I am just about to order my first Kilt ever from Stillwater. It is a Black Watch Tartan and I would like to wear it to work (an office). Therefore I would wear it with a dress shirt and a tie, and possibly a sweater vest, a black button-up vest or a black sports coat.

Since most of my dress shirts probably wouldn't match with the kilt, I would most likely be wearing a simple white dress shirt.

I have read that the hose (socks) should match the shirt, so this would mean using white hose (socks), as even the cream, off-white or oatmeal coloured socks would not match the simple white colour of my dress shirt. But I read another rule that white, off-white and cream hoses should never be worn unless you are in a pipe band or renting the outfit. Is this true?

So what do I do?

Some have said that black hose are nice, and they would indeed match with my black sports coat or vests, but then that would make for a very dark outfit.

Others have mentioned green hose (from lovat to dark green) or navy blue hose. How important is it to match the green in the hose with the green in the Kilt? Is there a particular place I should buy hose from to make sure they match the kilt? Is Lovat Green better than dark or forest green?

Or should I just go with the white hose afterall so that it will match the white shirt and brighten the outfit a little?

I cant believe light coloured hose (socks) seem to go best with the Black Watch Tartan but there is a rule against white hose...