A serious thread about hats with kilts in the USA

**SeumasA** · 30th March 14, 02:13 PM

^

I probably should have mentioned that my choice of head wear is dictated by the fact that I live at an altitude of ~4500 ft. When we first moved here, I learned the hard way that you will burn a lot faster here than at sea level. The summer sun is pretty intense and late summer thunderstorms are common. It is snowing this afternoon. My cowboy hat is an all-weather solution.

**Downunder Kilt** · 30th March 14, 03:36 PM

Having been at one of the local games yesterday, 26C and sunny, this is what I wore, Harris tweed, small brimmed and very comfortable. Cheers.

The other gent in the photo is Aussie Don a fellow XMTS member. Fuller report on the day will be in Show Us Your Pics

**Father Bill** · 30th March 14, 03:45 PM

Brims look good, and they keep off the sun. They're also a very long way from baseball caps in terms of respect.

**OC Richard** · 30th March 14, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

I prefer to limit my style choices to at most "remembered history"

Colin Gordon, a Scot (with quite an accent), a fine Scottish style fiddler and founder of The Scottish Fiddlers of Los Angeles (at the time of its founding the only Strathspey and Reel Society outwith Scotland), invariably wore a Deerstalker with his kilt when his group was performing outdoors at our sunny Highland Games.

Very much in memory, fond memory...

http://www.thefiddlers.com/in_memoriam.html

http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...rdon_colin.htm

**ForresterModern** · 30th March 14, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by SeumasA

^

I probably should have mentioned that my choice of head wear is dictated by the fact that I live at an altitude of ~4500 ft. .......

After reading this first line, I began to consider what effect the diminished amount of oxygen available at higher altitudes might have on my choice of headwear. The mind wanders.......

Then I read on and got your point about altitude and sun exposure. We'll done. I guess I will have to park all those half-finished thoughts I started out with for a bit, at least til my next trip to the foothills.

**SeumasA** · 30th March 14, 06:55 PM

My mind wanders a lot too. Never thought to blame it on the altitude.

**gordontaos** · 31st March 14, 04:01 PM

I try to go hatless whenever possible, but that is difficult at 7000 feet. Even 20 minutes out in the midday sun will give my increasingly thinning head a real sunburn. Balmorals and glengarries just do not cut it for keeping the sun off of my face, and I really hate to use spf100 on this fair and freckled skin.
As has often been said...there are no kilt police, a kilt is not a uniform, and wear what you feel comfortable in.
The local pipe band wears a wide brimmed Aussie style hat with one edge folded up on the side. It looks very sharp. As silly as some in this thread feel that western hats and ball caps look, I feel that that some other hats look even sillier.
To each his own. The most important thing is to wear your kilt with pride and confidence, everything else will just follow along.

**Tobus** · 31st March 14, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Just Hugh

Wait. Is this post from the same guy whose thread about the jacket he'd wear with a kilt to go hiking ran to multiple pages?

I fuss, therefore I am. <Scratch that.>

We fuss, therefore we are.

Hey now, we'll have none of that! This is a "do as I say, not as I do" type situation!

Seriously, though, I've done my share of fussing over trivial stuff, but I've finally taken the advice of others. Some details are worth fussing over when you're trying to get it "just right" or looking for a solution to a problem. But for a casual outfit that's not necessarily traditional, where comfort and practicality are king, why fuss? Put it on and go forth.

**OC Richard** · 31st March 14, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by denmcdough

How's this look Richard? Remember?.......two years ago in WVA.

Yep! My favourite cap... RealTree and WVU, doesn't get better than that.

Or this look, at our brutally sunny California events

At least I'm in good company

**IsaacW** · 1st April 14, 01:12 PM

I tend to be a bit old fashioned (especially for a 30-something) but would have a HARD time wearing a baseball cap with a kilt. I know many despise flat caps with the kilt, but I personally like them. I know that they are not traditionally Highland attire, but they certainly are seen in a lot of old photos and I think look sharp. Interestingly, the way bonnets (balmoral type) were originally worn forwards (early 18th century and earlier), they look a lot like a flat cap. This all aside, I have not been much into glengarry's and balmorals for everyday but am trying to break myself of this attitude.