Less Can Be More

[CMcG]

Colin, this is a great thread and I agree that less can be more with THCD as well as many other things in life. My only caveat is that minimalism (IMHO) can become inverted ostentation which defeats the original purpose.

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You have a good point there, Peter, about extreme minimalism becoming ostentatious. I was wondering how long it would take for someone to point that out! There is a fashion trend in the kilt world towards monochromatic outfits, which are quite striking, but not quite what I'm talking about. Nor am I referring to a "kilt suit," where the kilt and jacket are made up in the same fabric. Not that there is anything wrong with these, but they aren't quite traditional enough for my taste at this point.

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I have worn the kilt often with shirt sleeves and/or various woolen jumpers (sweaters) with more casual shoes (moccasins or monk-straps), as well as hiking boots, even with wellies and a wax jacket (for Scottish weather).I find that my THCD tastes are merely a kilted version of my regular clothing tastes which are heavily made up of tweed sports jackets or a navy blazer, cords, and/or chino type trousers.

I made a similar point about seeking a parallel between kilted and non-kilted attire, which makes for a more natural look. My caveat here is not to drag one's THCD down to the modern, relaxed standards of dress, but rather to have THCD bring one's overall standard up.

This is, of course, dependent on context and I'm not suggesting that people should put on a jacket and tie to go to a very informal event. And of course one needs to dress for the weather and terrain that they find themselves kilted in. Nonetheless, my experience is that kilt wearing has had a positive impact on my wardrobe in general, so I now have nicer, more traditional clothes to wear; a tattersall shirt and/or a repp tie looks just as good with p@nts as it does with a kilt

My point is that people shouldn't feel compelled to load up on all kinds of colours, patterns, and detailing, just because some people go for that very vibrant and bold type of THCD. It is possible to dress well -- and be traditional -- while still being somewhat reserved.