A serious thread about hats with kilts in the USA

[Just Hugh]

I'm a Scottish American and I usually wear a hat to compensate for follicular insufficiency on my pate.

I often, meaning almost always, wear a baseball cap. When I was in college I even wore a baseball cap with a tweed jacket. (It made sense at the time and, no, I wouldn't do that now.)

I remember being at Scottish Games before we had children of our own and seeing the teenaged pipers swap out their uniform hats for baseball caps and hang out sipping on sneaked cups of beer and thinking, "these are just regular American teenagers, who don't care a lick about wearing a kilt, and I'd like my son to be as comfortable." Now, I was probably still wearing my baseball cap with my tweed at the time, so there's that.

Fast forward to me now, I'm in my forties and I'm getting comfortable with kilting myself, and so is my son, who is now ten. We're going to the NYC Tartan day and I'll be in a kilt with a sweater - not too matchy, matchy, but put together enough.

I know I'll want to wear a hat. I just don't think I'm interested in a "Scottish" hat. Glengarry and balmoral are a step over the line I'm walking. If I went in jeans and a sweater I'd wear a baseball cap as a reflex.

I have a tweed flat cap. I know the discourse on that. I have come to mildly agree that it's not the best hat with a kilt, but I almost feel that an American in a kilt can pull off a baseball cap with a rampant lion/Scotland insignia. Almost.

Anyone from the USA got an opinion about our little continent and the nuances of hats and caps (not bonnets)?

I may just wear a knit cap due to the cold and I think that's probably the answer, but thought it'd be worth another go around, particularly because of the casual nature of dress in the USA - including various hats and baseball caps with casual kilt wearing.

Have at it!

[Father Bill]

Tell you what, you wear what you like, but count me off of your continent. American norms don't always sit well in Canada.

[Mikilt]

Despite being non-traditional, I think a tweed flatcap would look fine with a sweater and kilt. I don't care for the baseball hat with a kilt look.

Just my $0.02

[TheOfficialBren]

Fore and aft hat or a deerstalker, maybe?

I still don't see the problem with flat caps and the kilt. If a certain former Scottish monarch wore one regularly with his kilt then that's good enough for me. Others will disagree. We know, we know. Sacrilege, an affront, blah.

Be comfortable, enjoy the time with your wee boy, sir, and take pride in sharing his heritage with him. Good on ya!

[Just Hugh]

Fair enough. We're all living in our own neighborhoods, really. I tried to say "USA" and avoid "American," but fell into the common colloquial we use in the USA. I know it rubs folks both North and South.

In Costa Rica, I had quite a lesson that I was not an "Americano," but a, "Unitos Estadorian." Or something similar that I forget.

No offense intended, although, I think this thread is beginning in a manner that may run into all sorts of offenses.

I'm sure I provoked trouble at the mention of baseball caps with kilts! Ugly Americans, er, Unitos Estadorians, I mean.

[Just Hugh]

Fore and aft hat or a deerstalker, maybe?

!

That first post was a response to our fine Canadian poster, Father Bill. I DO have a deer stalker, that I have only worn once on Halloween when I dressed as Sherlock Holmes. I may need to convince my entire family and country (not continent) that it has other uses.

I also have a Russian black fur hat that has the fold down ear covers, but I don't imagine that would work with a kilt, but maybe I'm being too traditional? (kidding.)

[Just Hugh]

I wore a flat cap with the kilt at a St. Patrick's Day parade I attended as a spectator because I feel like it's an Irish hat. But, I have to say, I was wondering the whole time if there were XMTS judgers hidden in the crowd frowning at my choice.

So far the only negative effect of my reading this site, and worth all of the good advice and information.

[Richrail]

I wear flat caps all the time, kilted or in jeans. I also wear a fedora style hat. Wear what your comfortable wearing.

[room2ndfloor]

I'm a Scottish American and I usually wear a hat to compensate for follicular insufficiency on my pate.

........ I almost feel that an American in a kilt can pull off a baseball cap with a rampant lion/Scotland insignia. Almost.

Anyone from the USA got an opinion about our little continent and the nuances of hats and caps (not bonnets)?

To put it as kindly as I can, a baseball cap with a kilt is an incongruous combination. It's like wearing cowboy boots with basketball shorts. For the love of Pete, please don't do that.

With a kilt, a plain knitted, solid-color watch cap is a better choice than a baseball cap. A flat cap is still a better choice than a watch cap. Perhaps there is a military surplus store near you where you could get a good American military-issue beret, that's very close to the traditional Balmoral.

If you're going to wear the kilt, I encourage you to let your inner peacock out for a stroll. Look over the Balmoral and Glengarry bonnets here in the DIY section. Get the right size and never look back to your days of wearing a baseball cap.

[Riverkilt]

I collect hats, but seldom wear them...just for hiking in the sun and on the river. Wear most any hat with most any kilt.