Fashion etiquette

[jimusic]

Is it proper or permissible to mix silver and gold colored adornments when wearing formal dress attire? i.e. silver sporran fittings and jacket buttons with gold belt buckle and kilt pin?

[Chas]

I would try and avoid mixing metals, but you can only wear what you have. Sometimes it is unavoidable. If you are one of a great many kilties at the event, then eyebrows might get raised. If you are the only kiltie then you are the expert and no one will question it.

Regards

Chas

[Jock Scot]

Generally speaking I think it is better not to mix metals. Although, I think a gold watch chain worn with sliver buttons will not raise an eyebrow. I have seen very small gold(real gold) buttons worn on a waist coat whilst the jacket had silver(real) buttons and very effective it is. Frankly in the assorted lighting effects of a dress occasion, who is going to really notice and who is going to comment if they do?

[artificer]

Generally speaking I think it is better not to mix metals. Although, I think a gold watch chain worn with sliver buttons will not raise an eyebrow. I have seen very small gold(real gold) buttons worn on a waist coat whilst the jacket had silver(real) buttons and very effective it is. Frankly in the assorted lighting effects of a dress occasion, who is going to really notice and who is going to comment if they do?

PLUS, if it's REAL metal (gold/silver), you've got nothing to worry about. If the fashion police come around you simply say... "It's real gold" and they tend to shut up.

ith:

[Tobus]

What's this, then? Jock is talking about MATCHING?!

I won't pretend to speak as an expert on formal kilted attire, but in general, I don't give a hoot whether my metals match or not. I always wear my wedding ring which has both silver and gold. And I always wear my class ring from college (Texas A&M University), which is gold. So I'm already mixing metals just with the rings I wear. Seems pointless to worry about trying to match everything else when these don't match.

The trick is, if you're going to mix metals, do it throughout. Don't wear 90% gold and 10% silver. The silver will stick out like a sore thumb. But if you wear both silver and gold accessories, evenly distributed about your person, it can work. Especially if some of your accessories are made from both silver and gold in the same piece.

[Dale Seago]

The trick is, if you're going to mix metals, do it throughout. Don't wear 90% gold and 10% silver. The silver will stick out like a sore thumb. But if you wear both silver and gold accessories, evenly distributed about your person, it can work. Especially if some of your accessories are made from both silver and gold in the same piece.

I'd agree with that.

[Sir William]

I recently started looking for silver studs for my shirt. I have a gold set but thought they looked odd when worn with silver button on the jacket, a silver belt plate, silver cantled sporran, and silver cuff-links.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Is it proper or permissible to mix silver and gold colored adornments when wearing formal dress attire? i.e. silver sporran fittings and jacket buttons with gold belt buckle and kilt pin?

Generally speaking, if you are formally attired you will be wearing a jacket and waistcoat with your kilt. In that instance a belt would not be worn unless you are also wearing a dirk, in which case the belt would go over the waistcoat. (The exception would be a Montrose doublet, or similar, where a belt is always worn.)

If, for whatever reason, you choose to forgo the waistcoat, then, for the sake of uniformity, the buckle should match your buttons. The kilt pin is an entirely different matter, and may be gold, silver, or any other sort of finish one desires.

[Macman]

I mix metals. My wedding ring is white and yellow gold. I wear gold and silver rings, and my kilt pins are all silver or pewter. My pocket watch is gold. I like the look of mixed metals, but that's just me.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I recently started looking for silver studs for my shirt. I have a gold set but thought they looked odd when worn with silver button on the jacket, a silver belt plate, silver cantled sporran, and silver cuff-links.

Antique malls are probably your best source for shirt studs. Since you are unhappy with the traditional gold studs, you might want to look for a set of "black" mother-of-pearl studs (actually they are made from abalone shell) which will look very elegant on your white shirt front. Expect to pay about $25 for a good set of 1/4-inch studs, perhaps a bit more with matching cuff links.