Hose to go with Isle of Skye tartan kilt.

**Jimmy the Celt** · 26th September 15, 07:32 AM

Having decided on a 5-yard 16oz. wool in Isle of Skye from USAK, I am having trouble choosing hose (and self-tie garters/flashes) to go with it. I own a pair of oatmeal coloured hose as well as ecru (the latter only suitable for summer, IMO). I would like to get some fairly thick hose for the coming winter and am thinking along the lines of grey or charcoal, but am fond of Lovat shades. What would look best? What colour garters? I am not a big fan of matching flashes.

**Arnot** · 26th September 15, 08:33 AM

I have worn lovat green and mid gray with mine. I was quite happy with both. I have worn green as well as purple garter ties and garter flashes. Again, happy with both.

**pbutts** · 26th September 15, 10:30 AM

What else are you wearing with the kilt? That's a popular kilt, if you search the site (or Google) you are likely to find pictures with many different hose colors depending on the shirt or jacket worn. Claret is likely to be popular, too.

**Jimmy the Celt** · 26th September 15, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the replies.

I will be wearing this kilt with t-shirts, Oxford shirts (button down - refers to the collar, not the buttons from neck to navel as so often mistaken)--in short, with anything. I do not have occasion for formal dress, which I consider to be black-tie wear, though I do wear bow- and neckties. The way I see it, formal means black-tie; for example, a tweed suit with brown brogues and a tie is essentially casual even though many now consider any suit and tie combo to be "dressy". I am a hard core traditionalist and don't much like to wear t-shirts except on the warmest of days.

The hand-knit hose from USAK in "woodland" seems a good match to this tartan: http://www.usakilts.com/hand-knit-hose.html The "pebble" hose look like a good versatile choice, and as I am not a rich man versatility is a very good thing.

**GrainReaper** · 26th September 15, 12:04 PM

I'm a big fan of the Lewis hose series, the lovat blue, lovat green, mustard... I like all the colors in that line.

And I have many different flashes, and garter ties, I only ever wear my red ties. They match nothing I own, but look good with everything

**sailortats** · 26th September 15, 04:09 PM

I wear my Isle of Skye kilt frequently and almost always go with either lovat green or burgundy hose. with the lovat green hose I wear burgundy flashes and with the burgundy hose, lovat green flashes.
I have worn mid grey hose with it also but I am not overly fond of the look, a little too bland for me.

**OC Richard** · 29th September 15, 06:30 PM

I love my IOS kilt! It's my go-to kilt, I wear it all the time. (Lochcarron 16oz, 1" pleats, around 7 yards.)

With any tartan kilt, the hose options are more or less:

1) matching tartan or diced hose

2) selfcoloured hose that match one of the main ground-colours of the tartan

3) selfcoloured hose that match few or none of the colours in the tartan; such hose can co-ordinate, or contrast

4) selfcoloured hose lacking colour (white, black, grey)

If #3 is done well it can actually amplify one or more of the colours in the tartan.

#2 can drain the colour in question out of the tartan, making the tartan dull.

#1 and # 4 neither add to nor detract from the colour harmony of the overall kit.

I usually prefer #3.

Here's my IOS with claret hose. There's no red or claret in the tartan.

Another pic with these hose.

I really like the way that red and blue of various shades go with IOS so well.

Those hose finally wore out! Nowadays I usually wear these Cheviot "ancient blue" hose. No blue in IOS, which is why it works so well, I think.

Here, in isolation, you can see how the blue hose somehow amplify the purple in the kilt.

Note the very different appearance the tartan has with the claret hose. The claret amplifies the brown in the tartan.

The effect is created by the colour-shift between the hose colour and the colour in the tartan which is NOT the same, but similar enough to resonate.

These mid-grey hose don't seem to have any deleterious effect with IOS; with some tartans these hose are deadly, sucking out much of the colour and making the tartan look dull.