A serious thread about hats with kilts in the USA

[McElmurry]

Great post! There are a lot of XMARKers included, mostly the usual subjects. My favorite is LAscotswoman.

Did you spot the Xmarker wearing a sporran on his head?

[Just Hugh]

That said, my best advice for you, and I hope I'm not out of line in saying this, is to own your baldness.

You're going to be indoors at some point I'd assume, so etiquette demands that you remove your hat. You're in your 40s so balding ought not be the traumatic thing it may have been in your 20s. You might consider getting a short haircut and walk around confidently like it doesn't bother you. You'll notice plenty of men your age with similar follicles. Confidence is more sexy than hair. Be comfortable with yourself. Then the example you'll set for your son won't just be to be proud of his heritage, it will teach him to accept himself and love himself, imperfections and all.

Best of luck,

I do wear my hair short and up until reading you post I thought I also "owned my baldness." I would argue that hats just make sense with short hair/balding for sun protection and for warmth, but perhaps there is also some truth to the hat as a different type of compensation. I have observed that I am assumed to be younger when wearing a baseball cap, and perhaps that's an effect I enjoy at some level.

I'm trending towards no cap or a knit cap if it's cold, but will definitely keep the deerstalker and flat cap in mind. The baseball cap idea is falling down the list.

[jaybear02]

I wear a baseball style cap if I wear one of my solid colored utility style kilts. I try to match my hat with what color kilt I am wearing as well, which I am coming to understand, some people consider cheeky to be all matchy matchy. Last weekend I wore a tan UTKilt, tan baseball style cap with an American flag on the front, black long sleeve tee shirt and dessert combat boots from the service as an example.

When I put on my tartan style kilts I choose to not wear a hat at all because I don't care much for the more "traditional headwear". I consider my style to be less traditional and more "wear what feels right" if that matters at all. As an example, I wore my Law Enforcement Memorial tartan by USA Kilts, grey button up shirt, black day sporran, lovat blue hose and black loafers to the movies Tuesday evening. I wasn't exactly traditional but I felt I was dressing a bit more traditional than a baseball cap would allow for.


Cheers,
Jay

[mookien]

Did you spot the Xmarker wearing a sporran on his head?

No, I missed that. It serves me right, though. I kept getting distracted by the Ren Faire Ladies and quit paying attention to hats. Since there were only about a billion photos, where was it approximately?

[Tobus]

I'll wear a ballcap with a non-traditional kilt (like when I'm hiking in my Utilikilt). But when I'm wearing a traditional tartan kilt, I just don't like the look of a ballcap. Even when in ultra-casual mode. I'll wear a Tilley hat or even a trilby if I'm not wearing a Balmoral.

But with that said, the kilt isn't a uniform. You don't have to wear the same style hat as a Scotsman would wear, just because you're wearing a kilt. There's no need to follow any "rules" unless you're trying to be traditional with it. If you're just out for a day with your family, nothing special, then wear what you want. And stop fussing so much about it!

[duke_19_62]

While attending the Maryland Irish Festival last year, I wore Ulster Red tartan kilt with Tweed jacket and waistcoat with shirt and tie. I purchased a derby from one of the vendors, and wore it the rest of the day. It makes a great compliment to the outfit. While attending Shamrockfest (an outdoor Celtic Music festival in Washington, DC), I wore the same kilt, with "Real Men Wear Kilts" T-Shirt, and Jameson's Whiskey baseball-style hat. Go with what works with the rest of what you're wearing, either dressed up or dressed down. My 2¢ worth.

[mookien]

... And stop fussing so much about it!

But, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun!

[EagleJCS]

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

The phrase is "Estado Unidense" - "United States-en".

As for your OP, wear what you like. I've seen ball caps of just about every type (full cloth, mesh-backed, clean and neat or ragged and dirty) worn with the kilt, as well as some wide-brimmed 'sun hats', pith helmets, the occasional fedora, and even a faux-Viking hat with horns.

[seanachie]

My genes come from the Emerald Isle not the sun drenched southern California climate, it would be crazy to follow some perceived rule and get sunburned or worse: skin cancer. So in bright sun I wear a hat that came from a suggestion on of all places, this forum. I have a Tilly Hat in neutral color for sunny occasions.

[Just Hugh]

And stop fussing so much about it!

Perhaps the best advice so far!