Which Hat or Nae Hat?

[kingandrew]

I am with Sparky, I always wear a hat outside. I have a large collection of all sorts of hats, from fedoras to cowboy hats to special items like top hats and Tyroleans.

With the kilt, I generally wear a balmoral. I have two: one maroon with matched dicing and toorie and one in black with red toorie and dicing. (It's funny that the "auto-correct" has tried to change "toorie" into "foodie" and "rookie" in the past sentence 3 times). I also have a tam-o-shanter in the same tartan as my kilt that I wear on warmer or more casual occasions. And for running races, I have a tam I made myself out of lightweight cotton fabric in a tartan print, that incorporates a terrycloth sweatband. It is red and black with a bright green toorie I made myself, which is attached with velcro so I can remove it and throw the sweaty hat in the washing machine as needed.

I don't see any problem with wearing any balmoral or tam with your kilt, as it is traditional and practical. The glengarry is traditional, too, but seems less practical as headgear (I have one in Royal Stewart that I inherited from my aunt, but it is too small for me to wear. It looks great on my wife, though.) I've considered wearing a pith helmet in hot, sunny conditions (I am from Florida), as it affords good ventilation and sun protection. But those issues are less important in Scottish weather.

I will also admit that I think the flat tweed "driving cap" or "Sherlock Holmes" deerstalker hats also look fine with a kilt and are certainly traditionally Scottish. I am not sure why Jock finds the flat cap so objectionable, but would welcome being educated on that count. I do agree with Jock that baseball caps are best avoided (this is a general rule for me anyway).

The only hat that seems uniquely military with the kilt is the bearskin-style feather bonnet, which I sincerely doubt anyone is considering wearing outside of a required uniform.