Kilts with short socks? How many people wear this way?

**Tobus** · 13th June 12, 01:53 PM

I am most decidedly NOT a fan of the 'red shanks' look. The proportions are all wrong. So when I'm kilted, it's always going to be with traditional hose or some other apparatus that comes up over my calf. Some guys with meaty calves can pull it off, buy my bird legs just look wrong sticking out from under my kilt without any covering. The hose actually give my legs some substance, LOL.

But if you do decide to wear short socks with yer kilt, make sure to wear the ones with the fuzzy ball on the back, in a colour that matches the toorie on yer Balmoral!

**Peter Crowe** · 13th June 12, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tobus

I am most decidedly NOT a fan of the 'red shanks' look. The proportions are all wrong. So when I'm kilted, it's always going to be with traditional hose or some other apparatus that comes up over my calf. Some guys with meaty calves can pull it off, buy my bird legs just look wrong sticking out from under my kilt without any covering. The hose actually give my legs some substance, LOL.

I suffer from the same problem (long skinny legs), and am not fond of short socks with the kilt for the very reasons you raise. I have tried the scrunched down look with hiking boots when I was in my early 30's (more than 10 years ago) but it never really felt right to me.

**fcgeil** · 13th June 12, 02:11 PM

I'll push down my hose or wear sandals, but would never wear short socks.

**Joshua** · 13th June 12, 02:11 PM

I have plenty of non-wool hose and longer "boot socks" for wear when I'm scrunching the hose down in the heat.

St. Patrick's Day, this year was WARM - so I wore scrunched hose (they are actually just long ribbed socks):

But these same socks have pulled "double duty" as a warm-weather kilt hose:

But I don't think you'll find me not wearing any sock under calf-length with my kilt, unless competing (where I normally still wear long socks, but usually soccer hose instead of woolen kilt hose).

**gary meakin** · 13th June 12, 05:21 PM

Sorry...if you wear the kilt, you wear kilt hose. IMHO
(maybe hiking socks when hiking.)
If it's too hot for socks it's too hot for the kilt.

**English Bloke** · 13th June 12, 05:40 PM

Nice tie Joshua!!

**Andy Ternay** · 13th June 12, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Zardoz

If I'm gonna be out at casual stuff in hot weather I'll wear some low-cut tennis socks and a t-shirt. I do not see hiking boots and scrunched up wool socks as an adaption to 95 + degree heat.

As a fellow Texan I stand solidly with Zardoz on this... wool socks, scrunched up or not don't work for 95F or higher temperatures. I will wear grey, tan or brown hiking socks with my kilt in weather like this.

**English Bloke** · 13th June 12, 05:51 PM

Another excuse to post a picture... I like pictures.

Short socks in Turkey. Made no difference. Still melted!

By crickey it woz 'ot! ...

**Spartan Tartan** · 13th June 12, 08:34 PM

I never have and don't think I could. To be fair, I tried it out just to respond here. I could hardly look in the mirror. I am by no means a staunch traditionalist, but if I am kilted, I have on kilt hose.

**Dale Seago** · 13th June 12, 08:43 PM

Seriously does NOT work for me, aesthetically and proportionately.

Though perhaps oddly, Riverkilt's hot-weather-mode sandals with no hose/stockings whatever does NOT trigger that "sense of 'wrongness'" at all.