Funeral Attire

[triumph]

I have a funeral coming up this next week and what should I wear with my kilt. The funeral is for a dear lady who was born in Scotland in 1909 and came to the US in 1912, if she could have made it to July she would have been in the US 100 years. She always liked it when I came kilted to visit and would ask me to play the bagpipes. We had a great thing going she was hard of hearing and I am a beginner at the pipes, work out great for both us. I visited her last friday, tartan day, in the hospital, she was glad to see me and asked if I had my sgian dubh, which I showed her. She was one grand Lady. Sorry back to the question, I have a PC and a green tweed kilt jacket, I plan to wear my MacRae red modern tartan kilt. I have also a MacRae muted hunting kilt, my choice of kilt hose are bottle green, lovat blue, and lovat green. I also have a pair of black sport kilt hose I use for hiking, they just are not formal kilt hose. So please help me out, I have not been kilted that much in public, but do wish to honor this Scottish Lady.

[ctbuchanan]

Absolutely wear the kilt - I'm not the resident expert on attire, but I would most certainly honor her memory with your kilt. My humble suggestion would be the tweed jacket with the tie. Hose don't matter much in my book. Just look presentable and know that she will look down on you and smile to think you remembered her in this way. Sorry for the loss of your friend.

[Joshua]

I am sorry for your loss, but be thankful it seems this grand lady touched a life or two in her very long one... we should all be so lucky to be blessed with such a long life.

Dress conservatively, your green tweed would be fine - especially if it has stag or suit-buttons (and not the silver squares), I personally would wear a white shirt and a tasteful tie. As for the hose, it might help to lay out your whole outfit on your bed and see which one goes best.

[Zardoz]

Sorry for your loss. I would wear the green tweed jacket and whichever hose co-ordinate with it, maybe the lovat green. Add a white shirt and dark tie and you are good to go.

[Peter Crowe]

It is a nice thing that you wish to pay proper respect to your recently passed friend, and this is the place for good advice. I have never worn THCD to a funeral but from what I understand the custom is to go with day-wear.

Based on what you state you have I would go with your Green Tweed Kilt Jacket, with whichever Kilt you prefer, lovat green or dark green hose, leather sporran (?), and black shoes. I would wear a white shirt with a plain dark tie (I'd personally wear a normal plain black tie to a funeral unless the deceased had previously, or their family expressed a preference to the contrary, but I am a wee bit old fashioned about such things).

I would steer clear of wearing your PC which is for formal evening wear and not appropriate at a funeral.

Hope this helps you out!

[Downunder Kilt]

It is a nice thing that you wish to pay proper respect to your recently passed friend, and this is the place for good advice. I have never worn THCD to a funeral but from what I understand the custom is to go with day-wear.

Based on what you state you have I would go with your Green Tweed Kilt Jacket, with whichever Kilt you prefer, lovat green or dark green hose, leather sporran (?), and black shoes. I would wear a white shirt with a plain dark tie (I'd personally wear a normal plain black tie to a funeral unless the deceased had previously, or their family expressed a preference to the contrary, but I am a wee bit old fashioned about such things).

I would steer clear of wearing your PC which is for formal evening wear and not appropriate at a funeral.

Hope this helps you out!

I too would attend with the white shirt and black tie Peter and the other kit as you suggested. (In fact I have, to a number of funerals)

[triumph]

Do I wear my waistcoat? or just go with the white shirt, dark tie and jacket.

[Peter Crowe]

Do I wear my waistcoat? or just go with the white shirt, dark tie and jacket.

Ii wouldn't be a problem either way. If the day is warmer leave the waistcoat at home, if cooler weather then wear it, the temperature would be the sole guide to waistcoat appropriateness.

[Kiltboy]

Do I wear my waistcoat? or just go with the white shirt, dark tie and jacket.

I would wear whatever is comfortable for you in memory of her. Did she have a favorite look?

I too recently had the honor of participating in a funeral for a Scottish born lady. For the viewing, I wore her favorite kilt and her favorite jacket, and helped celebrate her life. For my role as pallbearer, I checked with the family, and wore a dark suit with black tie to match the others in the service.

[kilted scholar]

As a minister I conducted over a hundred funerals in the USA, in a conservative Presbyterian denomination, and I can't recall ever having seen a single black tie. People dressed soberly but not in black. This is not an apodictic comment but simply an observation.