I'd suggest any solid colour for formal and informal wear, avoiding the 'rental shop' white unless you are non-military pipe band members.
As for black hose ("I have come across X Marks posts that speak very harshly of black hose") I see black hose worn regularly on our estates by workers who would never dream of traipsing through the muck and glaur or walking the hills at work with white socks!
Traditionally estate workers who were reuired to wear the kilt would wear dark solid colours, with spats or puttees to keep the socks clean and the brogues from getting stones and mud over the cuffs and into the shoe.
When required to look 'presentable' if the maister should appear, the puttees/spats would be whipped off and a quick dicht of the shoes would be fine. Incidently, older workers found plain leather semi boots to be much more easily cleaned than traditional brogues as they had no 'holes' to catch the muck.