Soon-to-be-Kilted, Montreal QC

[tulloch]

Welcome from the highlands of Central Massachusetts, New England, USA. Sounds like you have it right.

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, Mathew, and welcome to X Marks from the bottom end of Africa.
I like your plans to be kilted at your friends’ wedding, but I also am somewhat appalled at the bride’s brief to you.
Clergy Green is a rather attractive tartan, but unfortunately it is mostly blue and black, with just a bit of green (the regular Clergy is blue and black, and there is a grey variation too).
Black Watch has the disadvantage that your MacDonald relatives will look askance at you for wearing a Campbell tartan, but if you can live with that, it is probably the most practical way to go.
It’s a great pity that the bride wants no red around, as MacKillop is a very handsome sett. You will have to get a kilt in that sometime.
Since the royal Stewart setts are available for anyone to wear (even though they are supposed to be reserved for royalty) you might like to go for Stewart Hunting. Douglas is not a bad choice either.
Good luck with hunting down the right sett.
Regards,
Mike

[Mathew MacKillop]

Hi Mike!

Thanks for the feedback. While I agree that the bride's colour restrictions are a little much, I must needs live with it or face the wrath of Bridezilla.
As for any MacDonalds looking askance at the Black Watch tartan, I need only remind them of my two "uncles" (with varying degrees of "great" and "grand" added on), one a MacKillop and the other a MacDonald, who fought and died as members of that regiment in the first World War. That should quiet them pretty quickly. I hesitate to wear any "clergy" tartan because I am not clergy or in any way involved with a religion. From what I have read there is also no real historical evidence for an actual tartan worn by the clergy, anyways. So, while some may wear and enjoy it, and more power to them that do, I do not feel any attachment to that tartan and so must look elsewhere.
I do, of course, intend to get myself a kilt in the MacKillop sett, but this will need to wait as it is a very expensive project: the tartan is not in common production, so it would need to be custom woven. I have had quotes ranging from $900 to $1700 for this, and I am not certain that the $900 price included materials, or if the kiltmaker was just confirming that they could get the tartan and that $900 was the labor cost...either way it will have to wait, at those prices.
After the Black Watch kilt, I am planning on getting a semi-trad from USAKilts in Douglas, and then a 5 yard Wool from them in MacDonald of Keppoch, which is close to my family tartan but is also readily available.
This brings another question: does anyone have or has anyone seen a Douglas tartan pleated to the stripe? Seems to me like that nice white line repeated across the back would look very flashy, kinda like a cottontail or white-tailed deer. Then again, it may also look odd, for all I know, thus the question!

Regards,

Mathew

[Jock Scot]

Welcome, from Inverness-shire.

I think many long term kilt wearers tend to forget just how expensive kilt attire can be when starting out and of course no one wants to look like a beginner, particularly when on show at a wedding. Thus far I cannot fault your thinking, but perhaps there are a couple of alternatives that might lessen the financial pain a tad.

It sounds to me that you may probably be the only kilted gentleman at the wedding, so there is a reasonable chance that there will be no kilt "expert" on parade. I am guessing here, but would early June in your part of the world be fairly warm? Right then, whilst the thoughts and advice you have had here are perfectly fine, but have you considered a V necked( to allow for a tie) pullover? Or, just a waist coat? Both these options are often forgotten, even by the experts. OK, not a perfect solution I grant you, but both of these options can look very smart without breaking the bank and frankly I doubt anyone will even notice and if they did notice I am quite sure that nothing would be said! Good luck.

[Mathew MacKillop]

Hello Mr. Scot, and thanks for the welcome.

You are quite correct that there will be few (if any) others present who would be able to detect me cheating a bit on the outfit. There will be, however, an almost unlimited number of digital cameras, so evidence of my transgression could *gasp* find itself onto the internet.
In June here it does tend to be warm...but not so much (at least not until later in the month) that a jacket or sweater of some sort wouldn't come in handy after the sun sets. A combination of just the waistcoat and a sharp sweater may just do the job, as I could look good inside without the sweater and still have it handy in case myself or one of the lady guests catches a chill.
I was also considering raiding the thrift-shops here in town to look for a jacket that could be serviceable once modified. I am fortunate in having a few friends who are handy with needle and thread, so it may just be possible to modify an existing jacket for a small fraction of the price.
Either way, I have some pondering to do.

[Jock Scot]

Hello Mathew, "Jock" will do nicely, although, "hey you" has been known to work on occasion!

[Mike_Oettle]

Well, Mathew, for those not of the Christian persuasion there are quite a few tartans that can be worn to express your beliefs. If you are interested I could drop you a PM.
Since you have a family connection to the Black Watch, it seems fine that you wear it then.
Regards,
Mike

[James Hood]

Welcome, Mathew, from metro Chicago.

Best wishes for fun, here and getting your wedding kit just the way you will like it.