I think a cummerbund only looks silly with a kilt if it looks silly with a tuxedo. Granted, the waist is higher on kilts than it is on most modern formal trousers, but such was not always the case. There are some body types that really work better with cummerbunds than with waistcoats.

I do not object to a tartan bowtie, by the way, but not in the same (idzack) tartan as the kilt below. This was discussed some months back and many wise and kindly heads advised against it, but I am more convinced than ever that a little mixing can be attractive and tasteful.

The argument was that you shouldn't wear two clans' tartans at the same time, which makes good sense, unless you can claim strong ties to both. And no, I am not going to do this in the Highlands or the Western Isles. I am talking about doing it in the Southeastern US. My biggest argument in favor of the two tartan look is that the very people who recommend against two clan tartans seem not to mind two tartans from the same clan. Not so long ago, on the "silk neckties" thread, someone pointed out that a Maple Leaf Tartan kilt and a regimental necktie that had none of the same colors "matched" because they were two items worn by the same group and could be worn together.

At the risk of taking this thread even further off the track, I believe that any decision will be ( or should be) based on two sets of criteria- what is "correct" or acceptable and what looks good. What is correct tends to slide along as time goes on, mostly because some smart Aleck is always pushing the boundaries of acceptability. On the other hand, what looks good can also be influenced by fashion, but it is not necessarily bound by rules, other than some theoretical rules of aesthetics and usually by common sense.... So, if Duncan Alexander or Grant Walker or Campbell MacDonald decides to wear one tartan around his neck and another one around his waist, I would suggest the real question is "Do you really want to mix red, burgundy, and orange?" rather than "Where are the tartan police when we really need them?"

Because, let's face it, the really traditional way to wear tartan includes wearing two or three or four at once and quite possibly without any notion of clan significance. That is assuming you go for such newfangled innovations as loomed cloth, instead of good old traditional fur.

Having said all of that and raised a few hackles, I WILL say that I believe a tartan cummerbund with a tartan kilt is probably asking for trouble.