Less Can Be More

[Dale Seago]

Many superb examples, and this is another very educational thread. I definitely incline toward a "less is more/keep it simple" approach as already noted. In most "everyday" settings in which I might find myself, if I went totally THCD I would generally find myself not only the only man kilted but the only one wearing a tie or waistcoat unless I were in San Francisco's financial district, and even there waistcoats are not a terribly common sight among men wearing suits.

Similarly, going out to dinner at a nice restaurant no neckties would likely be seen. Here I am at dinner in a pricy Italian restaurant with some of my buyu ("martial friends") at the end of a day thrashing on each other outdoors in the Marin Headlands. My jacket preference is for no epaulettes:





I've noticed that tweed jackets and pullover jumpers are common for casual wear; but something I also like but have almost never seen others wearing is something along the lines of a "casual/outdoor" jacket like this dark navy wool bomber from Filson. (Pic taken in December in Kashiwa, Japan, hence the also nontraditional slip-on shoes: The latter just "work better" over there.)

Looking at this from a slightly different angle, when wearing a kilt I find I want to "fit in" with the level of attire of those around me. . .and perhaps rise just a little (but not too much!) above it. The pic below was taken at the theatre last night (Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts) as my SO and I were arriving for a play, an innovative musical based on Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest.

It gives a good sense of how most people dress for such events in this upscale northern California community. My own attire on such occasions is generally more like that in the second photo reposted above.