Kilts and Flat Caps

[Rob Ritchie]

I would like to throw my flat cap in the ring, on this subject:

I have been wearing a flat cap lately, with my kilt. I am a safety patrolman on a regional park trail. I wear a kilt daily. The Balmoral's I own are just too much..... a baseball cap looks (in my opinion) as bad as if I were wearing a cowboy hat with a kilt... when trying on a old fashioned style, flat cap, and looking in the mirror, it looked great to my eye.
Then I read all the comments about whether it is apropos or not?!??!?! It shouldn't matter, but it bothered me that some kilt snobs might frown upon it, if I wear it amongst other kilt wearers....so, I did some research. Here's what I found. Scotsmen have been wearing this combination since at least mid nineteenth century! I have found numerous early photographs, proving this!
I was also watching a YouTube videos the other day, where two different Scotsmen were demonstrating how to fold and wear a great kilt. I believe one was even filmed at Edinburgh Castle.....Guess what both Scotsmen were wearing? You guessed it.....a kilt with a flat cap!
Yesterday, I went to the Scottish Games, in Pleasanton, California....there were almost as many kilt wearers, wearing this combination as there were wearing traditional balmorals and Glengarry's !
so to you kilt snobs, I say GET OVER YOURSELVES and enjoy diversity!

[ThistleDown]

Interesting first post, Rob. There are folks who wear baseball caps/tractor caps with kilts and you say that doesn't look right to you. Others wear cowboy boots and that probably doesn't strike a favourable bell with you, either. For some of us the soft cap doesn't go well with Highland wear, but whatever turns you on. Let's just be sure that this thread is only about opinion and not about confrontation.

[slothead]

Rob,
It is not clear to me what you mean by a "flat cap." Is the cap that Ern is wearing in this photo what you are talking about?

[GrainReaper]

I believe he is referring to a newsboy cap, or Ivy cap, I've heard it called a bunnet (sp?) before as well, am I correct that this is the cap being referred to?

[Tarheel]

I believe he is referring to a newsboy cap, or Ivy cap, am I correct that this is the cap being referred to?

I gather that this is the cap referred to.
Though I like this cap (as a life long hat/cap wearer) when it gets wet the front tends to sag forward due to weight of water. Unlike other caps, flipping the bill around to face my back just doesn't match my style, even if it prevents dripping down my collar. However if I had a 1962 Jaguar XKE convertible, this would be my hat of choice with any kilt.

[GrainReaper]

I have many ivy caps like the one above, some tweed, some solid colored wool, some cotton, I've a waxed cotton one that is fantastic in rain, my quilt-lined Harris tweed wool cap with the hidden ear flaps is my snowstorm hat of choice if hitting the town.

Though I rarely wear one anymore with my kilts I do find them a much better look on me overall than most any other styles of headgear.

[Terry Searl]

I would like to throw my flat cap in the ring, on this subject:

I have been wearing a flat cap lately, with my kilt. I am a safety patrolman on a regional park trail. I wear a kilt daily. The Balmoral's I own are just too much..... a baseball cap looks (in my opinion) as bad as if I were wearing a cowboy hat with a kilt... when trying on a old fashioned style, flat cap, and looking in the mirror, it looked great to my eye.
Then I read all the comments about whether it is apropos or not?!??!?! It shouldn't matter, but it bothered me that some kilt snobs might frown upon it, if I wear it amongst other kilt wearers....so, I did some research. Here's what I found. Scotsmen have been wearing this combination since at least mid nineteenth century! I have found numerous early photographs, proving this!
I was also watching a YouTube videos the other day, where two different Scotsmen were demonstrating how to fold and wear a great kilt. I believe one was even filmed at Edinburgh Castle.....Guess what both Scotsmen were wearing? You guessed it.....a kilt with a flat cap!
Yesterday, I went to the Scottish Games, in Pleasanton, California....there were almost as many kilt wearers, wearing this combination as there were wearing traditional balmorals and Glengarry's !
so to you kilt snobs, I say GET OVER YOURSELVES and enjoy diversity!

I've been wearing flat caps for almost 35 years, long before they were as popular as they seem to be becoming now. They are easy to fold and tuck away when I enter a room and I seldom have to remember to return and retrieve them as you might with any other type of hat that gets forgotten
I have 3 diffrent ones to wear with my kilt depending of the jacket and hose I have on, but whether kilted or not it is my hat style of choice. As with everything in fashion, .......it comes and goes and comes back again........Wear what makes ya' happy not what others think ya' should

[Bruce Scott]

I would like to throw my flat cap in the ring, on this subject:


I was also watching a YouTube videos the other day, where two different Scotsmen were demonstrating how to fold and wear a great kilt. I believe one was even filmed at Edinburgh Castle.....Guess what both Scotsmen were wearing? You guessed it.....a kilt with a flat cap!

Was this one of the videos you watched?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEmES4-7kvc

[Rob Ritchie]

Was this one of the videos you watched?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEmES4-7kvc

Actually...No. The two videos I watched, both were wearing kilts... that was my POINT! Like I said, one was being filmed at Edinburgh Castle.

[Jock Scot]

Actually...No. The two videos I watched, both were wearing kilts... that was my POINT! Like I said, one was being filmed at Edinburgh Castle.

One would not necessarily consider how the kilt and assorted attire is worn in Edinburgh by some as the best example to follow!

Just saying.