What do i need?

[gasbag]

Ok here goes the single most important question in my Plaid wearing life,
"What else do i need to buy apart from the kilt?"
I have on order a kilt in Hunting Mcleod. What do i buy next?
I aim to wear the kilt to a wide range of occasions from every day events to black tie functions.
I am also learning the bagpipes and hope to wear the kilt when i play for my mothers 70th birthday next May (the reason i first started to learn the pipes).
All information greatly recieved.
I live in South Australia, scottish shops are few and far between. Only have one close by that i know of. Open to suggestions for places to purchase goods as well.
Thank you in anticipation.
Gasbag

[M. A. C. Newsome]

So you've just bought your first kilt and are asking what are the essentials you need to wear with it?

I wrote an article dealing with just that question last year!

http://albanach.org/getting_started.htm

[KFCarter]

First, a word of warning. The kilt is such a versatile, comfortable and rewarding garment to wear, that you can wear it in virtually any circumstance. But to do so, you'll want different choices of accessories designed for casual, business or formal use.

For great examples of these different choices be sure to visit the following thread that was put together by two of our most knowledgeable moderators: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/1...888/index.html Viewing the pictures on this thread will help you make sense of the following:

You'll need a sporran. Besides the fact that it is traditional, it's a necessary practical addition as it serves in place of pockets to hold your wallet, keys, etc. There are "day wear" sporrans, semi-dress sporrans, dress sporrans and many choices of styles within those categories. You can start with one sporran, choosing one that suits the style you plan to wear most often, but eventually you'll want choices. Most sporrans will come to you with a relatively inexpensive chain/belt. Many find those cheap chains put too much wear on the kilt and opt to use leather sporran straps.

You'll also want kilt hose. While some people do not wear them in casual wear, you will always see them worn in more formal uses. As with sporrans, you can find different styles of hose suited for different occasions, from the simplest solid color hose all the way up to "diced" or "argyll" hose with "castellated" tops and you'll see great examples of these in the thread mentioned above.

Kilt hose are generally worn with garter ties or flashes. Your kilt may well come with flashes made up in the tartan you ordered and these are worn under the folded-over upper portion of your kilt hose. These help a bit to keep your hose up, and add a bit of highlight color to your kit.

You'll probably already own many shirts and shoes that will work with your kilt. However, if "traditional" is your thing, you'll want a pair of Ghillie Brogues or Buckle shoes for more formal uses. Again, you'll see examples of these in the thread.

Kilt jackets could almost support a forum of their own. There are many styles for different uses, but all are cut shorter than a typical suit jacket, and are cutaway to make room for the sporran in the front. Your choices will be driven by your own sense of style (climate, too!) and again, the type of use you'll be making of your kilt. Many styles of kilt jacket are paired with waistcoats, although you'll see jackets worn without them in many circumstances.

Kilt belts are wider than typical men's belts and are often worn when not wearing a waistcoat (some do choose to wear them when wearing a waistcoat, but the buckle can interfere with the bottom of the waistcoat). Belts can be casual or formal as well, with the use usually being determined by how simple or how elaborate the buckle is.

A Sgian dubh is a small, sheathed knife traditionally worn in the top of your kilt hose. As with the other accessories, there is a range of simple ones more suited for daywear all the way up to silver mounted, ebony handled masterpieces best for formal occasions (and those with plentiful funds!) The sgian dubh is not worn by everyone for every occasion but it is important to have if you're looking to stay in the traditional mode.

This list covers the basics, but you'll encounter other accessories as you go along and I'm sure others will chime in...

[David Thornton]

Asking what else you need here is a bit dangerous. You'll wind up with 2 casuals, a semi traditional, a lightweight, a tank and $15,000 worth of accessories!

I would think hose & sporran will get you started, then look at enough pictures to figure out what you like

I'm headed back to Oz this fall, really looking forward to the trip

David

[KiltedBrewer]

I can't improve on KFCarter's list, but I do have a suggestion. Follow the DIY threads and you'll find that you can make quite a bit of your kit. X Markers frequently make their own kilts, sporrans, flashes, hose, and sgian dubhs. Many have converted jackets they've found at thrift stores for wear with the kilt. There are some really helpful jacket conversion threads in this forum.

The most used sporran pattern can be found in the appendices of a book called So You're Going to Wear the Kilt by J. Charles Thompson. I found a copy at my local library and used the pattern along with suggestions from several DIY threads to make myself a sporran.

You'll find lots of help with every aspect of kilting here.

David