Buying a Kilt :D

[wildrover]

My Dad already has a very mishap of an outfit. Balmoral with dicing and no bow tie... Argyle tweed in lovat blue... silver sgian dubh...

Actually, your Dad's outfit sounds killer, definitely not a mishap! It's easy to mis-apply "The Rules"...or to make the assumption that "The Rules" are set in stone rather than being (Captain Barbossa voice) "Gooooiiiideloooooinnnes".

Following the guidelines will keep you looking sharp until you're ready to set off doing your own thing...or as I've heard it put many times over the years, "know the rules...that way, you know when to break them."

Jock's latest (I think) Balmoral has a subdued dicing that looks great, if I remember correctly. It's a sort of heather green and khaki, rather than the VERY bright red/white dicing that you'll often see worn by pipe bands and in military uniforms. If you want a hat, and you want dicing, consider that alternative.

There is a long, much amended, set of guidelines floating around for evening dress, and you'll find MoR, Jock, and others weighing in with good advice. Rather than go for the PC etc...or the black jacket in general...Start with the tweed...you'll get the most mileage from it. A guy with a tweed jacket and vest can go from morning to evening with one shirt, and fit in perfectly well. Maybe you'll not fit with a room full of penguin suits, but unless you're often in the company of James Bond, you'll get far more mileage from a good tweed jacket and vest. For example...Sunday church, semi-dressed up? Just the shirt & belt. Brunch? Lose the belt, add the vest. Late lunch? Hold. Dinner, pub? Lose the vest and shirt, grab your favorite Dropkick Murphys t-shirt and your flat cap . Dinner, dressy? Add the jacket. Opera? Add the jacket, and a fur or horsehair sporran...or just keep your hunting sporran on, and add the jacket. Your Dad has those options available with the Lovat Blue tweed...sounds like he's setting a good example already, so make sure you're listening to your old man's advice!

By the way, the above scenario is pretty similar to what I'd do with "nice" jeans, boots, a sport shirt and sport coat...minor changes in how the outfit is worn can really change the formality of it, even in jeans and cowboy boots. Take a similar tack with your kilt as you do with your other clothing, and you'll be fine.

So at some level do we try to match to a certain extent or just forget about everything? We are set on the argyles over the barathea but there are still differences that can arise. All your comments though are duly noted and greatly appreciated

Do you want to look exactly like your Dad? Nothing wrong with that, nor with looking different...but make that decision. His kit sounds good, and you could do far worse than matching...but personally, I would avoid matching more than the tartan, or you'll look cookie-cutter. Find an outfit, a look, that you can see yourself wearing...and modify what you need to, in order to match your Dad's level of formality, rather than simply match exactly what he is wearing.

I assume you mean that you are preferring coloured tweeds over black barathea for your argyll jacket and unless you plan on attending more formal function than otherwise I'd say you have made a wise choice.

I wouldn't worry about matching your family up. Since the tartan and cut of your jackets will all be similar if not identical, why not express your individuality in the finer details like which colour and type of tweed your jacket will be and which kilt pin you will use.

Excellent advice.

-Sean