The Full 8 or not?

[sjrapid]

...I'm never going to buy the hose, sgian dubh, fly plaid etc; I'd look a right pillock, so, what would you gentlemen recommend, the full 8 or not?

I doubt very much that you will look a pillock. If you take pride in your appearance, and co-ordinate the kilt with shirt and other things that you're wearing, you can look very sharp.

I'm based in London (so have the same climate, more-or-less as you) and I wear the kilt 'casually' in (at present) one of three kilts, an 8-yard (actually, nearer a 9-yard) hand-sewn 16oz clan tartan tank, a black denim casual of my own sewing, and a black poly/cotton twill 4 yarder casual. I've not had any 'pillock' type comments when out and about.

There's a place for hose and sporran, even when casual kilting with the black 4 yarder casual. I've had several 'hey! looks sharp!' type comments when out shopping thus attired. I've never worn a skean dhu casually, (or formally) and agree that they're not as necessary as the highland outfitters would have you believe.

I'd say that as I look at my kilting future, there are probably more 4-yarders and casuals in it than 8-yard handsewns, though this is as much on cost as anything else.

But, as others have said upthread, as to the benefits of an 8-yard 16oz, there really is nothing quite like it for hang and swish, and for formal occasions, coupled with a Prince Charlie or Argyll there's little to beat it. I agree that a fly plaid is probably over formal, and probably unnecessary.

I recently went to the opera at Glyndebourne, and let me tell you, the 5 men who were there kilted (with varying degress of formality) were getting all the admiring looks amongst the hundreds of dinner-jacket wearing men.

Best regards