from matchy to anti-matchy in 30 years

[OC Richard]

When I look back on it, it's amazing how much my approach to accessorising my kilt has changed over the last 30 years.

Still handsewn traditional wool kilts, still ghillies and Scottish-made kilt hose, sporrans, jackets, and bonnets, but a radically different approach to colour choices.

Back in the 1980s I was working in a Highland Outfitter and I took advantage of the opportunity to aquire things fairly cheaply.

I wanted to get a Day Dress outfit, and at that time I had the notion that everything should match. Where I got this notion from, I can't say. If I had paid attention to how gents dressed over in Scotland I would have known better!

I went about this wrongheaded quest logically: I knew that we only had a limited range of Balmoral colours available, but a large range of available tweeds. So I bought the Balmoral first and then went through all our tweed swatches to find the one that matched best. I then had a bespoke jackets and waistcoat made.

If at that time I knew of somebody who hand knit kilt hose, by golly I would have sent her a swatch of that tweed and had her knit an exactly matching pair of hose! But as it happens I found a pair that matched pretty well anyway.

At least at that time my brain could accept TWO colours, and for the other colour I matched the claret lines in my MacDonald (House of Edgar Muted) kilt. I hunted down velvet to match and made a bagcover for my pipes, bought flashes in that exact colour, and best of all found a knit necktie in that precise colour as well.

Here's the result, me back in the mid-1980s, the epitome of matchy-matchyness



Then over the years I got exposed to a vast amount of traditional kilt-wearing, old catalogues, The Highlanders of Scotland, The Duke of Rothesay's fashion sense, and many other things. I came to realise that the name of the game was co-ordination, or even startling juxtaposition, rather than matching.

One early wakeup call was the fiddler John Turner, who would wear bright scarlet hose with his deep purple kilt.

In looking at 18th century portraits I was struck by the fact that no notion existed of matching hose to kilt



In The Highlanders of Scotland I was most impressed by this fellow wearing tartan hose of an utterly contrasting tartan, sharing no colours with the kilt



And in old catalogues I could see nice contrasts, such as between jacket and hose here



In any case I've come round to the opinion that juxtaposion is the way to go. Here is how I often dress nowadays; I really like the blue shirt and bagcover, and claret hose, especially because those colours do not appear in the Isle of Skye tartan. And my necktie is a bright scarlet utterly at variance with my hose. (WWII US vets will recognise the pattern.)

[Domehead]

OC Richard,
Two things:
1. You, individually, have a distinction with which you wear the Dress that makes it "feel correct"
2. Your catalogue image is the look that I try to capture. I characterize it as "Not matchy-matchy, but still coordinated"

Do you draw a distinction between "Matchy-matchy" and "coordinated", particularly considering your education?

Question Answered: "I came to realise that the name of the game was co-ordination, or even startling juxtaposition, rather than matching" - OC Richard
Thank you very much for the excellent images. I especially enjoy your catalogue threads.

[OC Richard]

Matching and co-ordinating are, to me, opposites.

To match the rest of the kit to the kilt would be to see whatever is the tartan's predominate colour (or one of the tartan's predominate colours if no one colour predominates) and have everything else done up that exact colour. Been there done that! For a few years I wore a Black Watch tartan kilt; this I wore with matching dark green hose and matching dark green Argyll jacket (exactly matching the colour of the predominating green bands in the tartan). Maybe it's a good thing that I don't have a single photo of me wearing that kit! I was one big blob of dark green.

Co-ordinating with the kilt is the opposite, finding colours which contrast with the colours in the kilt but which when viewed together make for an interesting overall "look".

The example is ordinary men's fashion. Normally if you had a dark grey suit you wouldn't wear matching shirt and necktie! A solid wall of dark grey would be the result.

A closer example is the Navy Blue Blazer of ordinary men's fashion. You normally wouldn't wear matching trousers; if you want that, wear a suit! Instead you would wear trousers which contrast strongly with the Blazer such as light grey, khaki, or white, viz

http://mistercrew.com/blog/2010/04/2...ity-continued/

[sailortats]

OC, I do not see anything wrong with your "before" pic. I like the look. But that being said I also like the after pic as well. I like the way the blue shirt brings out the blue in the kilt and the claret hose bring out the similar shade in the kilt also. I must admit that coordinating colors is the way to go.

[Tobus]

OC, I do not see anything wrong with your "before" pic.

I agree. I wouldn't even call that "matchy-matchy" necessarily. Just because the hose match the jacket/waistcoat doesn't make it overly matchy. It's just a nice subdued look, using traditional colours. Sometimes a man just wants to blend in, rather than wearing loud colours. Now if the bonnet matched exactly, that might push it over the edge! At any rate, if I saw OC Richard in that first photo at a Highland Games or other event, I wouldn't find myself thinking he tried too hard. There are certainly many examples of clan chiefs dressed just that way. I think he looks rather sharp!

I like the look. But that being said I also like the after pic as well. I like the way the blue shirt brings out the blue in the kilt and the claret hose bring out the similar shade in the kilt also. I must admit that coordinating colors is the way to go.

Man, I can see why Jock Scot likes to tell us that we're overthinking this. While I don't disagree with your points, I do think it's a bit of a mental exercise to get there. In my own personal shift away from matchy-matchy, and trying to see the simplistic beauty in the traditional Highland manner of dress, I find myself asking a simple question: does it look good together and avoid major clashing? If yes, then I'll go for it. But for me, delving into which minor colours bring out other colours is starting to become way too much minutiae, and is just as bad as being matchy-matchy!

In other words, being matchy-matchy looks like a person tried too hard. But being too intentional in coordinating colours (even if they don't match) can also look like a person tried too hard.

This is one of those areas where things can be tricky. While I am particular in which pieces I put together, so as to avoid looking like I was dressed by a blind monkey, I try to intentionally avoid overthinking it. I'm really trying to heed Jock Scot's advice here, and it makes good sense. I tend to go more for an ideal overall visual proportion rather than trying to be specific on colours. And I find more and more that (for me) this revolves around textures and patterns rather than colours. But again, colour still is part of the equation. It's just a minor one. However, not being a fan of wearing loud colours like reds and yellows, my colour choices don't stray very far from earth tones. And those are easy to put together.

And I'm still probably not "doing it right". But it's part of the transition.

[CMcG]

OC Richard, I've seen worse cases of matchy-matchy than your before picture, but you definitely look much more relaxed and at home in your clothes in the after shot.

Tobus' comments about not over-thinking are important, especially for a place like Xmarks where we tend to specialize in minutiae On the other hand, I think there is a certain amount of forethought and consideration that goes into looking like one didn't waste any time getting ready. Experience, a wardrobe of things that go well together (like Tobus' earth tones), and a willingness to mix it up are key, but "studied carelessness" is perhaps even more important as an overall stance.

In Italian, one might call this "sprezzatura" and I wonder if there is an equivalent word in English, or, even better, in Gaelic? Many words have been spilled on this point in various threads and it would be nice if there a better way of saying it than "not matchy-matchy"

[mookien]

I think you, and your outfits, look splendid (and very Scottish) in both pictures. Thanks for posting the varied looks in all your threads (excuse the pun). They give us lots of ideas.

[OC Richard]

Now if the bonnet matched exactly, that might push it over the edge!

And I did try my hardest to match the jacket to the bonnet! I bought the bonnet first, then went through dozens of tweed swatches til I found the one that matched best.

That outfit was definately over-thought!

Not so much with what I wear now. I just like the way paricular hose look, or a particular shirt looks, and wear them. With that necktie, it belonged to my Father-in-Law and when he passed away I began wearing it in his honour. The bright scarlet clashes entirely with my claret hose and I don't care a bit.

[flairball]

I think whether you match, juxtapose, or co-ordinate all depend on your purpose. Are you trying to replicate highland fashion, or just wear a kilt in a respectable modern way?

For my purpose, I am just trying to fit the kilt into the modern waredrobe. I'm not Scottish, don't live in the highlands, and don't nessecarily see the need to meet the standard convention. I try to look neat, and present myself well, without feeling costumed. To replicate, to the letter of the law, highland style would make me feel like I was in a costume and representing something I don't, nor can't represent. Couple this with the different perceptions of fashion here in the States, and one can see how a degree of matching fits in. So I try to wear the kilt normal men's fashion rules in mind.

With this in mind I do sometimes do things that wouldn't be considered "right". I routinely wear a flat cap with my klt. Why? Because I routinely wear a flat cap. I doubt I'll ever wear a balmoral with a kilt. I'd like to own a balmoral, but I'll wear it with a sportcoat, and trousers. I often try to match elements of my outfit; hose to sweater, or flashes to shirt. Why? It's easier for the non-kilted to digest. Also, I like to see elements that string an outfit together.

I do think that some of the highland fashions are sharp. I fully intend to get matching tweed vest and jacket. But in the end, when I wear it, no doubt a purist will find fault with my outfit. But the rest of the world, and more importantly I, will think it looks sharp.

[mookien]

I think whether you match, juxtapose, or co-ordinate all depend on your purpose. Are you trying to replicate highland fashion, or just wear a kilt in a respectable modern way? ...

Good post. Well said. I suspect a lot of us, if not most of us fall into (or near ) your category. If so, then you spoke for a lot of us. Thanks.