Greetings! My name is Carl (hence the very original screen name), and I recently found this place while researching the possibility of getting my first kilt. I'm a house-husband (formerly a mechanical engineer) who recently discovered that I have a Carr in my not-too-distant family tree.

So, I think I'm about to pull the trigger on my first kilt. I've got my eye on a USA Kilts casual. I'm thinking that for now I would be wearing a kilt at festivals, Highland Games, pub crawls and the like, so I think the casual would be a good starter. I think I've settled on a tartan, but would welcome input.

See, the problem I have is that I cannot find kilts in any Kerr tartan unless I want to go for a full-on 5- or 8-yard wool kilt, and I just can't justify the expense. My first inclination was to just go for a Black Watch or other "generic" tartan, but then I remembered that a very good friend of mine is a MacLeod. He doesn't mind me wearing it, so I was thinking of getting the MacLeod hunting tartan (I'm not bold enough to go "Loud MacLeod"). I gather that people are pretty easy-going about such things, but I just wondered if I would get grief from anyone for wearing a tartan I don't "belong" to. Thoughts?

Second, any recommendations on hose color? Assuming that I go with the MacLeod hunting tartan, and a blue or black polo shirt (maybe red), I was thinking that navy hose would be most appropriate. I don't really want to be too monochrome, but it still seems like the best choice to me. Navy flashes to go with them?

Guess that's all for now. Any unasked-for suggestions for my first kilt are more than welcome. Thanks in advance.