To plaid or not to plaid.....thats the question??

[AFS1970]

For my two kilts I only have a plaid for one of them. I rather like it, but don't feel the need to wear it all the time.

For me the influence was that when I was a teenager and my family joined the local St. Andrews society, most of the gentlemen who had been around a while and certainly all those who were officers of the society wore plaids at formal events. Thus the people that gave me my initial instruction on TCHD wore them, and I started to also.

When I ordered my second kilt, I intended it to be for purely informal events, although I did wear it once formally and it worked out well enough. That time, obviously, I did not wear a plaid, as I don't have one in that tartan.

I am thinking if I end up coming into the funds at some point of a third kilt (seems like such a small number to so many of you) and that one I will order a plaid with, but more so that I have the option to wear it with or without one.

As for formal wear changing, I hate that it has and despite my wife telling me I was born in the wrong century, I will fight kicking and screaming the demise of formal wear.

[DyerStraits]

As for formal wear changing, I hate that it has and despite my wife telling me I was born in the wrong century, I will fight kicking and screaming the demise of formal wear.

I could not agree more. To Plaid Or Not Plaid would be a far less agonizing decision if everyone else would dress more formally when/where more formality is due. As the late James Coburn complained in an interview shortly before his death regarding the current crop of Hollywood Leading Men, "Nobody has style anymore". This is yet another reason why, when in doubt, I tend to overdress rather than underdress--it's a potential opportunity to subtly and silently goad the Habitually Casual into making a bit more effort to be a bit better turned out.

[Nathan]

1) I'm not sure wearing a plaid is more formal than not, just different. There are and were plaids for all levels of formality.
2) The saying "better to be overdressed than underdressed" misses the obvious point that it's best of all to be "appropriately dressed".

[DyerStraits]

1) I'm not sure wearing a plaid is more formal than not, just different. There are and were plaids for all levels of formality.
2) The saying "better to be overdressed than underdressed" misses the obvious point that it's best of all to be "appropriately dressed".

I completely agree--my point being that you're more likely to be appropriately dressed if you aim high rather than low.

[Jock Scot]

Do you know, I rather think many would be much better spending their hard earned loot on properly fitting kilt attire, by that I mean more of a tailored look, than chasing round after this that and the other accessory and then adding it to the often ill fitting basics. Those in the past who cut a dash in a superbly fitted dinner jackets, like Spencer Tracy, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Richard Todd, Cary Grant and others had style even when wearing the same sort of attire as others. Their trick was to have well fitting outfits and it really is something that kilt wearers ought to bear in mind more often and it may work out less expensive in the long run. It does not always mean that one must visit the most expensive tailor, but it does require more than a certain amount of know how with what is actually required with basic kilt attire, as opposed to making do, and then the help of some skilled person with a needle and thread.

[Geoff Withnell]

Do you know, I rather think many would be much better spending their hard earned loot on properly fitting kilt attire, by that I mean more of a tailored look, than chasing round after this that and the other accessory and then adding it to the often ill fitting basics. Those in the past who cut a dash in a superbly fitted dinner jackets, like Spencer Tracy, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Richard Todd, Cary Grant and others had style even when wearing the same sort of attire as others. Their trick was to have well fitting outfits and it really is something that kilt wearers ought to bear in mind more often and it may work out less expensive in the long run. It does not always mean that one must visit the most expensive tailor, but it does require more than a certain amount of know how with what is actually required with basic kilt attire, as opposed to making do, and then the help of some skilled person with a needle and thread.

I think another part of the formal style of the men in the past was their comfort in their clothes. Look at pictures of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis - the Rat Pack. Their tuxedos always fit well, as Jock notes, but they also were completely at home in them. At a lot of kilted events, it is easy to see some men, even in well made, obviously expensive kit, haven't worn it enough to feel comfortable with it.

[Nathan]

Do you know, I rather think many would be much better spending their hard earned loot on properly fitting kilt attire, by that I mean more of a tailored look, than chasing round after this that and the other accessory and then adding it to the often ill fitting basics. Those in the past who cut a dash in a superbly fitted dinner jackets, like Spencer Tracy, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Richard Todd, Cary Grant and others had style even when wearing the same sort of attire as others. Their trick was to have well fitting outfits and it really is something that kilt wearers ought to bear in mind more often and it may work out less expensive in the long run. It does not always mean that one must visit the most expensive tailor, but it does require more than a certain amount of know how with what is actually required with basic kilt attire, as opposed to making do, and then the help of some skilled person with a needle and thread.

This is so very true! It's certainly worth the extra cash to have that nice vintage ebay tweed properly altered to fit your body. Don't be content to have the sleeves too long and the body too big. People can and do notice if your clothes don't fit properly. Even if you can't spare the cash to get all the tailoring done at once, do the sleeves one month and perhaps have that collar roll taken care of on another pay day down the road. it's worth it to have garments that fit properly. They look significantly better and when your clothes fit, you have that comfort, confidence and ease that Geoff mentions because you know you look like a million bucks.