The Ghillie Shirt

[Panache]

Tobus,

I've made some changes to the outfit, what do you think?



Better? Worse? Do I look smarter? Do I look more ridiculous?

I put the hose lower and the kilt higher again? Does it look good?

Patrick,

You have asked for opinions and I shall give you mine

I state this without any malice or intent to insult. I look at your photo and the thing that comes to mind is that you are a first time kilt wearer who picked up all his kit either in a package deal or at the same shop all at once without a lot of experience.

The simplest way to improve your outfit would be to exchange the ghillie shirt with a white regular dress shirt and a nice solid color tie. You are wearing a dress sporran on a chain, along with a belt with a chromed waist plate, and a pair of black ghillie brogues and these items really are for a more dressed up look. White kilt hose are a fairly modern thing and in my opinion they work best with a dressier look than a casual one (and not a historical inspired outfit).

If you are really fond of the ghillie shirt then you should go for things that work with a more romantic / historically inspired look.

Below I am wearing one of my swashbuckling "poofy" shirts. Things that I think work work well with it are:

The simple roller buckle wide belt
The historical inspired bag-style sporran with leather straps
The dark colored hose

And let's be honest...the basket hilt backsword absolutely completes the romantic highlander look



I have worn this sort of outfit to Scottish Country Dances (minus the sword...never bring a sword to a SCD event unless you are prepared to do a highland sword dance!) and felt good about how I looked. The shirts are comfortable, and who doesn't want to be a bit of a romantic highlander at a dance?

Whether or not you continue to wear these shirts casually about is your choice. I have offered a few suggestions here that will at least bring a romantic historically inspired outfit together instead of being a mishmash of styles and levels of formality.


Cheers

Jamie