry hat, they are too Scottish and Brigadoon like.
I hope I don't offend anyone saying this but again its what I feel and as we have said before we are all different

[Jock Scot]

I can't really give you a definitive answer to this, I just like black or white, certainly I could never wear diced tartan hose, they remind me of old fashioned kilties from my childhood and what we saw on television, sometimes you think these items are too Scottish. Its the same with a plain or tartan Glengarry hat, they are too Scottish and Brigadoon like.
I hope I don't offend anyone saying this but again its what I feel and as we have said before we are all different

I do sympathise Jimmy, the music hall and early TV " personalities" and their "Highland" attire do take some living down. I too developed a major dislike of diced hose because of them.

[Jimmy]

I do sympathise Jimmy, the music hall and early TV " personalities" and their "Highland" attire do take some living down. I developed a major dislike of diced hose because of them.

Jock, I was dreading a reply from you in case you came storming down on top of me but you have put into words exactly what I was trying to say, yes we cringe when we see old films of people like Harry Lauder, although an extremely talented individual, but the way we dress in a kilt has come a long way since then and perhaps that is why so many young people will wear the kilt.
thank you, jim

[Zardoz]

Well, I have not seen anything to make me think black is becoming the 'dominant' color for kilt hose, at least around my area. Even most bands around here wear some kind of color.
Personally I don't wear white/off white hose at all, and while I used to wear black with formalwear, I've since switched to a really dark charcoal, it just adds a little 'texture' to the color palette while still balancing out the black jacket. Anything other than formal, I like some color as long as it coordinates with the outfit.

[piperdown]

Well, I have not seen anything to make me think black is becoming the 'dominant' color for kilt hose, at least around my area. Even most bands areound here wear some kind of color.
Personally I don't wear white/off white hose at all, and while I used to wear black with formalwear, I've since switched to a really dark charcoal, it just adds a little 'texture' to the color palette while still balancing out the black jacket. Anything other than formal, I like some color as long as it coordinates with the outfit.

***....

[English Bloke]

Black I'm OK with, white I'm not keen on, for me at least... I don't have any either although I think they look "tidy" on my mate (our mate) Derek from Wales who generally wears white / ecru / cream.

I usually wear coloured hose and have progressed from the cheap and cheerful W Brewin Kilt hose which I found perfectly functional, but a bit thin when stretched over my chubby shins and calves. Without doubt a great price though, especially when starting to build a "get out in it" Kilt wardrobe.

W Brewin Sock Co.

I've also toyed with footy / rugby socks but they really are too thin and too vivid and not really suitable in my opinion. Well, there are better options, put it that way.

I've now moved to thicker and better quality huntin', shootin', fishin' type hose from a variety of suppliers (including Ebay)


Shooting socks . co . uk

I've acquired a variety of colours over time (I have 4 pairs in Lovat Blue) some of which in my opinion are flippin' tremendous. They are more expensive but they really do wear better and therefore last considerably longer so I reckon, money well spent. When a pair of £15 - £25 Kilt hose plop through the door though, there is usually some... errr... discussion about the purchase so be aware of that if you are thinking along the same lines... (She loves me really!)

I wear my hose with no flashes, plain colour flashes, tartan flashes, garter ties, whatever takes my fancy on the day. I always wear them UP and have never worn them scrunched. Again, no problem with those who do, I think it looks good on other folk. I think MY look is kind of traditional from the waist down... sort of.

I would absolutely LOVE a pair of Red / Green or Claret / Green diced hose but I've not been able to find a set for less than £80 and beautiful though they are, I can't justify that expense on a pair of socks. (She really wouldn't love me...) This also rules out Tartan hose and most custom options, for me at least.

Basically, I always wear hose and I wear what floats my boat at the time. I enjoy picking them out and I do umm and errr over colours and Kilts. Can't help that. Sometimes I get it bang on, sometimes with hindsight, I get it quite wrong but either way, I'm happy at the time. I wouldn't step out otherwise and it isn't really a big deal, not where I live anyway. I also listen intently to all the discussion on hose here and take much from that. That said though, I still walk my own path. I wear what I think works for me. Other's mileage may vary... as they say.

If it was straight choice of Black or White? errr... Black.... probably. Mmmmm... could have left it at that really. Sorry for the ramble.

[OC Richard]

Well, I have not seen anything to make me think black is becoming the 'dominant' color for kilt hose, at least around my area.

As far as the Pipe Band thing goes, from the late 1980s up to around five years ago it was common for every single band in the Grade One Finals at the World Pipe Band Championships to wear the stark white hose. (One year one of the bands wore offwhite/cream hose and they really stuck out as looking dingy and unsmart.)

Last year only two of the 14 bands wore white hose. 9 of the 14 wore black (or possibly an extremely dark charcoal grey; I was watching live online and it's often hard to distinguish between the two).

One mid-grey, one Lovat Blue. Shotts had odd hose with contrasting tops, rare in the Pipe Band scene.

I mention Grade One at The Worlds because it's those bands that set the fashion trend for the rest of the world's competition bands. Everyone who really wants to win wants to look like "the big boys".

Anyhow, here's the best place for black and white hose





I don't care for either! I prefer coloured hose, or even charcoal grey, over black or white.

[Tobus]

I can't really give you a definitive answer to this, I just like black or white, certainly I could never wear diced tartan hose, they remind me of old fashioned kilties from my childhood and what we saw on television, sometimes you think these items are too Scottish. Its the same with a plain or tartan Glengarry hat, they are too Scottish and Brigadoon like.
I hope I don't offend anyone saying this but again its what I feel and as we have said before we are all different

Understood! I suppose we all have visual references that sway us one way or the other.

For me, wearing black hose reminds me of old geezers (no offense meant by that term) who wear shorts with tall black dress socks pulled all the way up. I just can't see black hose without getting that mental image. And on top of all the numerous issues with white hose, they also remind me of 'nerds' who wear shorts with white gym socks pulled all the way up. So both black and white are out for me.

For those of us who didn't grow up watching the programmes you and Jock have referenced, we don't have that cultural reference to overcome, so patterned hose just look "right" to us, based on other references we've seen.

[Jimmy]

Understood! I suppose we all have visual references that sway us one way or the other.

For me, wearing black hose reminds me of old geezers (no offense meant by that term) who wear shorts with tall black dress socks pulled all the way up. I just can't see black hose without getting that mental image. And on top of all the numerous issues with white hose, they also remind me of 'nerds' who wear shorts with white gym socks pulled all the way up. So both black and white are out for me.

For those of us who didn't grow up watching the programmes you and Jock have referenced, we don't have that cultural reference to overcome, so patterned hose just look "right" to us, based on other references we've seen.

I believe that in what you have said here exemplifies and typifies what we have said earlier about each to his own.
You have an image in your mind that won't allow you to even think about black hose and Jock and I have been totally disillusioned by
the music hall acts of yesteryear that made us cringe at the thought of being the same nationality as these performers.

I have to add that your image of these old geezers in long black stockings and shorts, is a fairly repugnant and haunting image and possibly if I been brought up in that environment, my attitude may have been similar to yours.

Can I suggest that possibly the final arbitrators in this debate could possibly be the thousands upon thousands of the Tartan Army footsoldiers who are a sight to behold and deliver a brand of fashion that is innovative and regressive at the same time.
Stockings or hose with some of them are no more than an option

[McElmurry]

Can I suggest that possibly the final arbitrators in this debate could possibly be the thousands upon thousands of the Tartan Army footsoldiers who are a sight to behold and deliver a brand of fashion that is innovative and regressive at the same time.
Stockings or hose with some of them are no more than an option

Shirts are optional as well