Kilt and necktie in matching tartan?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I think Jamie looks very smart. There is a sort of tradition that nothing tartan should be worn above the waist when kilted but, like all such rules, it is there to be broken. Where exactly it originated I do not know but, looking at genuine costumes such as these from the National Museum of Scotland refutes any historical basis for such beliefs -

It has often been repeated (and for good reason) that tartan neck ties are not ideal to wear with the kilt. However, the suggestion that nothing tartan should be worn above the waist when wearing a kilt has no basis, neither historically (as you demonstrated) nor in traditional or modern highland attire.

I'll add this painting of the MacDonald boys for another historical example.


And as for more modern examples, there are all manner of perfectly appropriate tartan accessories meant to be worn with the kilt "above the waist," including waistcoats (vests), fly plaids, pipers' & drummers' plaids, tartan doublets, and so forth.






In fact I can really only think of two accessories "above the waist" which really don't work well in tartan if one is wearing the kilt -- tie and cap. Make that three if you also include the shirt.

[Panache]

I also feel there is an element to this discussion that bears note. Tartans all have different visual elements to them. Colors, stripe width, sett size all contribute to very different looks. So trying to determine a hard and fast rule for all tartans for what should or shouldn't be worn above the waist or not doesn't quite work. Take a look at this photo of Alan Cumming that Matt Newsome posted

Now I like this outfit a lot (except for the boots) and would happily wear it.

But instead of this lovely green based tartan (Clan Cumming I assume) lets imagine that this outfit was made in Mcleod of Lewis, Barclay, or Buchanan. I don't think that I would like it nearly as much. In fact while it might work on stage at a rock concert I think it would be clown-like in person. Sort of like how some tartans really lend themselves to working with trews but others don't.

So the tartan itself, as well as how it is worn and along with the other attributes of an outfit is just one more factor to consider.

Cheers

Jamie