What about monochrome tartan kilts?

[EagleJCS]

Just my opinion, but I'd personally stay away from a kilt in the Scott B&W. I got one of the flannel shirts from LL Bean last year (and one in the Scott Red). The B&W looks OK as a shirt (worn with jeans or slacks), but if it were a kilt I wouldn't want that much B&W around my waist, then try to find something to contrast with and give some color on top.

[zazenkilter]

Cool Rskinehose

[Paul Henry]

A navy and white Menzies?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I have a length of black and white shepherd's check in Harris tweed that one day I would like to make myself a kilt in.

I think the trick to dealing with black and white tartans is not to only wear black or white with them. The only time most people only wear black and white would typically be if they were wearing a tuxedo or something similar. So if you are wearing your black and white Scott kilt to a black tie event and wanted to stick with that color pallet it would work well, but definitely be a bit understated compared with the other kilted gents around you.

But for general wear, I say any color will work. But it will force you to think about your outfit as a whole and how everything works together, not just how each item looks with your kilt. If your shirt tones well with your hose, the outfit will work fine. The black and white kilt is rather neutral in color tone, and so coordinating the hose and shirt will give balance. You could do the same with a jacket and hose, etc.

Note I said coordinate, not "match." You don't want to look too matchy-matchy, either. I think that would look equally odd. I think I would also tend to go light on any bold colors. For example, I might wear a tattersal shirt with a small red stripe, and coordinate that with kilt hose in some muted color such as oatmeal or grey, with a red shepherd's check pattern on the cuff...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Just seeing how others have worn black and white tartans... here's a familiar face!



Something more formal...


Trews anyone?


Back to the games, now...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Since I posted the above picture I just have to add two remarks, lest anyone were to think I was endorsing the look. If I were to wear this, I would make two changes:

1) the bow tie. I would wear a self-tie black bow tie. If I were to wear a matching tartan tie, it would be self-tie if at all possible. If for some reason I had to wear a pre-tied tartan tie, I would make sure it had a matching tartan band if I planned on wearing a wing collar shirt. If for some reason I had to wear the bow tie shown in the picture I would wear a shirt with a fold-down collar to hide the band.

2) the kilt hose. It's not that I think the plain ecru hose look bad. But I think another choice would look better. I would also avoid black. I'm thinking either a mid-grey if going with a solid color; or ideally black and white diced hose.

[AKScott]

Thanks especially for the black tie pics Matt. My wife and I were looking at my swatch against my tuxedo jacket yesterday. If we decide to do it I will have to put it all on once, black tie, monochrome kilt, waistcoat, the whole works.

I don't think it will work. As zazen pointed out in an earlier post, this thread:

Hello
I have a Black and White Menzies in military and dress pleats, and find it best to dress in the same black and white as is in the tartan. stay away from cream and off blacks. they tend to make the tarten look odd. I also accent my dress with a white fur mask like the artic fox. You will be able to tell if you try other things in colour like silver as well or a rich grey for different times of the day that you are dressing. I hope this helps you.

But as you said,

But for general wear, I say any color will work. But it will force you to think about your outfit as a whole and how everything works together, not just how each item looks with your kilt.

It is an illuminating gestalt experiment looking at my hose and shirts even if I don't buy a kilt.