Yikes!...what color hose??

[OC Richard]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"] I have an Irish National kilt and have worn black and white hose with it. However, I'd like to have input on another color. Any suggestions? I was thinking of bottle green...

Also, I have an Isle of Skye kilt coming... I was thinking of hose color, either light green or purple.

There's a strange visual phenomenon that happens sometimes when hose are a colour that's the same as, or close to, one of the major colours in the tartan: the hose colour sucks the colour right out of the tartan, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of the tartan.

I've seen many Pipe Bands choosing hose that do that.

And it doesn't necessarily have to actually be one of the colours present in the kilt, to have this ruinous effect. Our band wears muted Drummond of Perth kilts, and used to wear white hose and shirts and black waistcoats. It was part of that trend so common in the 1990's when most bands made everything in the uniform except the kilt white or black, which allowed the colours of the tartan to really sing out.
Anyhow, a couple years ago we switched to mid-grey hose and light grey shirts and the intensity of the tartan was diminished. It seems that a section of the tartan which is made up of several colours, all of which are seen to good effect with the white hose, at distance just blend into a muddy grey zone with the grey hose.

Here's Isle of Skye worn with black hose... notice how all the lovely colours of the tartan are seen to good effect:



Here's a band using Lovat Green hose.



To my eye, in the lower photo the tartan, the bandsmen's lower legs, and the overall look of the band look visually weaker. Though, the effect is subtle. With our band the effect is much stronger; I'll try to find photos.