Tweed kilts

[Jock Scot]

BURN THE HERETIC!

He he, I hope that doesn't come across wrong---my tongue is firmly in cheek, and I mean no offense. Jock --you wear the kilt with pride and style and "gravitas" (hey, that word was in common currency four or five years ago).

I got over thinking that my tastes and preferences were catholic (small C!) a long time ago. How nice that there's a wide range available, of tastes and preferences!

To keep the reply on topic, though, I really do like tweeds. Oh--and Jock, what's your impression of the tartan tweed Matt posted?

Absolutely no offense taken.Before I replied to your post,I took a good look at the tartan tweed that Matt posted and had to think why I dont like it! In all honesty it is a tartan that strikes me as wishy washy---neither fish nor fowl if you like and the feel of tweed is differant.

I was really talking about the more regular non tartan type of tweed that does not excite me,on the kilt front, that is.I wear tweed a lot and have a huge loyalty to it ,but again I want that essential contrast between a tartan kilt,worsted cloth,and what is worn above it, albeit a tweed Argyll and waist coat,PC or whatever.

[Pleater]

My dad always wore a tweed jacket with 'flannels' - plain trousers.

I can get hold of oddments of yarns from Harris - I supose they are leftovers from the weaving. When twisted together to a neutral spirality they are just about soft enough for tough socks, and the colours are sedate but very pleasant.

The yarn, being intended for weaving is twisted far more than knitting yarn, so by putting two strands together and then untwisting so they spiral around eachother it softens the feel and knitting does not skew, which would happen if the yarn was used as it comes.

Harris tweed socks must be rarer than Harris tweed kilt suits - though not for long I hope. The kilts look good, but the suit is something else!! I think that the more adventurous tweeds look just as sharp as tartan for a kilt, but they are dubdued enough to make a really good suit.

I once met a man dressed in tarten trews with all the accessories, the shock was a physical one as he appeared suddenly around a corner in a small town in the south of England - he should have had a man walking in front with a flag or warning sign.

You can have too much tartan, but the tweeds, I think, are far milder - possibly from an older tradition which (I suspect) might just be truer to the concept of the kilt than the Victorian fad for tartans.

I think that tweed material is far more masculine - I supose by association, and I probably will not be making myself a tweed kilt. Some women are 'tweedy', though they usually stomp around in green wellies with a shotgun and flat cap and a skirt belonging to their mother, or even grandmother. The tweed kilt suit though - I could see Steed of the Avengers in a tweed kilt suit.

[Chef]

Oh dear,it looks like I am in the minority.I love tweed,but somehow tweed kilts don't do it for me and most certainly tweed kilt suits seem to lack the essential,to my eyes at least, contrast between a tartan and whatever is worn above it.Just my humble view.

I know what you mean about the contrast. Where we differ is I quite like the look of the patterned tweed kilts. I particularly like the windowpane style. Where we really agree is the contrast issue. I'm not ready for a kilt suit so I can't figure out what I would wear a tweed kilt with. If it's only for casual wear then to me it defeats one of the best parts of a traditional kilt to me, which is that a kilt can be dressed up or down.

[gilmore]

Oh dear,it looks like I am in the minority.I love tweed,but somehow tweed kilts don't do it for me and most certainly tweed kilt suits seem to lack the essential,to my eyes at least, contrast between a tartan and whatever is worn above it.Just my humble view.

I am with you on this. Tweed kilt suits remind me of Chanel suits, often worn by women of a certain age. They both have a kind of all-purpose, sensible sturdiness about them. Not that there is anything wrong with Chanel suits, or kilt suits, or sensible sturdiness, or women of a certain age.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The all matching kilt suit was really popularized by John Brown, but it's always been a part of the Highland dress tradition -- just never as popular as the tartan kilt.

One of the things that I like about the kilt suit is that you can wear the various elements of it separately to create multiple outfits. For instance, the kilt suit that I have, I often wear just the kilt itself causally with a polo shirt or regular button-up shirt. And I specifically chose that tweed pattern because it would look good with many of my other kilts, so I wear the jacket or jacket & vest with my other kilts frequently.

[Jock Scot]

The all matching kilt suit was really popularized by John Brown, but it's always been a part of the Highland dress tradition -- just never as popular as the tartan kilt.

One of the things that I like about the kilt suit is that you can wear the various elements of it separately to create multiple outfits. For instance, the kilt suit that I have, I often wear just the kilt itself causally with a polo shirt or regular button-up shirt. And I specifically chose that tweed pattern because it would look good with many of my other kilts, so I wear the jacket or jacket & vest with my other kilts frequently.

Now those two pictures demostrate precisely the "essential contrast" between tartan and,in this case, a wonderful tweed jacket and waistcoat that I personally require.This effect cannot be obtained with a tweed kilt suit.I respect totally,however, that others may have other ideas on the look that they are trying to acheive.

[TheSp8]

I don't have one yet but I do like the look of the tweeds. Going by what others have said, I need a tweed kilt to hunt in so I look like a gentleman out for a day of shooting. So when I hunt in a tartan kilt I just look like the wild hillbilly I am. Is that right? Great, yet one more thing to add to an already long list.

YMOS,
Tony

[Kid Cossack]

I don't have one yet but I do like the look of the tweeds. Going by what others have said, I need a tweed kilt to hunt in so I look like a gentleman out for a day of shooting. So when I hunt in a tartan kilt I just look like the wild hillbilly I am. Is that right? Great, yet one more thing to add to an already long list.

YMOS,
Tony

In my case it's not so much a matter of "need" as simply "want."

[Bugbear]

This is coming from a blind guy. I like tweeds a lot more than many of the tartans because I can deal with putting tweeds with the other clothing I am wearing. I can't deal with a complicated tartan that has too many colors to keep track of in my mind. I have a wool brown based tweed driving hat and maching tweed shoes and I love putting those with a "plaid" shirt. I would love to wear the same kind of shirt with a tweed kilt, or even better a Newsome tweed box pleated kilt.