Got my first pair of ghillie brogues

[OC Richard]

Everything looks great!

You've avoided all the normal 'mistakes' made by newbies (and many not-so-newbies). I particularly like the fact that you're showing some knee in the traditional way. At any Highland Games I attend, both here in the USA and in Scotland, I so often see kilts worn too low and socks pulled too high.

I've recently taken to wearing the Balmoral I got back in the 1980s, and I do have to be careful! Because a Glengarry you can just pop on your head and it does what it does (making it ideal for Pipe Bands) but a Balmoral takes some care. For one thing, I often don't pull it far enough down in front. And for another thing, I sometimes forget to pull it down on one side, and walk around with that "mushroom head" until I happen to see myself in a mirror. Put on properly, though, nothing looks quite as nice as a Balmoral.

Congrats with the vintage/used PC! I picked up a very nice ex-hire one on Ebay. The fabric is very high quality and soft to the touch, a cut above most PCs I see in the shops. Ditto my black Argyll and tweed Argyll, all vintage things from Ebay.

About Ghillies, I'm glad to hear that yours are comfortable. (Sorry that it took three tries!) It never ceases to amaze me how on Pipe Band chat forums people are always complaining about uncomfortable Ghillies, and talk as if the discomfort is endemic. I still have my first two pair, one got around 1976 and the second around 1985, both Keltic brand, and both are extremely comfortable. A few years ago I got a new pair of a currently popular brand and I didn't like them at all. I went back to the 80s Keltics.

Ex-hire Ghillies come up often on Ebay and I got lucky there, getting a new pair that fit great and look new, for under $50.

About the lacing, here you can see a variety, though within a certain range, worn by long-time regular Ghillies wearers



About kilts, have you considered the Young tartan? It's lovely!

Here's a gorgeous Young kilt by our own Barbara Tewksbury



The colours are so nice!



My single critique of your outfit would be that the kilt is not on centre.

[WillowEstate]

Everything looks great!
My single critique of your outfit would be that the kilt is not on centre.

It's fairly common for cheaper MacKenzie kilts to be incorrectly centred - my PV kilt is centred on a white line, not dissimilar to the OP's and this makes it appear asymmetric. My ex-military is centred on a red line, which makes it symmetric, though my thin build and the large sett make that the only vertical red line visible on the front apron! JR will probably want to discuss with Rocky for his new kilt.

[JRYoung]

Thanks OC Richard, you're right the balmoral does take a bit of care to get it on right. I kind of just tossed it on for that picture, though I'll be honest I didn't know it was worn quite so cantered, but I think I've got it better now, though not perfect.
It's rather hard to get a good picture of an all black balmoral. I hope sometime to get some more balmorals in different colours, I'm thinking something like an olive or tan and probably diced.
I have considered the Young tartan, in fact I have a swatch hanging in my bedroom, though I'm from the German Youngs, originally spelled Jung. I may still buy a kilt in Young somewhere down the line, but for now I'm going to focus on Mackenzie, being that I have some lineage from them and because that's what my grandmum likes to see me in.

WillowEstate, that's definetely true that cheaper kilts tend to be off centered, it's a bit annoying but you get what you pay for. I'm not sure what to say as far as how I will want my new kilt to be centered, I suppose it should be centered on the red line, though I will most likely have the same problem. I do know that I want it to be pleated to the sett. I'm not big on pleating to the stripe, although when it comes to used kilts I'll take what I can get; it's slim pickings in my size so I don't complain when I can actually find one.

[Paul Munro]

I think you look great. Just the headgear - would you really wear a Balmoral with black tie? I'll refer to the more experienced in the forum, however I never saw it in Edinburgh.

[freddie]

You would and should wear a Balmoral (or Glengarry) with your overcoat or Inverness cape en route to the venue, but don't wear it when you get inside!

[Jock Scot]

You would and should wear a Balmoral (or Glengarry) with your overcoat or Inverness cape en route to the venue, but don't wear it when you get inside!

Thats an interesting one, Freddie. Should one wear a Balmoral(Glengarry) with your overcoat or Inverness en route to the venue? I am not sure that I would necessarily , unless the weather seriously demanded it. Thoughts anyone?

[Liam]

Thats an interesting one, Freddie. Should one wear a Balmoral(Glengarry) with your overcoat or Inverness en route to the venue? I am not sure that I would necessarily , unless the weather seriously demanded it. Thoughts anyone?

Being folicly challenged, in most weather I choose to wear a hat of some sort either as protection from the sun or as a "block heater", however I only do so for practical reasons, not for fashion. I would have modified Freddie's comment to say " You could, weather permitting wear a Balmoral......". My own thoughts are that a Glengarry have a military connotation.

[freddie]

I nearly always wear my Balmoral (and sometimes a Glengarry, as I love the style) as I feel it's an integral part of my kilt outfit (especially on chilly winter evenings). I also wear an army surplus Tam 'o Shanter for casual 'day wear'. I'd never dream of wearing any other kind of headdress with a kilt. Also it gives me the chance to show off my clan crest with pride. Sometimes I also wear my green Robert Mackie Balmoral when not wearing 'The Kilt' as there's nothing like it for keeping your head warm. I've always been a hat person and have quite a collection of different types.

[Jock Scot]

I think you look great. Just the headgear - would you really wear a Balmoral with black tie? I'll refer to the more experienced in the forum, however I never saw it in Edinburgh.

Paul, I am afraid that generally speaking those outwith Scotland tend to go for the "bells and whistles" and "kitchen sink" styles in varying degrees and its like pushing water uphill to get them to consider the "less is more" style that you probably understand.

Before I get drowned out by vociferous denials------I tend to dive for cover at this stage! --------the Tartan Army and Scottish Kilt hire advice do not assist either!

However there are many here, that are willing to listen and there are even some that actually act on advice given by the more conservative dressers here! Its all said in good humour, and this website justifiably prides itself of that.

[Arnot]

My single critique of your outfit would be that the kilt is not on centre.

It's fairly common for cheaper MacKenzie kilts to be incorrectly centred - my PV kilt is centred on a white line, not dissimilar to the OP's and this makes it appear asymmetric. My ex-military is centred on a red line, which makes it symmetric, though my thin build and the large sett make that the only vertical red line visible on the front apron! JR will probably want to discuss with Rocky for his new kilt.

Perhaps it is meant to be centered between the white stripes like the Highland Light Infantry and needs to be turned toward his left a bit. The kilt below is from the HLI.