Flat Caps. No no and thrice no! Suitable hats when wearing your kilt. Discuss

[Good Egg]

The subject of flat caps was raised on another threat about saluting of doffing your cap to ladies. Rather than divert that thread I thought I would start another thread.

Firstly there are no rules. Unless you are wearing a uniform you can wear what ever you want.

So to the flat cap: A damn fine piece of head wear (I don't myself care for the modern style with the deep backs that go half way down the back of the head but...) especially if worn with a Barbour and cords such as for going rattin'. But not for wear with a kilt.

Lets explore why: It may partly be a cultural clash thing like wearing leiderhosen and cowboy boots. It may also be aesthetic. Most conventional highland headwear has a tourie on it: the flat cap does not. The same applies to the beret, looks wrong with a kilt.

What of other hats? This just my opinion but I would see nothing wrong a cowboy hat, smokey bear, slouch hat (especially for Oz and NZ types although this is originally a British hat) I wear one of these when it necessary to keep the sun of my ears or the rain out of my eyes.

There was an anti Baseball cap rant on the other thread - whilst I agree they are probably best not worn with a kilt I see nothing wrong with then as casual wear - I'm especially keen on the one I got from the SD Army National Guard and a rather dashing 'ARMY' one with and eagle on the peak.

Anyway that's my tuppence worth: discuss...

[Oddern]

I think a flat cap is an exelent headwear with the kilt, and a beret is even more sutable. But this is only in a casual wear thing. In more formal kilt situations these hats are absolutly no no.
As for the baseball cap I think its a mismatch with the kilt in any situation. I don't know why, I just don't lik it.

[Good Egg]

I think a flat cap is an exelent headwear with the kilt, and a beret is even more sutable. But this is only in a casual wear thing. In more formal kilt situations these hats are absolutly no no.
As for the baseball cap I think its a mismatch with the kilt in any situation. I don't know why, I just don't lik it.

No they aren't. Now if you accept that its not the right thing to wear with a kilt but say to yourself bugger it I don't care I'm going to wear it anyway that's fine. You are accepting that people are going to look at you and think you are eccentric or ignorant.

Perhaps my earlier leiderhosen and cowboy boots parallel was wide of the mark. Perhaps a better simile would be a tweed sports jacket. I have a damn fine tweed sports jacket. However if one day I put my kilt on and said to myself ah hah! I need a tweed jacket to top this off, I know I put on my old faithful sports jacket it would be wrong. I'd look an arrse in it - same goes for the flat cap: Discuss...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I, for one, think that the flat cap looks just fine with a kilt, when worn in a casual style. I can't give any justification for why that is, other than -- to my eye -- it looks just fine. This is especially true for a tweed flat cap. I own a Harris Tweed flat cap, but I don't wear it very often because I don't think the style looks all that great on my particular head.

I don't really buy the argument that it doesn't look right because it does not have a toorie. I own a Highland bonnet (and have owned others in the past) that are made without a toorie, and they are very traditional items of Highland dress. And, of course, they look just fine with the kilt. As always, pictures are helpful. This one doesn't show the bonnet in all its glory, but you get the general idea:


I do agree with you about the beret, however. I don't think it looks quite right with the kilt, and it has nothing to do with the presence or absence of a toorie. The reason I don't like the look of it with a kilt is due to the fact that it somewhat resembles a Balmoral, but is not a Balmoral. So whenever I see someone wearing a beret with their kilt, the impression that I immediately get is that this person bought the wrong hat because they didn't know the difference. (This is evidenced by the fact that I frequently get people coming into the museum shop asking if we carry "Scottish berets" or "those berets you wear with the kilt.") Now, this is not true in all cases -- Jamie, for example, wears a beret with his kilt at times and he knows perfectly well the difference between a beret and a Balmoral. But that's just the overall impression that the look gives me.

My most recently acquired peice of headwear is a shire hat, made by Christies of London. I purchased this on a recent trip to Charleston, SC. It's made from Harris Tweed and I have a sport coat in the same pattern, as well as a kilt jacket & vest in a pattern so similar as to practically be the same. I absolutely love this hat and have worn it often since buying it. However, not with the kilt.


I couldn't tell you why I don't wear this with my kilt other than the fact that I don't think the style would look right. If anyone has contrary opinions I'd love to hear them. (I also don't generally wear it with my sport coat of the same tweed, as I think the overall look is a bit effected; I think it looks much better with a solid jacket, or one of a different pattern).

But when I wear my kilt, if I need headwear, I generally reach for one of my balmorals, or the tweed Highland bonnet mentioned above.

[Jock Scot]

I don't suppose that anyone will be surprised that in my humble opinion and I rather think most of kilt wearing Scotland too, that a flat cap with the kilt looks downright awful. I know someone will chip in with an "Edwardian" type picture to "prove" that caps and kilts were worn together and it's true they were. It did not stop it looking, awful then just as it does now. I am a fan of tweed caps, but not with the kilt. As to those baseball hat things I make no comment.

How and what people choose to wear is ,of course, up to them and it is also their right to look like a lemon, if they so choose.

[macwilkin]

Why is this thread in the heraldry & tartans section?

Todd

[davedove]

No they aren't. Now if you accept that its not the right thing to wear with a kilt but say to yourself bugger it I don't care I'm going to wear it anyway that's fine. You are accepting that people are going to look at you and think you are eccentric or ignorant.

Perhaps my earlier leiderhosen and cowboy boots parallel was wide of the mark. Perhaps a better simile would be a tweed sports jacket. I have a damn fine tweed sports jacket. However if one day I put my kilt on and said to myself ah hah! I need a tweed jacket to top this off, I know I put on my old faithful sports jacket it would be wrong. I'd look an arrse in it - same goes for the flat cap: Discuss...

I personally think a flat cap looks great with a kilt and have worn one often. And I don't agree that people will think you look eccentric, at least no more than they do when you wear a kilt. Many people have told me that the flat cap looks great with the kilt. I think this may be another of those across the pond cultural differences. But then, I'm not looking to wear a kilt exactly like someone else would. I look at the kilt as another article of clothing to blend into my wardrobe.

The tweed jacket isn't a good example either. The normal sports jacket isn't cut for a kilt; that's why it looks wrong. A nice tweed jacket cut in the right fashion looks great.

[Rex_Tremende]

I know someone will chip in with an "Edwardian" type picture to "prove" that caps and kilts were worn together and it's true they were.

You mean like this one?

It's Victorian, but...

Happy to oblige,
Rex.

[Jock Scot]

Dave I have no problem with individual "flair and imagination" when it comes to any style of dress, kilted or not, but some things go together and it works well. Matt's picture above with his bucket hat and trousers is a fine example of that. Other things do not work together and never will , like flat caps and kilts.Oh and Jamie's bucket thing!

[Adam Pound]

I personally think a flat cap looks great with a kilt and have worn one often. And I don't agree that people will think you look eccentric, at least no more than they do when you wear a kilt. Many people have told me that the flat cap looks great with the kilt. I think this may be another of those across the pond cultural differences. But then, I'm not looking to wear a kilt exactly like someone else would. I look at the kilt as another article of clothing to blend into my wardrobe.

The tweed jacket isn't a good example either. The normal sports jacket isn't cut for a kilt; that's why it looks wrong. A nice tweed jacket cut in the right fashion looks great.

I guess I look like a lemon, as I wear my solid black ball cap with my Freedom kilt. I think nothing of it, because it's just another piece of clothing I wear. Of course I also wear an old beat up floppy hat when I'm hiking in my kilt, but that's because I'd rather not get a bad sunburn or have mosquitoes eat my scalp than look good.

Here in Canada, our extremes do affect what you wear. I think I posted a pic of me in a SWK Shadow while wearing a toque fer cryin' out loud. Ain't nobody going to think a toque looks good with a kilt!
Adam