The Ghillie Shirt

[PatrickHughes123]

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).

Thanks for the advice Jamie.

Explain how a simple chain is formal? The shop showed me a decorated chain that had square metal bits on it, which you had to pay money for, so I got the basic metal chain, which was free. It a simple chain with a detailed sporran gives a beautiful look, the two don't clash.

Unfortunately, I've bought all of this stuff now, so I'll remember for next time. I should have researched the levels of formal and I should have though long and hard about the specific way I wanted to wear the kilt and what look I was going for, but I didn't. Then later I tried to go for a historical look but by then, it was too late. I'd bought all the stuff. Well, lesson learned.

That's if, I even get another kilt. I am considering giving the kilt up.

[Taskr]

Thanks for the advice Jamie.

Explain how a simple chain is formal? The shop showed me a decorated chain that had square metal bits on it, which you had to pay money for, so I got the basic metal chain, which was free. It a simple chain with a detailed sporran gives a beautiful look, the two don't clash.

Unfortunately, I've bought all of this stuff now, so I'll remember for next time. I should have researched the levels of formal and I should have though long and hard about the specific way I wanted to wear the kilt and what look I was going for, but I didn't. Then later I tried to go for a historical look but by then, it was too late. I'd bought all the stuff. Well, lesson learned.

That's if, I even get another kilt. I am considering giving the kilt up.

Patrick,
Panache is only mentioning that the rest of your outfit is a higher standard of dress than the ghillie shirt. The stuff you've bought looks good! Very good in fact. The sporran is quite fancy with the chrome cantle and all - excellent for a business or more formal event. The detractor to what you already have (which is impressive) is the ghillie shirt. You've a few options for kilted dress from what we've seen in pics thus far. Here are two suggestions: 1. With your ghillie shirt, go with a less formal shoe, or even a boot. Try the look without the belt, just to remove the chrome element from your waist. Maybe you can find a nice wide belt at a thrift shop, or perhaps find a good deal on a dull(er) finish buckle. A very plain (very inexpensive) sporran might fit the look better. There's lots you can do to meet the look you want that need not cost much at all. 2. With the brogues, try a shirt and tie with the belt. Can look quite sharp. Try a nice pullover with or without a collared shirt and with/without a tie - dependent on pullover collar style, of course. This can be a very nice look for an afternoon out and about, or when looking to impress (for whatever reason). This isn't suggested to change your look, only to let you know that what you have can make this look work quite well.

Not everything has to come from a kilt shop. The more time you spend reading the threads and experimenting with what is already in your wardrobe and in other non-kilt shops, the breadth and depth of your "kilted looks" will develop and expand to suit you and the events you care to wear it. That is what I've been doing and I have found it very helpful.

IMO there's no need to get another kilt (re: 1 kilt, 10 looks thread), and giving up on kilt wearing now would be a shame since you've some very nice stuff already.

[PatrickHughes123]

Patrick,
Panache is only mentioning that the rest of your outfit is a higher standard of dress than the ghillie shirt. The stuff you've bought looks good! Very good in fact. The sporran is quite fancy with the chrome cantle and all - excellent for a business or more formal event. The detractor to what you already have (which is impressive) is the ghillie shirt. You've a few options for kilted dress from what we've seen in pics thus far. Here are two suggestions: 1. With your ghillie shirt, go with a less formal shoe, or even a boot. Try the look without the belt, just to remove the chrome element from your waist. Maybe you can find a nice wide belt at a thrift shop, or perhaps find a good deal on a dull(er) finish buckle. A very plain (very inexpensive) sporran might fit the look better. There's lots you can do to meet the look you want that need not cost much at all. 2. With the brogues, try a shirt and tie with the belt. Can look quite sharp. Try a nice pullover with or without a collared shirt and with/without a tie - dependent on pullover collar style, of course. This can be a very nice look for an afternoon out and about, or when looking to impress (for whatever reason). This isn't suggested to change your look, only to let you know that what you have can make this look work quite well.

Not everything has to come from a kilt shop. The more time you spend reading the threads and experimenting with what is already in your wardrobe and in other non-kilt shops, the breadth and depth of your "kilted looks" will develop and expand to suit you and the events you care to wear it. That is what I've been doing and I have found it very helpful.

IMO there's no need to get another kilt (re: 1 kilt, 10 looks thread), and giving up on kilt wearing now would be a shame since you've some very nice stuff already.

What about wearing it with brown Ghillie Brogues? See, I look at the brown ones and get the impression it's more informal than the black ones. I want to wear Ghillie Brogues with the shirt. I wouldn't wear buckle brogues, they're too formal. I was thinking something like brown brogues with red or blue hose.

[FossilHunter]

What about wearing it with brown Ghillie Brogues? See, I look at the brown ones and get the impression it's more informal than the black ones. I want to wear Ghillie Brogues with the shirt. I wouldn't wear buckle brogues, they're too formal. I was thinking something like brown brogues with red or blue hose.

I think brown brogues would look good. But I would consider regular brogues over the ghillies. They’re just more sensible shoes.

Like these:

https://www.gentlemen-prefer-brogues...rown-392-p.asp



I think they look quite nice and the price isn’t bad. Good tread for outdoors too.

Personally I wouldn’t wear solid red hose with the royal Stewart tartan. I feel it is too much red. Diced works but then the red is broken up with another color. I think green, blue, and mustard would look great though. Just my opinion though.

[PatrickHughes123]

FossilHunter, I meant a different shade of red. Slightly lighter red. This obviously won't be soon as I don't want to spend anymore money right now regardless of price.

[McMurdo]

FossilHunter, I meant a different shade of red. Slightly lighter red. This obviously won't be soon as I don't want to spend anymore money right now regardless of price.

Patrick, I have had a Royal Stewart kilt for some time now, my mother is a Stewart and the price of the cloth was a deal. I had Barb Tewksbury make it. My point is I rarely if ever wear that kilt with red hose I think the closest I've ever come to that is to wear diced hose with red and white or red and black. Personally I wear any other colour but red with it. For example something like this works wonderfully with the Royal Stewart, as would green or blue.



I find it is a great idea to take one of the secondary colours of a tartan and use that for hose colour etc.

[PatrickHughes123]

McMurdo

Yes, considering the tartan has some blue in it, I had an previous idea to that where I wore dark blue hose with Royal Stewart tartan flashes

[Tobus]

What about wearing it with brown Ghillie Brogues? See, I look at the brown ones and get the impression it's more informal than the black ones. I want to wear Ghillie Brogues with the shirt. I wouldn't wear buckle brogues, they're too formal. I was thinking something like brown brogues with red or blue hose.

I'm partial to brown brogues for daywear. I know that black is the more popular choice for Highland-style footwear, since it's more versatile for both daywear and evening dress. But brown leather, in my mind, has a much softer and casual effect while still looking smart. I don't own any brown ghillie brogues, and prefer just regular brogues.

If you're stuck on only wearing ghillie brogues, so be it, but keep in mind you can wear them without the laces going up the leg. Just swap them out for regular shoelaces, and it can dress down your footwear somewhat when needed.

I would mirror FossilHunter's opinion on red hose (no matter the hue) being a bit much with that bright Royal Stewart tartan. This is personal preference, of course, and it's the fun part of accessorising with a kilt. There's so much room for personal style or flair when it comes to mixing and matching colours of the non-kilt parts of your wardrobe! Blues and greens go well with your tartan, and shades of brown and khaki can be surprisingly pleasant too. Once you get away from white hose, it opens up a whole new world.

[PatrickHughes123]

I'm partial to brown brogues for daywear. I know that black is the more popular choice for Highland-style footwear, since it's more versatile for both daywear and evening dress. But brown leather, in my mind, has a much softer and casual effect while still looking smart. I don't own any brown ghillie brogues, and prefer just regular brogues.

If you're stuck on only wearing ghillie brogues, so be it, but keep in mind you can wear them without the laces going up the leg. Just swap them out for regular shoelaces, and it can dress down your footwear somewhat when needed.

I would mirror FossilHunter's opinion on red hose (no matter the hue) being a bit much with that bright Royal Stewart tartan. This is personal preference, of course, and it's the fun part of accessorising with a kilt. There's so much room for personal style or flair when it comes to mixing and matching colours of the non-kilt parts of your wardrobe! Blues and greens go well with your tartan, and shades of brown and khaki can be surprisingly pleasant too. Once you get away from white hose, it opens up a whole new world.

Yes, I thought that to be the case. I'm not going to put normal laces in them, as I do not find that appealing. Would I be right in thinking that black ghillie brogues with the ghillie shirt would be the kilt equivalent of 'smart-casual'? I realize this look would be better with the brown ones but just wondering. Because I've been doing some thinking on this, and I believe that this would make a smart-casual look without breaking the developing tradition of the kilt, it would just be my own style and innovation while adhering to the developed tradition.

Personally, I believe the ghillie is a smart shirt and looks great when done correctly. I know the shirt is extremely informal and the black brogues are formal, so I imagine this would give off my desired look of smart-casual and romantic.

[Tobus]

Would I be right in thinking that black ghillie brogues with the ghillie shirt would be the kilt equivalent of 'smart-casual'?

...

Personally, I believe the ghillie is a smart shirt and looks great when done correctly. I know the shirt is extremely informal and the black brogues are formal, so I imagine this would give off my desired look of smart-casual and romantic.

To be honest, when I think of "smart-casual", the ghillie shirt doesn't even enter into the equation. Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a "smart" (or its equivalent "sharp" in the USA) look. For myself, I don't see how a shirt could be smart at all when it can't be buttoned up and worn with a tie. As you said, that shirt is extremely informal. It's meant to look outdoorsy, quaint, and folksy. It's designed to be worn with the laces loose, and open at the neck. Lacing it up and tying it closed still wouldn't come close to the smart look of a traditional collared button-up shirt with overlapping seams at the buttons.

Mixing the folksy ghillie shirt with other items that may have a dressy appearance doesn't really up-scale the whole outfit. It just becomes an odd pairing of different levels of dress. Neither fish nor fowl, or perhaps fish and fowl fighting with each other.