Matching Flashes and necktie with Tartan? Poor form?

[JP Gordon]

Hello my fellow Kilt Brethren -
I just ordered my first 13 oz weathered Gordon kilt from USA Kilts out of Pennsylvania (advertised on this board heard great things about them). I understand that the majority of this question is a matter of personal taste; however I wanted to seek out the communities opinion.
Get just matching tartan flashes?
Get matching tartan necktie?
Get both matching tartan flashes and necktie?
Get none of the above becuase it is poor form?
Please feel free to give me your opinion, I am thick skinned. LOL

[The Wizard of BC]

One of our esteemed members wrote a post a while back about using an Artists eye when approaching the wearing of the kilt and colors.

In brief -

The basic idea is that we want our kilt to be the centerpiece of our outfit. We want the Tartan to shine.

If you build all the colors of your outfit to match the colors of your kilt the kilt blends into the background.

The same would be true of other items of the outfit made from the same Tartan as our kilts.

I personally use a Tartan Tie to "show my colors" when I am wearing a suit. If I am wearing my kilt I wear a solid colored, small pattern or striped tie in complementary, but not matching color.

I usually advise my customers not to overdo the matching thing.

I will usually build the colors of my outfit by pulling a shirt out of my closet. I have more shirts than kilts. I then choose a pair of hose that color-coordinate with my shirt.
Then I put on my kilt. If the rest of my outfit is coordinated it does not matter what Tartan my kilt is made from. The whole outfit works and the kilt is allowed to stand on its own and shine.

As an example of this thinking - I own a kilt shop. I wear a kilt everyday. My customers expect to see a guy in a kilt when they walk in. Here is a photo of how I dress everyday.



The kilt is our own X Marks Tartan. The colors are Blue, white, gray, and yellow.
There is none of these colors anywhere else in this entire outfit. And it all works.

If you would care to take a look at the "1 kilt-10 looks" thread or almost any of the photos in "Show us your pics" forum section, I doubt you will find anyone wearing Matching Tartan flashes and tie with their kilt.

[JP Gordon]

Thank you very much for the advice. It makes perfect sense.

One of our esteemed members wrote a post a while back about using an Artists eye when approaching the wearing of the kilt and colors.

In brief -

The basic idea is that we want our kilt to be the centerpiece of our outfit. We want the Tartan to shine.

If you build all the colors of your outfit to match the colors of your kilt the kilt blends into the background.

The same would be true of other items of the outfit made from the same Tartan as our kilts.

I personally use a Tartan Tie to "show my colors" when I am wearing a suit. If I am wearing my kilt I wear a solid colored, small pattern or striped tie in complementary, but not matching color.

I usually advise my customers not to overdo the matching thing.

I will usually build the colors of my outfit by pulling a shirt out of my closet. I have more shirts than kilts. I then choose a pair of hose that color-coordinate with my shirt.
Then I put on my kilt. If the rest of my outfit is coordinated it does not matter what Tartan my kilt is made from. The whole outfit works and the kilt is allowed to stand on its own and shine.

As an example of this thinking - I own a kilt shop. I wear a kilt everyday. My customers expect to see a guy in a kilt when they walk in. Here is a photo of how I dress everyday.



The kilt is our own X Marks Tartan. The colors are Blue, white, gray, and yellow.
There is none of these colors anywhere else in this entire outfit. And it all works.

If you would care to take a look at the "1 kilt-10 looks" thread or almost any of the photos in "Show us your pics" forum section, I doubt you will find anyone wearing Matching Tartan flashes and tie with their kilt.

[Tarheel]

I will support the "Wiz" here. A tartan tie with a suit will attract the attention, letting the suit assume the function of dress. Tartan flashes with a solid colored kilt (utility style) lets you show your affiliation and again draw attention to your tastes without distracting from the kilt.

If Santa didn't have white piping on his hat and jacket, one would think of Union suit underwear. Subtle is better sometimes.

You can get those items now or wait.

[Liam]

I sometimes do it, others I don't. I personally like the look of matching flashes kilt and tie with some tartans, just as I do a matching tartan waist coat/vest. If you like the look of it then go for it.

[Nathan]

Not particularly a fan of Tartan flashes at all or tartan ties with the kilt. I have tartan ties and I have kilts but I don't wear them together. I think a club, regimental or school tie works best, personally.

[Mike S]

Too matchy-matchy is generally considered passe these days, both in highland dress and fashion in general.

[Liam]

Too matchy-matchy is generally considered passe these days, both in highland dress and fashion in general.

😉Not by all.😉

[OC Richard]

Get just matching tartan flashes?
Get matching tartan necktie?
Get both matching tartan flashes and necktie?
Get none of the above becuase it is poor form?

Well first and foremost congratulations on that kilt. Weathered Gordon is gorgeous.

I'm not the average kiltwearer, I suppose, because for 40 years I've studied old paintings and photographs and have quite a collection of vintage Highland Dress photos.

So my "eye" is steeped in the past, one could say, and I tend to take the long view of things. I also am interested in the origins and original functions and methods of construction of things, which often colours my view.

The thing about flashes cut and sewn out of woven fabric yardage (whether tartan or not) is that 1) they're quite recent and 2) they fly in the face of the traditional methods of construction and materials.

Flashes are merely the ends of the garters, and garters were always made out of stuff especially woven to the correct width for that purpose. They could be wool or silk or what have you, but the point is that they were woven to purpose. I don't know about the old days, but at least from the 19th century to today they're generally woven from worsted wool in a herringbone pattern. The vast majority of garters in the old days were scarlet. They're usually selfcoloured/plain/solid but sometimes striped. Tartan is rare, but if so they would be tartan ribbon woven to the correct width for that purpose.

Ditto the drone ribbons on the bagpipes: traditionally they were silk ribbon woven to the correct width especially for that purpose; nowadays they're often cut and sewn from woven tartan yardage, which to my eye looks crude and untraditional.

About tartan neckties those, it seems to me, have always been rare with Highland Dress. Worn, but rarely so. In the old days neckwear was nearly always black or white so any colour was rare. In modern 20th century Highland Day Dress the favoured neckties have been regimental stripe or all-over pattern or selfcoloured/plain/solid.

So myself I would forgo the tartan yardage flashes but get the necktie- to wear with Saxon dress.

[McMurdo]

I think it all together screams matchy and I just bought this entire package. It is almost as over the top as wearing a Prince Charlie to a Highland Games. I would suggest looking at the 1 kilt 10 looks thread:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-attire-46888/

Jamie and I do not wear tartan ties at all there rather we both generally wear ties that are one of the colours out of our kilts a solid red or green on my part. This works well as it does not take away from the tartan rather it coordinates well. Of course if you have a school or regimental tie wearing that is preferable.