Flat Caps. No no and thrice no! Suitable hats when wearing your kilt. Discuss

[Kerr the Walker]

Not necessarily; what is the old saying that's oft-repeated around here? In order to break/bend the rules you need to know them first? One can respect something without personally participating in it.

Then sir, you and I are in agreement. Convention says when I wear my flat-cap with a kilt I look like a dufus. But it's my right to look like a dufus as long as I know it

It's like the ol' peanut-butter and scrambled egg sandwich. Convention says that such a combination is gross and disgusting. But conventions be durned! Those things are tasty!

[csbdr]

Of course, one would never wear a cap/hat at a Burns Supper, unless one was the piper.

OK, coming and going, of course

I'm not sure I care for your description of someone wearing the balmoral as a "kilted anachronism" -- or on second thought, perhaps I do, as I would much rather be an "kilted anachronism" then a "fashionista" any day.

I meant no disrespect, of course. However, I do consider myself, as I'm sure we all do, as a bit of an ambassador to the kilted community. As far as I know I am the only man in my town who wears a kilt on a regular basis, certainly out on the town. I don't want to look to the lay public like I'm wearing a costume, despite how wonderful many of these traditonal styles of headgear look on others. It's bad enough having to explain the kilt every 10 minutes! Many on this board choose to wear more traditional headgear, and look great in them! I'm not saying you shouldn't wear them with pride.

Regardless of where you live, if you choose to wear a kilt, which is part of Highland dress, then you should at least be respectful of its conventions -- being an American is not an excuse for being disrespectful, regardless of how many of our countrymen do it overseas or at home.

As I stated, I understand convention and have made an informed choice. I am not using "being an american" as an excuse, nor am I being disrespectful in my choice. I'm sorry, but this is the kind of attitude, along with the title of this thread, which makes this issue so tiresome. Did I not make it PERFECTLY clear what my choices would be, under other circumstances? (such as when dressed more formally, or travelling to Scotland)

Regards,

Todd

[macwilkin]

Of course, one would never wear a cap/hat at a Burns Supper, unless one was the piper.

OK, coming and going, of course

I'm not sure I care for your description of someone wearing the balmoral as a "kilted anachronism" -- or on second thought, perhaps I do, as I would much rather be an "kilted anachronism" then a "fashionista" any day.

I meant no disrespect, of course. However, I do consider myself, as I'm sure we all do, as a bit of an ambassador to the kilted community. As far as I know I am the only man in my town who wears a kilt on a regular basis, certainly out on the town. I don't want to look to the lay public like I'm wearing a costume, despite how wonderful many of these traditonal styles of headgear look on others. It's bad enough having to explain the kilt every 10 minutes! Many on this board choose to wear more traditional headgear, and look great in them! I'm not saying you shouldn't wear them with pride.

Regardless of where you live, if you choose to wear a kilt, which is part of Highland dress, then you should at least be respectful of its conventions -- being an American is not an excuse for being disrespectful, regardless of how many of our countrymen do it overseas or at home.

As I stated, I understand convention and have made an informed choice. I am not using "being an american" as an excuse, nor am I being disrespectful in my choice. I'm sorry, but this is the kind of attitude, along with the title of this thread, which makes this issue so tiresome. Did I not make it PERFECTLY clear what my choices would be, under other circumstances? (such as when dressed more formally, or travelling to Scotland)

Regards,

Todd

csdbr:

My apologies for not being more precise in my comments; In reviewing my post, I certainly didn't make it clear enough that I was referring to you personally. One of your comments about being in New York tripped a trigger in the cranium, and I should have chosen my words better.

Again, Sir, my apologies.

Respectfully,

Todd

[ForresterModern]

Regardless of where you live, if you choose to wear a kilt, which is part of Highland dress, then you should at least be respectful of its conventions -- being an American is not an excuse for being disrespectful*, regardless of how many of our countrymen do it overseas or at home.

Regards,

Todd

*my point being that somehow being an American allows you to do anything you want "just because" you are an American.
__________________

Please go back and re-read my post, or for that matter, the one I just posted a few minutes ago. Nowhere did I say wearing flat caps is "disrespectful"; my comments were directed more that those who somehow think being American is a "get-out-of-goal-free" card" for anything.

Again, I care not a fig if someone wears one or not. I just get tired of the whole "I'm an American, I can do what I want to" line. Apologies if I offended you.

And for the record, I have a baseball cap I wear with my kilt in very casual settings -- the cap in question comes from the Iowa Scottish Pipe band.

T.


No offense taken, and hopefully none taken on your end.

The right to "do what you want to" (your words) is a nearly universal one in the free world, as long as it is within the written laws of the land. Convention or no, people here, there, everywhere will do what they will as long as it is legal and does not infringe on the rights of others, and there is nothing uniquely "American" about that trait. Being American is simply that--being what and who you want. Hey, aside from the Native Americans (who I hold with the utmost respect and reverence), all the rest of us here "on the continent" are transplants to some degree from somewhere else at some time in our family past. So being American is partly being Scottish, partly being German, partly being English, partly being native american Cherokee, and whatever other nationalities are present in our (my) heritage. So the scots part of me may be to blame for some of that "typical American" behavior so often spoken about in other countries. How is that for a turnaround?

[Paul Henry]

I suppose for many of the us the kilt is not primarily an historic garment, that has a fixed look, and some of us of don't see the kilt as a protected species. Over the last few hundred years the style and accoutrements of highland wear has changed.
Todd is happiest wearing his kilt in a way that many of us would think as very traditional,perhaps what would be though of in a relatively formal Victorian style. That is fine for him, just as others will wear flat caps with their kilts.

Neither view is necessarily right or wrong , and I really wish that we wouldn't think that there are definite right and definite wrongs. It's much better to think of guidelines or conventions.

I don't agree that flat hat can never be worn with kilt, some of the photos on the thread seem fine, some don't. but it's the choice of the wearer.I've got a flat hat, but it's ages since I put it on, I doubt if I'd wear it with a kilt, but I wouldn't rule it out either.
I think we have to get over the belief, that the way we think that Scotsmen wear the kilt is the only one, as has oft been said on this board, most Scots wear a kilt only for high days, and few of them would have more than one of two. So already we wear kilts differently, so lets work on enjoying wearing the kilt with whatever accessories we choose, and celebrate our kilt wearing together rather than picking on each other dress code, just a thought...

[csbdr]

csdbr:

My apologies for not being more precise in my comments; In reviewing my post, I certainly didn't make it clear enough that I was referring to you personally. One of your comments about being in New York tripped a trigger in the cranium, and I should have chosen my words better.

Again, Sir, my apologies.

Respectfully,

Todd

Accepted, and mine to you, sir.

[macwilkin]

I suppose for many of the us the kilt is not primarily an historic garment, that has a fixed look, and some of us of don't see the kilt as a protected species. Over the last few hundred years the style and accoutrements of highland wear has changed.
Todd is happiest wearing his kilt in a way that many of us would think as very traditional,perhaps what would be though of in a relatively formal Victorian style. That is fine for him, just as others will wear flat caps with their kilts.

Neither view is necessarily right or wrong , and I really wish that we wouldn't think that there are definite right and definite wrongs. It's much better to think of guidelines or conventions.

I don't agree that flat hat can never be worn with kilt, some of the photos on the thread seem fine, some don't. but it's the choice of the wearer.I've got a flat hat, but it's ages since I put it on, I doubt if I'd wear it with a kilt, but I wouldn't rule it out either.
I think we have to get over the belief, that the way we think that Scotsmen wear the kilt is the only one, as has oft been said on this board, most Scots wear a kilt only for high days, and few of them would have more than one of two. So already we wear kilts differently, so lets work on enjoying wearing the kilt with whatever accessories we choose, and celebrate our kilt wearing together rather than picking on each other dress code, just a thought...

Spot on, Paul. I agree with you 99%, except that I try for a 1940's-60's look myself.

Todd

[Panache]

I do think it is interesting get a clarification on why to our friends on the other side of the pond the flat cap doesn't work with a kilt.

They see it in a historical /sociological context where on our side of pond we view it solely on an aesthetic one.

I think that on an aesthetic level they do work.

Though if we are going to wear them we should tuck away in minds that this is not traditional.

This doesn't mean they don't work and it doesn't mean we can't enjoy them.

Cheers

Jamie

[Jock Scot]

Sorry to disagree with you Jamie, but to my eyes, aesthetically, flat caps look downright awful, when worn with the kilt! Others, obviously think differently!

[pdcorlis]

Wow - 9 pages on flat caps... What a wonderfully delightful way to spend the afternoon!

Please carry on.