Panache! (And everybody else) Help me build a wardrobe!

[ForresterModern]

Toad

My simple suggestion is to not generate a list, unless it is of absolute must have items (personal family tartan kilt, swinging 6 badger full mask sporran, etc...) as it will never be long enough or complete enough for ALL occasions.

Start buying things you like, judiciously but without great reserve, and quit when your money runs out, you run out of closet space, your wife leaves you (on second thought that may be an optional effector), or you run out of things to buy that interest you. Sooner or later another occasion will come about that you will find you need something else for, or something will break, or you will decide you need something you already have in another color or tartan, or you will change size (heaven forbid) and have to restart your quest. Maybe you will even design something of your own and have it made by one of our own artisans (by then you will probably be close friends with many of them here on xmarks) or by your own hand.

The important thing is to start-----you will know when it is time to take a break, or even quit. But enjoy the ride.

jeff

[sydnie7]

I must respectfully disagree with FM and lean toward the Panache-style list. OP says he wants to be kilted full-time, which will require some planning rather than a string of "oh I like this" random purchases.

Just this morning before tailoring class began, the teacher was talking about wardrobe planning. Mind that this is for a businesswoman, but the concept is the same -- IIRC, she said something along the lines of two jackets, two vests, three skirts and five blouses could be combined into a month's worth of outfits. I probably have the math wrong, but mix-and-match wardrobe planning is all that got me through, for example, a 10-day business trip to Japan with just the luggage I myself could lug through the airport.

It sounds as if you have some good basics, maybe even some of the items that are in Panache's list. Don't try to recreate that list verbatim, rather use it as guidance when allocating funds. And take note that "funds" starts with FUN so have a good time and be sure to post photos along the way!

[Alan H]

Are you SURE you want to wear kilts every single day? I mean...have you worn a kilt every day for a week, or are you just overcome with enthusiasm by reading this wonderful forum?

I'm dead serious. Panache's basic list is well over six hundred dollars, and it's a well-thought out list. Are you going to run out and drop six hundred dollars on a whim that you might want to wear kilts a whole lot? It would rather "suck" to spend all that money in your bright enthusiasm, and then discover a couple of months later that wearing pants wasn't all THAT bad after all.....after you'd thrown them all away.

[fluter]

Kilts: the suggestion of one wool, one PV is an excellent one.

First plan what tartans you want, even if acquisition is going to take a year or three. If you want to include the rabble in your tartan deliberations, we enjoy that. Just remember there are thousands of us, and we're all opinionated. At the end of the day... you'll still have to decide.


Next, plan for a couple/few pairs of kilt hose to complement those tartans. Whatever colors you get---guess what, they also match your black kilts. Edit: remember that lovat green goes with everything.


Goal 1 is casual? Great. You own shirts -- wear 'em. Other than a plaid, you can wear 'most anything with a tartan kilt. With the solid black kilts, you can wear the plaids and aloha shirts, too.

You own shoes -- wear 'em. Shoes and shirts don't require any special features for kilted wear. As you progress toward a more put-together, less casual look, you may target some nice leather shoes. (You can't go wrong with black!) This will form a natural progression as you think about jackets, waistcoats, and whatever you feel suits your kilted mode of dress.

The BK sporran will serve for every occasion I can foresee in the next year. If you don't have a black leather strap, find one. If you seek out a belt for this purpose, be sure it's no more than an inch wide.

For future reference, you're going to have to consider (or clue us in) how often you get more dressed up. How often do you wear a suit? Sport coat? Necktie? Does a vest appear in your wardrobe? If you're like me, you may be inclined dress up a little more often when you're kilted.

Long term, I'm going to split the difference between sydnie7 and FM. Do have a plan. Don't feel you have to get everything at once, or have 3 sporrans and 2 sgians dhu, a this, a that, and the other thing. Kilt + sporran will get us going.

Allow for serendipity, the development of your style, and random wonderful stuff. One day you may be inspired to commission (let's say) a Thorfinn sporran, with a tartan flap for day wear and a fur flap for evening. That's more in the wonderful line than augmenting your good day sporran with two cheap ones.

I pick on Turpin because he's close by, difficult to offend, and I want one, too---could be a Wyvern, a custom A_Hay!, a scrumptious Ferguson Britt, any number of wonderfuls with whom you couldn't go wrong. Could be one, really spectacular sgian dhu that your grandchildren will treasure. Might be a pair of shoes that cost more than your best suit.

Have a plan, but don't be blinded by it. Strap on a kilt, and enjoy.

[fluter]

Are you SURE you want to wear kilts every single day? ... Panache's basic list is well over six hundred dollars, and it's a well-thought out list.

Excellent point, Alan! However Panache's list covered a black-tie wedding, which we don't have. toadinakilt may not even need a coat-and-tie outfit any time soon.

That excellent point is one reason for taking an incremental approach (while keeping a comprehensive list in view).
Have kilt (check)
have sporran(check)
get some kilt hose and let's party!

Alan wisely implies, too, that it'd be good to kilt up for a solid week, and see how that goes, before dropping too many shekels.

[The Wizard of BC]

The best advice I can give is this simple tip I give to many of my customers.

No matter what level of formality or style you feel like working towards always remember.

You don't have to plan your outfits around the kilt. The Kilt is more than capable of standing on its own.

So, start planning your outfits with what you already have in your closet. If it helps start thinking of your outfits as if you were planning to wear trousers. Pick your shirt Then pick your shoes.

Now add some Kilt hose ($24.00 - $34.00 per pair) to go with your shirt. To hold up your hose pay a visit to your local fabric store and make some garters with velcro and elastic ($2.00 - $5.00).

If you have black shoes then pick up a black wide belt ($60.00 - $90.00) and a black sporran ($40.00 - $100.00) with black strap ($15.00 - $25.00). (Avoid the Traditional style Waistbelt and waistplate until you can afford them. And good wide belt will work.)

If you want a kilt pin then start looking in the jewelry cases at local flea markets and antique shops.

And there you have it. One casual Kilt outfit. No matter what type or color of Kilt you choose you are set.
If I am going to match colors I match my shirt and my hose.
If I am going to wear a Jacket then I will worry about flashes and then match my flashes to my pocket square.

So often when guys begin to wear the Kilt they think that everything must be built around and match the Kilt. I say start with what you already have. Mix and Match what you already have just as you would if you were wearing trousers. Then simply substitute the kilt.
Let the kilt stand on its own.

[Whidbey78]

The Wizard, Fluter and Panache all make excellent points. I agree that the 1 PV and 1 wool combo is good--unless you have a sensitivity to some wools like I do. And it is a VERY good point to work the kilt into what you have--you're not doing some makeover, just adding to your wardrobe and shifting toward more frequent wear of the kilt. Ease into it.

What kilts you buy are up to you, as is all you attire, but I think you're off to a good start already because you're thinking ahead. The thing that got me wasn't buying the kilt, though that's a big chunk of money. It's the "hidden" cost of all the stuff that goes with it. It adds up so fast it's scary. And as sydnie7 said, you can recombine items to fit occasions.

Also, take AlanH's advice to heart. Seriously. Some of us can or will go kilted almost every day(at least after work), some on occasion or special events only, and I'll bet a couple haven't owned pants since Starski and Hutch was on the air. For me it's about 4 days a week, and various gatherings.

I go kilted around town just bummin' and to a lot of events ranging from "wear anything but your birthday suit" to "no tie--no get through door." Since I am far from rich I have been slowly adding to my wardrobe through some creative means. I'd love to have the means to drop $100+ on a pair of hose, twice that on a sporran, 300-400 on a jacket, etc., but I can't. So I save up for my kilts (though I have just started making a kilt for the first time, which will only add to my wardrobe flexibilty for a low cost) and find economical alternatives for other stuff. If you are handy or have friends who are it will help.

As Panache's list stated, some basic oxfords from Target or any other supplier will suffice. Shoes are easy finds, but kilt hose are a deceptively easy prey. After a long search I bought my kilt hose from Hamilton Dry Goods online for about $8 a pair a year ago. They are not the finest, but they're pretty good and will last if your shoes fit well, you roll them up your leg instead of pull, and you use a shoe horn. I bought 3 pairs at that time and they still look good after being worn dozens of times each. Granted, I only wear them for "events" but they still get a lot of wear. Total cost--24 dollars.

I bought 3 cheapo sporrans from an auction site and dismantled one and covered the front in thin white leather, and stitched it back together. Then slid some 1' pieces of chrome tubing cut from an old shower rod over the tops of the tassels to dress them up, and added some "bling" to it in the form of an all silver brooch I found in a second hand store. Good for semi-dress. One sporran was left as is except for adding two pins from my Navy days--it's for casual wear. The third is waiting to get the same treatment as the first, except with fur for dress. Total investment--about 40 bucks.

I have one black and one grey kilt jacket, both modified by me, from a thrift shop. The grey one was my first and is fine for casual wear. The black one could-at a glance- pass for an argyle from any advertiser on this site, except that I used antique finish round buttons and I have yet to put on epauletts, though I have them in a drawer waiting for the right time. The scissors I bought to cut the jackets cost more than the jackets! Total for both jackets was 8 dollars. Thread $2 x 2 spools. Buttons 9 bucks. Two evenings spent on the first one(figuring out what to do) and one evening on the nice one--all by hand, no machine. Total cost...Somewhere between $21 and $25.

A suitable belt can be found anywhere for less than $20 new, just look around. And don't be afraid of the women's department for belts. They wear a lot of wide belts, and strangely, the belts I find there are LONG so unless you're pushing 400 lbs you'll find one. And they have long narrow belts that make awesome sporran straps too. In fact while I was at WallyWorld a few days ago I saw a canvas handbag in the womens department that would make a good practical everyday sporran. I just didn't have much of my allowance left. I must talk to the "boss" about that.

Once you figure out where you want to get (which I believe you have) you have to plot your course and be creative to get past obstacles. Use what you have and get creative with your additions. It will save you money, and frankly I find it a lot more fun to source out a jacket and make it what I want, or have a one of a kind sporran that some would think has to be a pricey custom job than to just order one from the web or a catalog. I take a lot of satisfaction from doing it myself, making it MY thing, and knowing that my supper cost more than my dress jacket.

And for the love of all that is holy, don't blow fifty bucks on flashes! A lot of kiltmakers will give you some scraps of tartan with the kilt if you ask, and a pretty nice set can be made in minutes from whatever quilting squares you find at WalMart, a 25 cent yardsale dress shirt, a napkin stolen from a nice steakhouse (in my defense, it was a beautiful shade of green) an old pillowcase...you get the drift.

And keep an eye on the for-sale section and the vendors threads here...never know what may pop up. Rocky from USAK gave away some kilts once, but I missed it! And he wears the exact same size as me. Don't miss the boat.

Bottom line is that I can be dressed to go to a wedding, a funeral, or any other "dressy" event for well under $100 NOT counting the kilt. Most of that is in the shoes. For daily casual wear, it's no more costly than what the next guy is wearing. And for casual wear, which you said you are most concerned with, almost anything goes, so you're already more than half way there unless you lived in a nudist colony for the last ten years. And even if you want to completely re-vamp your entire wardrobe, you don't have to eat ramen noodles to do it. Get creative, buy carefully, and take care of your stuff so it will last.

And remember that your kilt wardrobe doesn't have to be a separate entity, nor do the levels and type of dress. Sooner or later everything you have now will need replacement. As you pick out new stuff, think about it's versatility and select things that will work for a wide range of situations, styles, etc. For instance I think it's better to have one nice pair of shoes for all dressy events whether I wear a kilt or a suit than to have a pair for this suit and a pair for that jacket and this kilt, and a pair for...

And as any of the full or nearly full time kilt wearers will likely tell you, be patient. They put their extensive collections together over the course of years. And a few may not be as extensive as it first appears...different combinations of the same groups of items again.

Now, I'm going to call my mother and ask her if I've always been this long-winded! Dang.

[toadinakilt]

Haha, you guys are great. I think you've summarized "how to" pretty well in this thread.

For the record, I don't want to wear a kilt every day. Frankly, I like my jeans. They're comfy. But my intent is to able to wear a kilt if and when I feel like it.

Wizard, I especially appreciate your pointing out that shirt/hose are a more important match, instead of bulding everything around the kilt. That explains a lot of pictures I've seen where the kilt seemed the odd color out... yet the outfit looked great.

Whidbey, excellent points on the DYI stuff. This has the potential to either drive my wife nuts (great, he's got ANOTHER project) or make her proud of me for saving money.

Fluter, after reading your post, I'm pretty sure that hose are what I need to get first. Maybe a pair of hiking boots for an alternative look, but like you said, I have kilts, sporran, shoes, and shirts already.

If anybody else has anything to add, awesome! If not, this is pretty much what I was hoping for when I posted originally.

[xman]

And as any of the full or nearly full time kilt wearers will likely tell you, be patient.

This is so painfully true, even to start. It has been about two months since I decided I need a kilt now and it'll still be another month before one, just a casual, does arrive and another few weeks of wearing before I order a traditional wool kilt, several more weeks before it arrives and who knows how long it'll be before I can afford let alone receive the third I really really (no, really) need. I also really need a nice spring weight kilt. *sigh*

As for building a kilt into the existing wardrobe, I am prone to wear tweed jackets about at cooler times and none of my jackets were suitable for conversion. I was able to make a trade though. One can always be creative about getting it all together.

[Whidbey78]

You really called the wife thing man. My wife really digs me in a kilt, but she does get a bit annoyed with the time I put in on fixing up my kit. Now I've started making a kilt and she's kinda miffed! I just try to do it on my own time--which all married men know is a very loosely applied term.