Matching vest to kilt

**craigclan** · 11th October 13, 11:58 AM

I am torn between two tartans for my first kilt . I am of Craig decent and have got a dress vest in my family tartan . I am looking at Black watch and Pride of scotland as my two choices . Is it considered" tacky " for your vest not to match your kilt or is is "tacky" for your vest to match your kilt?
Blackwatch is close to my family tartan but the Pride of scotland is way different . What do you think ?

**Jock Scot** · 11th October 13, 12:36 PM

It really is best if tartans of different Clans are not worn together, its one of those "social niceties" that we generally observe in Scotland. However a Clan tartan worn with a "universal", or fashion tartan does raise an interesting theoretical question though. There are no Clan members to upset as there is only one Clan tartan. Hummmmmm -----------how many would recognise the various tartans correctly? I suggest not many, so room for mistakes. In consequence and on balance, in my humble opinion-----for what it is worth-------- it would probably be best not to mix them. However, the choice is entirely yours to make.

**TJ Kelley** · 11th October 13, 12:52 PM

ya... what Jock said, I wouldn't mix the two.

I would go with the Pride of Scotland tartan... 2 reasons.
1. I think it is very sharp and versatile tartan.
2. BlackWatch is so common.

**Nile** · 11th October 13, 01:14 PM

It depends on the waistcoat! If it's tartan, it should match your kilt. Check out the samples in this thread (here). Some are cut on the bias and some cut square but, they all match the kilt tartan.

PGL 276.jpg Now this guy, Major James Fraser of Castle Leathers, seemed to like to mix it up.

If it's not a tartan waistcoat then there are other considerations. In some respects, you can wear what you want, matching or not. However, it should at least compliment your kilt and/or jacket, in my opinion. I have a brown suede waistcoat that I wear with a Lovat green, tweed jacket and my red, green & blue based tartan kilt.

Nile

**cck** · 11th October 13, 01:54 PM

As one of the few Craigs on this forum, I am on your side. In your initial posting you mentioned the Gordon tartan. I am aware of the Craig - Gordon association but have never been able to find out exactly what it was. From what you wrote, I assume your waistcoat is a Gordon as you mentioned a similarity to Black Watch and the Craig tartan is much different (see my avatar.) Since you have Gordon in one item why not get a Gordon kilt? They are easy to find and would be less expensive than a made-to-order Craig tartan kilt. The first kilt I ever bought was a Gordon for that very reason. I was not sure how involved I would become in the kilt wearing world. Since that time I have expanded my kilt wearing, limited my tartan wardrobe, and invested more than I ever expected.

**craigclan** · 11th October 13, 02:18 PM

Its actually a craig tartan vest i had made for my wedding . I just want a tartan kilt to go with it that accents it not makes it look tacky . I never even thought about gordon . Good call cck ..

**craigclan** · 11th October 13, 02:28 PM

Oh and Craig is a sept of Gordon

**Downunder Kilt** · 11th October 13, 03:45 PM

I would not mix the two tartans, even though one is a sept of another. Your family has a tartan (Craig). Your clan has one (Gordon). I would keep the two seperate.

**ledodedo** · 3rd November 13, 03:37 PM

Hi,

being new, i don't know anything, but i would think that mixing 2 tartans is like mixing the streams in ghostbusters, a big no no

**OC Richard** · 11th November 13, 05:37 AM

I was thinking about getting a Black Watch waistcoat, quite dark, to wear with any of my kilts, none of which are Black Watch, and which have lively colours.

There's precedent at least in the Army: the pipers of The Black Watch used to wear doublets of Black Watch tartan but kilts and plaids of Royal Stewart.

All that survives today are their Black Watch bagcovers and rear pipe-ribbons (the front ribbon, kilt, and plaid still being Royal Stewart).

The Army doesn't flinch at mixing tartans! Note how many are worn by pipers of The Highlanders (the piper is a piper of The Highlanders, not The Queens Own Highlanders, as one might think)

Originally in Highland Dress tartans were freely mixed; note how many different ones appear in this 18th century portrait (yes the child on the right is wearing jacket, waistcoat, and kilt of three different tartans)