Jacket advice for colorblind person

**OC Richard** · 14th November 22, 07:09 AM

To make the point about charcoal grey tweed being versatile, here's my charcoal jacket & waistcoat with three different kilts, none of them in traditional colours

left: Hunting Stewart "weathered" (Marton Mills tweed tartan)
centre: Drummond of Perth "muted" (House of Edgar)
right: Isle of Skye (Lochcarron)

**Silmakhor** · 14th November 22, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

The surest way to avoid any possibility of colour-clash is to go with a charcoal grey jacket. Black, white, and the entire grey spectrum in between is devoid of colour and therefore can't clash with any kilt...

Thanks for the thoughtful and helpful response that was actually relevant to my queston! I do have some Marton Mills swatches on order and will evaluate them carefully.

My kilt purchases are all tentative at this point, and you bring up a number of helpful considerations

**OC Richard** · 15th November 22, 03:33 AM

Yes you'll really need tweed swatches to see.

Many tweeds have extremely complex colourings. I feel I have just about as good an eye for colour as anybody can have- I'm a professional artist and that's part of my job- and it's frustrating that no matter how I adjust the colours on a photo I've taken of a tweed I can't ever get the image on my computer screen to quite match how the tweed looks in person.

I will say that in comparing swatches to how various tweeds look on various sites I found that Marton Mills' and Lochcarron's own images are as accurate as a photo can be, while USA Kilts' images are quite misleading.

So I got out my swatch of Spirit of Scotland Ancient and first off I'll say that I had forgot how beautiful it is!

When I compared Spirit of Scotland Ancient with the various Marton Mills and Lochcarron tweed samples, no surprise, I found that the tweeds that look best with my various kilts are the same tweeds that look best with SoS.

The real standout of all the tweeds was Marton Mills Plover CGE147. It looks fantastic with every tartan. The colours are incredibly subtle and complex and I've found them impossible to capture in a photo.

On your screen, if it looks grey, or Lovat green, or taupe, or brown, be assured that the actual fabric is none of those things, rather it's a blend of all of those things.

Here it is with Spirit of Scotland. Plover will be my next jacket purchase for sure!

This Marton Mills brown herringbone Dunlin Coffee CHE120 looks great with every tartan I've tried it with. When I showed various tweeds to my band-mates this was everyone's favourite.

It's a beautiful soft muted brown with subtle honey and burgundy overcheck and I don't think it's possible to go wrong with it.

A tweed that comes in third place for me, with every tartan I've tried it with, is Lochcarron Gamekeepers Shetland Jacketing S430. a quite dark rich brown. It works with every tartan but doesn't have quite the effect that the two tweeds above have.

**OC Richard** · 15th November 22, 04:03 AM

You mentioned Black Watch Weathered and I do happen to have photos of a Weathered tartan compared with those same three tweeds.

The tartan is also from Marton Mills, Hunting Stewart Weathered, in tweed.

The jacket tweeds are

left: Marton Mills CHE 120 Dunlin Coffee
centre: Lochcarron S430 Gamekeepers Shetland Jacketing
right: Marton Mills CGE 147 Plover

**Silmakhor** · 15th November 22, 04:13 AM

Yes, even I have noticed that the USAK tartan samples are significantly different from the samples of the same fabrics taken from the mill's websites.

Thanks for taking the time to post these, Richard. To my eyes the Dunlin has just a bit of warmth that the other two lack. That was one of the MM swatches I requested along with the other "Mocha" tweeds. I also prefer the simpler checking on the Dunlin to the Plover.

**OC Richard** · 15th November 22, 05:57 AM

Yes the Dunlin Coffee and the Plover were simply the best at working with everything.

Now, in traditional Highland Dress a pale soft green often called "moss" has always been popular for tweed jackets.

It's similar to Lovat Green but lighter.

Marton Mills has a gorgeous subtle complex moss Heath Coffee CGE 121 that has flecks of green, grey, and tan.

The "coffee" part is the brown overcheck, I reckon.

Here are six tweed swatches, one from Lochcarron, the rest from Marton Mills, with Isle of Skye.

Left side top to bottom:

Lochcarron Gamekeepers Shetland Jacketing S430
MM Heath Bog CGE 158 (reminiscent of feldgrau)
MM Heath Coffee CGE 121 (moss or light Lovat green)

Right side top to bottom:

MM Plover CGE 147
MM Dunlin Coffee CHE 120
MM Lovat & Antique CHE 254 (muted olive green, not entirely unlike US WWI uniforms)

**tripleblessed** · 17th November 22, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Silmakhor

In turn, I don't understand the desire to have only one kilt, just because it's connected to a clan, instead of several that are worn on a regular basis as a regular item of clothing because it's something we enjoy. Just my opinion, no offense intended.

Oddly enough, I own more than one pair of jeans. And have the audacity to have a variety of shirts. Please do not share without need, but I even have in my closet more than one sport coat. But then, I've always been a little weird.

And four kilts, all different tartans, all of which relate to my family and/or life. I do admit to wearing my clergy kilt more than the others.

P.S. Richard, thanks for your constant illustrations of your points. Muchly helpful and appreciated.

**Tomo** · 17th November 22, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Marton Mills has a gorgeous subtle complex moss Heath Coffee CGE 121 that has flecks of green, grey, and tan.

The "coffee" part is the brown overcheck, I reckon.

I have a jacket in this tweed. One of my favourites.

The coffee is indeed the overcheck - MM do various other Heath tweeds - the basic version is without the overcheck.

**OC Richard** · 19th November 22, 05:14 AM

Thanks Tomo!

When I put that swatch against any of my kilts it look super.

Moss has been popular throughout the 20th century for good reason.

It looks great with "modern" red tartans too, and I've seen it paired with such quite often.

Here's the King a while back wearing that colour tweed with Hunting Stewart (ancient).

And famous piper and composer Donald MacLeod, at left.

(Notice both him and John MacLellan, right, are following the oft-stated 1930s advice that hose should "tone with" the jacket, just as Tomo is doing.)

**Silmakhor** · 19th November 22, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by JPS

One thing that I found very helpful is that Marton Mills will let you put together a sample pack. Go through their website, add a few choices to your cart, check out (free of charge), and just about the time you forget you've done that, your samples will arrive. It's easy.

It arrived very quickly! thanks for the tip.