Matching metals

[Sir Didymous]

I know that this is generally just a piece of fashion advice and I will hear a lot of opinions (the rabble has never left one of my posts unanswered), but this only really applies to kilt attire. Should the cantle on my sporran match the buckle on my belt (when worn)? If so then what about plaid brooches (rarely used but I have one), and kilt pins? Also would an antiqued brass cantle be consided dressy enough for black/white tie functions? When dressing medieval or any other period fashion, the question is irrelevant. In my modern non-kilted attire my belt buckle is the only metal that isn't considered jewelry (wedding ring and such). So modern kilting is the only time I have to worry about it. That being said, I felt the rabble would be the best people to answer these questions.

[unixken]

Interesting that you you should post this, as I am expecting any day, an assortment of kilt pins to arrive, that I deliberately ordered in non-silvery finishes... brushed copper, gold, antiqued bronze, and so on. When it comes to the white/silver/pewter/grey-ish accessories, I like to keep them all within that color family. But when the silvery metals are put away, I have no problem mixing the non-white metals. To me, anything brownish, copper-like, gold, bronze, etc., says "relaxed", and invites mixing things up a bit. Anything in the white/silver/pewter/grey-ish family just seems to want to be more consistent across the accessories.

That's my opinion, though I look forward to seeing others' thoughts on the subject. Great questions.

[Alan H]

Since I have a brass buckle on a nice tooled, brown kilt belt, and also have one brown sporran by Buzz Kidder, which happens to have a gray steel ornament on it, I used to actually think about this. I suppose that folks could actually replace "think" with "be somewhat concerned".

But I got over it!

[Downunder Kilt]

Whilst I usually match the brass on my sporran cantle with a brass belt buckle, cause I can, I do not give a second thought as to whether the metal on my kilt pins match anything. I quite often wear two kilt pins, one a silver, the other copper. Then again, I am also one who wears black brogues with a brown leather sporran and belt.

[unixken]

The again, I am also one who wears black brogues with a brown leather sporran and belt.

I'm afraid I still have both feet planted firmly in the matchy-match camp, when it comes to my leathers. :/ But one day...

[Jock Scot]

I would not fret about it, if I were you.

[JohntheBiker]

I'm afraid I still have both feet planted firmly in the matchy-match camp, when it comes to my leathers. :/ But one day...

You're not alone. With everything in black and silver, I don't give it a thought. That, of course, is by design!

[Panache]

I personally try to match waist plates/buckles and metal sporran cantles if I can, but it is not something I'd lose sleep over.

Cheers

Jamie

[Geoff Withnell]

My wedding ring is white and yellow gold. My USMC ring is a gold EGA inset in a sterling silver ring. My favorite tie clasp is a silver EGA on a gold bar. One of my go to kilt belt buckles is a gold Welsh dragon on a silver field. Am I worried about mixing or matching metals? Not so much as you would notice!

[MNlad]

I grew up in a household where my mother was constantly polishing the silver and brass—not for me. I like the patina that comes with age. The result is my silver looks great with my pewter, and my copper goes wonderfully with my brass and bronze.

As for matching everything up, it depends on the formality of the occasion and my mood. The more formal the event, the more attention I pay to getting things to coordinate. Final thought: Since your buckle and sporran cantle are so close together, a huge contrast will be noticeable. For that reason, Geoff's idea of gold and silver in one article makes a lot of sense—it gives you a lot more latitude.