My first one

[Moose McLennan]

...
Next thing you recommand is a sporran , but I think that's nothing for me. I don't want to make people beliving I am a scot. ...

A kilt looks fine without a sporran IMHO, and often better. It's a good unfussy working look. I do without mine whenever I can (which is almost always) and wear a vest or carry a small rucksack instead.

M.

[Robin]

Welcome Günter!

That's a good looking kilt (the white stripe at the selfedge is odd though) and you wear it like you're a natural kiltwearer...confident. Very nice!

About wearing a sporran and other kilt accessoires....do as you please, but don't worry about what other people think.
Whatever you do...people will think it's Scottish anyway. Can't blame 'em of course.

I'm Dutch...I live in the Netherlands and I often hear: "oh...look..a Scotsman!" with or without sporran...c'est la vie.

Enjoy!

[MacWage]

A colored bottom edge/sevedge is actually visible in a number of the old portraits of kilted Scots.

It seems to be "extra" decoration through the use of contrasting threads on the sevedge, offering and accent color and a decorative edge that is not "stuck on."

My blackwatch belted plaid (at least the one that will remain a belted plaid), has a yellow edge, about 1/2 inch or so. I tought it was interesting, but was planning to hem it. I mentioned it to an expert that helped me years ago (since lost contact, he moved and I left college). He responded "LEAVE THAT ALONE!!!!" then pointed out that it was MORE ACCURATE, and directed me to look at some reprints of old poartraits. I then noticed (as I never did before) that often the bottom edge of the kilt was DIFFERENT than the rest of the pattern. Often in a contrasting color. On a dark tartan, the edge was light and on a light tartan to was dark, often black.

For example, look at the bottom kilt edge of Lord Mungo Murray's kilt in his protrait (often called simply, "Highland Chieftain") by John Michael Wright.

As seen here:
http://albanach.org/drawstring.htm
Not the starkest contrast, but rather visibly darker then the tartan of the rest of the garb.

Also, not what Matt's point is in the article.

ALWAYS look carefully and thoughtfully at portraits. I am often noticing little things here and there I never noticed before.