In shopping for a tweed jacket and waistcoat soon.

[Thekiltedmohawk]

Greets!

Since March '15 I've gotten kilts, hoses, and etc that I can wear comfortable for the warm spring/fall, and hot summer. I'm shifting my focus on the cold attire into the upcoming cold fall/spring, and icy winter here in Colorado. I'm an owner/accountant of my bookkeeping services I just started. My goal is to look business casual yet smart for the clients I meet up with. So, that brings up the tweed jacket and waistcoat.

I have a Ramsay Blue, an Irish-American, an American Heritage kilts, and I'd like to pick one tweed color to try to coordinate with the 3 kilts colors due to my budget. I'm no Prince Charlie yet.

Here's my accessories along with the kilts. I have lovat blue, lovat green, bottle green, bison, brick red, navy blue, black, and mustard hoses. I have black, navy blue, light blue, white, charcoal grey, and light grey collared shirts. Two black sporrans, and am willing to get a brown sporran. a pair of polished black shoes and brown shoes.

To throw in with my strong fair skin color, dark blue eyes, and white hair.

So, what tweed color should I go with? I already eliminated black. I have enough of wearing black shirts/leather jacket and etc for years. I'd like to change for something new for once. So, tan? Brown? grey? others?

[Tarheel]

I could not think of the color combo that is in my mind's eye. I did the random "google" thing and found a photo of our own fellow McMurdo in exactly the jacket I imagined. Here is the picture. This will combine with all your kilts and as you see, hose and ties will accentuate the look.

[Thekiltedmohawk]

You have to admit McMurdo will find anything to make it work. You give him a big garbage bag, and he will make it look good.

[Todd Bradshaw]

I've been surprised to see just how well many tweed colors will go with a variety of tartans and look quite good - even in some combinations that you might not think would work very well. The best color may well be the one you like best as long as you don't go off the deep end. Tartans can generally hold their own very well, and the tweed just kind of helps to frame it, which leaves a broad range of possibilities.

My kilts have a lot of blue in them and I picked a lovat blue tweed to go with them, mostly because I like blue and the contrast between a fairly light colored tweed and a bolder tartan, but it would certainly not have had to be blue to work nicely.

[McMurdo]

Firstly
Thanks for the kind words I learned all I know from members of this forum. I do agree a Brown Argyll jacket works well with any number of tartans.

Here I am wearing that same Brown Argyll at our recent first anniversary Tartan Tuesday, but look at everyone else as well, notice that a few of the gents are wearing charcoal tweed jackets:



When I first started in this I bought a charcoal tweed and they can be really very versatile but you did say you wanted to get away from black so if charcoal is too close you might think about Lovat blue which is a classic choice, below is a photo from our Tartan Tuesday earlier this week I am wearing a Lovat Blue jacket while Nathan is wearing a Lovat Green jacket. Either choice would work well for several tartans:



The longer I wear the kilt the more I find I am less concerned about matching and have embraced the Highland esthetic of a loud tweed or at least one with interest so more often than not you will find me wearing my Burns Check Tweed as seen below



Having said all that I did wear the kilt every day for 5 years at one place of business and found the more sedate tweeds were better suited for the office.

[Thekiltedmohawk]

McMurdo,

Many thanks for the great pics. Yes, your pics proved that the charcoal gray along the black is overused by the society not only in the tweed jackets, but the suits by the Saxons too. I'm strongly leaning toward the tan ones. However, that loud Burns Checks tweed is wicked awesome!

[Thekiltedmohawk]

I've come to this conclusion I really can't afford those $300+ size to order kilt tweed jackets/waistcoats. So, alternative, to find a nice vintage Harris tweed jacket thru amazon, ebay, and the other sites. Naturally, to convert them into the kilt jackets. So, I can get 3-4 different tweed jackets colors to wear.

What should I look for in the Harris tweed sports coats before I buy it?

[Todd Bradshaw]

While certainly not impossible, it is an awful lot easier to shorten the coat and make the sporran area cut away if the donor jacket has patch pockets (sewn on top, rather than mounted through slits cut in the front). Harris tweed is coarse enough that you can usually free the pocket, move it and reattach it without leaving a visible trace. You can even do a little bit of invisible re-weaving if you have any small holes to deal with. You can usually clearly see on auction listings whether the pockets are sewn on top, or built through slits in the fronts. Inset pockets aren't an absolute deal breaker, but understand that they can complicate the process quite a bit as you figure out how to cover them up.

[Richrail]

I purchased two of my jackets and a thrift/secondhand store and had them converted. The third one I found on clearance and JC Penny's for $15.00. and had it converted.
First I found a black cashmere for $12.00
Burn's Night 2015.jpgKirkin.jpg
Next I found a Camel hair coat for $7.00
Holly and I.jpgWoodland 2015 04-15.jpg
JC Penny Clearance $15.00
Woodland Kirkin' 2015.jpgFB pic.jpg

[Thekiltedmohawk]

Richrail,

How much did you spend on having them converted if I may ask? I was quoted it's about $65 per jacket by a well-reputed and highly-recommended tailor.