Marine Corps League

[cavscout]

All in all the concept works and looks great. Just needs a little refinement.

I'd opt for a wider belt with a kilt. Something between 1-3/4" and 2.5". I noticed in the Marine Corps League web store they have a square waist plate style buckle and belt for the 1-3/4" belts or you could look at Stillwaters belts and Marine Corps buckles.

The jacket does need to be tailored for wear with a kilt. It won't take a lot. Just shorten the length raise the pocket flaps an inch or so and add a sporran cutaway on the front. Several members have done this, as have I, and it can run between $30 and $60. This would turn the jacket into essentially a Crail jacket and give a much nicer look. Standard suit jackets are just too long to be worn with a kilt. The bottom of the jacket should fall just above or right at the widest part of your hips or where the pleats are not sewn down.

Personally, the red in the tartan and the red in the jacket, cover and flashes clash to my eye. Not a big deal but if going for a uniform appearance I think the reds should match. You might have better results with the Leatherneck tartan.

I'd also lean towards a simple black sporran. No need to get one with a bunch of nickel accents on it as it would only clash with the brass and golds in the rest of the uniform (but if you could find a black and gold/brass day sporran go for it.

Kathy Lair sells a K-Bar sgian dubh you could incorporate also.

And as always, these are just my opinions, your mileage may vary.

[thescot]

Well, brother, from one traveling man--and Marine-- to another, I salute your attempts to get a kilted uniform. I might rejoin the League if they approve one.

I would certainly opt for the Leatherneck tartan (designed by Bob Hall, a Marine in Viet Nam) because all the colors are right. I've personally never cared for the red jackets of the League and, hence, never bought one. A regular sport coat style is too long with a kilt, but the evening jacket with a black belt and a USMC buckle would look pretty good. You can find buckles in various locations.

You can get a plain flat sporran and simply add the EGA device to the front which would provide understatement but still look squared away. I wouldn't wear a hair sporran, but a fur evening sporran might work. Still, personally, the plain is best. (PM me if you can't find one. I probably have an extra from a batch of Canadian surplus I bought a while back.)

I would also go with navy blue hose and a more subtle pair of flashes since the red jacket is so . . . RED! Ordinarily, I go with lovat green and red flashes, but with that jacket, I'd have to opt for another color I think.

I'm sure you'll look first rate whatever you end up with. Just be sure to follow the SOP around here and put up a photo. It's a rule.

Semper fi.