First Kilt, help!

[robbiethepiper]

IMHO thin leather sporran strap better than chain for day/casual wear, threaded through through loops on back of kilt, not though belt loops. WOOL tie, plain blue or green,anything except tartan!.....

[The Barry]

I'll also hop on the jacket bandwagon. It's a bit long, but that's because it's a sport coat made to be worn with pants, which will sit much lower on the hips rather than the natural waist. If you want to, when you can, maybe think about a kilt-specific jacket, perhaps a tweed argyle.

Also, diggin' the beard. Looking just dangerous enough!

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, Ruffus, and welcome to the world of kilting.
You look fine, from casual to formal, except for the jacket, which definitely is too long.
Not to worry, though – as long as you don’t button it up, it’s not too bad.
But I would recommend that you look for a different jacket to wear with the kilt, whether especially made for the purpose or cut down from trouser length.
I wouldn’t bother to cut this particular one down, because it is rather smooth. I think (and I am purely putting out my personal opinion here) that a jacket worn with the kilt ought to be a little rougher.
Not being a sporran chain man, I am not quite happy with the way yours looks, but I will defer to others’ opinions on this point.
A waistcoat (vest) would go very well with the kilt, but it is optional. My personal choice would be for one in tartan with two points, and cut on the bias, but there is no law about this – it can have a straight line at the waist, the tartan can be horizontal, and you can go for something other than tartan, too.
Regards,
Mike

[BatlRatl]

You did a great job at dressing the kilt. Congrats, and welcome.

[Jdot84]

Looks good. Just do what you think looks good. If your not sure just post more pics and ask. There is no shortage of opinions here, and all are in good faith.

[Downunder Kilt]

I think you have done very well for your first outing and congratulate you on your dress style and sense. Yes the jacket is not of a kilt style, but I think a lot of us started out wearing a saxon jacket before we could afford a kilt jacket. The only thing I strongly recommend is a leather sporran belt/strap instead of one with chains. Hope you enjoy your new world of kilting. Cheers

[Detroitpete]

First off, welcome! Looks great and with ink like that on your calf, seems a shame to always cover it up with kilt hose

I'll add the same comments about the jacket length, but NO worries. Contact vmac3205 here and she'll be able to turn that jacket, or any coat you want into a proper kilt jacket at a VERY reasonable price. She's doing my second coat right now along with a vest. With all three items, I still haven't spent the price of a coat you'll see pre-made anywhere.

Also, Sportkilts are great for games, pubs etc, but if you want an affordable kilt that you can dress up a bit, try a Stillwater. They're a good entry level all-purpose kilt.

[ohiopiper]

Not bad. For a first outing, spectacular.

Ditto what everyone else said about the jacket. It doesn't look bad, and most people won't know the difference. but you did ask a bunch of kilties for an opinion. I've not had one (sport coat) altered by VMAC3205, but everyone who has swears by her work.

don't put the sporran strap through the belt keepers. Adjust the strap to hang the sporran exactly where you have it now.

As for ties, the sky is the limit. I have a MacKay kilt and have worn red, blue, silver and even a Scooby Doo tie with it. If you look at your tie rack and think "This might work", wear it. It probably does work.

Welcome to the kilted world. I wear mine more and more often.

[Ruffus]

Thank you so much for your warm welcome and advice. I am honored to be a part of such a community as XMarks. You can bet I'll have more pics to post and more questions to ask. Hope you don't get sick of me. LOL

Thanks again - Ruffus

[The Barry]

Hope you don't get sick of me. LOL

Trust me, we won't. We love welcoming new "ambassadors" to Xmarks!