Wool Flat Cap... a no-no with a kilt?

[Droid]

I don't recall what thread it was in, possibly more than one, but I remember reading a few remarks about how horrid it was to wear a flat cap with a kilt. I also remember a wee bit of sarcasm surrounding those posts.

I'm just curious, is this just personal taste, or something more?

I'll be headed to the Highlands next year and want to start getting prepped now. I need to get a few nicer bits of clothing. The Southern California fashion of a kilt, zip-up hoodie, tee shirt, and flip flops wont cut it unless I want to stick out like a sore thumb. I'll be getting a nice pull-over and some button down shirts for my kilt wearing here and abroad. I already own a wool flat cap and thought it would be appropriate to take with me on my travels, but then I remembered something about not wearing them.

(Note: I'll probably end up wearing whatever I want as long as it looks smart regardless of people's opinions here, but, you know, might as well strike up a conversation about it if I can.)

[12stones]

Traditionalists will say not to, but I say wear what you want when you want. I think kilts and flat caps look great together.

[SlackerDrummer]

Search is your friend.
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...searchid=49507

[Graham]

I wore flat caps for years with a kilt, tend not to these days but it's just personal preference. A Balmoral looks better but it's not always the time to wear it.

Wear what you like I say.

[Jock Scot]

Just so you know, many in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands would not consider a flat cap, or button down collars as kilt attire. What you decide to do, is entirely down to you.

[Droid]

Just so you know, many in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands would not consider a flat cap, or button down collars as kilt attire. What you decide to do, is entirely down to you.

I was planning on, because it's a tad cooler in Scotland than California, wearing a button down shirt under the sweater. What else would one wear under a sweater?

[Jock Scot]

I was planning on, because it's a tad cooler in Scotland than California, wearing a button down shirt under the sweater. What else would one wear under a sweater?

OK we may be talking at trans-Atlantic cross purposes here so, by button down shirt I mean a shirt with the collar tips buttoned down by a single button on each side(end)of the collar. So just in case we are talking about the same thing, we usually wear shirts without collars buttoned down and no buttons or button holes in the collar to do so. Make no mistake we have button down collars, but would probably be in a minority for general wear and probably quite unusual with the kilt.

[English Bloke]

...Make no mistake we have button down collars, but would probably be in a minority for general wear and probably quite unusual with the kilt...

Depends where you buy your shirts Jock. I'm not keen on button down collars meeself, but a lot of the supermarkets now stock them as standard, off the peg, and that's where most folk seem to buy stuff now...

I see a lot more button down collars around UK (Scotland included) in both smart and casual dress, than ever there was and I even have one or two meeself (he confessed, guiltily). To be honest, I don't think many but the keenest eye would notice.

Maybe it's 'cause ASDA is owned by Walmart and the fashions are creeping across the pond. Who knows.

[CMcG]

Depends where you buy your shirts Jock. I'm not keen on button down collars meeself, but a lot of the supermarkets now stock them as standard, off the peg, and that's where most folk seem to buy stuff now...

I see a lot more button down collars around UK (Scotland included) in both smart and casual dress, than ever there was and I even have one or two meeself (he confessed, guiltily). To be honest, I don't think many but the keenest eye would notice.

Maybe it's 'cause ASDA is owned by Walmart and the fashions are creeping across the pond. Who knows.

I've noticed a progressive increase in the number of guys who wear button down collars with a tie and it kind of bothers me because my understanding is that this style of collar was designed for keeping things neat when one doesn't wear a tie. Sort of like wearing a belt and suspenders/braces. This combination seems to be gaining social and sartorial currency through (mis)use.

This phenomenon sheds some light for me on the flat cap with kilt debate. Traditionally, the flat cap is not worn with the kilt but enough people do it now that many people probably see nothing wrong with it, or even think it looks great. For anyone who still associates flat caps with other styles of un-kilted attire, it must look, for lack of a better word, wrong.

[Braw Cathairneach]

OK we may be talking at trans-Atlantic cross purposes here so, by button down shirt I mean a shirt with the collar tips buttoned down by a single button on each side(end)of the collar. So just in case we are talking about the same thing, we usually wear shirts without collars buttoned down and no buttons or button holes in the collar to do so. Make no mistake we have button down collars, but would probably be in a minority for general wear and probably quite unusual with the kilt.

I’ve a vague recollection that button down collars originated in the UK as a remedy for taming collar points during strenuous equestrian activities. If the recollection is correct than it would seem that you’d just be returning the custom to its origin.

It does seem a bit more difficult to tame the kilt during strenuous equestrian activities than it is to tame the collar points. That’s probably not a pretty image to conjure up…