Hose color help

[Joe Gondek]

I have two kilts
one in the tartan that is on my Avatar and the other in Blackwatch,Modern

What color hose should I wear with my X-Marks T-Shirt with either of them?
I don't have a pair in navy blue but I do have them in Black,oatmeal,cream and Lovett blue

Is cream or oatmeal the way to go If you don't match your shirt?
or do match your kilt if you can't match the shirt?

[Rampant Lion]

I went to a highland games near here this past weekend and I wore hose that matched the green(second most prominent colour next to red) in my kilt and it looked fine. I've seen a lot of people that wear hose that matches one of the secondary colours in their kilt; looks good.

If your blue hose matches the blue in your avatar tartan wear those. With the Black Watch tartan you might want to go with the black hose.

I'd say match either your hose to your shirt or to one of the colours in your kilt.

[Andrew Green]

I have heard a lot of guys wear oatmeal coloured hose. I guess it's just a very neutral colour. I haven't seen any in person, but it seems like a good way to go. Just coordinate well, and you should have no worries.
Black and off white just seem like natural choices to me, since they will go with about everything.
Take this with a grain of salt though, as I am still waiting for my kilt hose to arrive in the mail. Right now I am making do with low top boots, and pushed down socks

[Bob C]

Your lovat blue hose should look great with the tartan in your avatar.

I would not wear the oatmeal ones unless they match a color in your kilt or match your shirt. I bought a pair, mostly because of the opinions on this board, and found that they only look good with one of my shirts.

[Scott Gilmore]

Oatmeal hose works well for casual wear. You could use them for evening (but probably not formal) wear under just the right circumstances. I think it would depend on how you put it together.

White hose are generally best for more formal occasions. I have a pair I use only rarely.

In the snapshot below, I had worn my kilt (Morrison green, modern) to work for the first time, and I purposely dressed formally enough that no one could criticize it as too informal. On the other hand, I certainly didn't want to look like I was getting married. I left my sporran at home - didn't need it anyway - and the pen in the work shirt breast pocket was just the touch.

Rather than wear pure white hose, I wore blue wool hose that complimented the rich cobalt blue in the undercheck of the kilt. I capped it off with a navy blue wool tie. (Sorry, this isn't a very good picture. The hose were blue, not black. The image below is a better illustration of the tartan used for the kilt.)

This was, in my opinion, tasteful business formal, and it worked. Everyone from the clerical staff to the Director had positive things to say.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

[pdcorlis]

Looks like you've had plenty of good advice here and Scott - as usual - you look sharp in both photos. My only concern with navy or black hose is looking too "bottom heavy" if that makes any sense. If I could only have three choices for hose color they would be oatmeal, lovat blue, and lovat green - they tend to work well with lots of tartans.

[efer]

Hi Joe,

When wearing your Xmarks t-shirt with either kilt/tartan, you can wear the cream color hose. Maybe add a splash of color with flashes.

Is cream or oatmeal the way to go If you don't match your shirt or do match your kilt if you can't match the shirt?

Depends...matching the kilt colors is always a good option. Try a few experiments and see what you like.

Maybe take a few pics and post them to XMarks. We love to see kilts and you always get good advice

[Hamish]

Looks like you've had plenty of good advice here and Scott - as usual - you look sharp in both photos. My only concern with navy or black hose is looking too "bottom heavy" if that makes any sense. If I could only have three choices for hose color they would be oatmeal, lovat blue, and lovat green - they tend to work well with lots of tartans.

I agree with all you say here, Phil, and "bottom heavy" is just how I would describe Scott's office ensemble. I am not being rude here, Scott, it is just exactly what I immediately thought on seeing your photo.

When I were a lad, the Lovats (blue and Green) and oatmeal were the only colours the average kilt-wearer could find. Tartan and diced hose was out there but only for the most formal wear - as is right to this day. In your position, I think I would still have opted for oatmeal hose for the office, but I can see where you are coming from and I commend you for choosing what you did. Do try the oatmeal another time you wear that kilt to the office, even with a white shirt, but avoid white/cream hose at all costs or it might be thought that you're off to a wedding straight from work!! By the way, your choices in the top photo are just perfect - you look a million dollars there!

[Justaguy]

Apparently, you should wear pink, like a real man.

[Joe Gondek]

Thanks for all the advice,

Lovat blue goes well with the Muir tartan(my avatar)
I'll try it with the navy X-marks tonight

When wearing your Xmarks t-shirt with either kilt/tartan, you can wear the cream color hose. Maybe add a splash of color with flashes

I'll also give the oatmeal with lovat blue flashes a try

avoid white/cream hose at all costs or it might be thought that you're off to a wedding straight from work!!

Thanks fgor the tip Hamish I wasn't aware of that