Buying a Kilt :D

[hot_rod29]

If you haven't bought your jackets, waistcoats and whatever accessories yet I found a post that you should check out. HRH Prince Charles has been wearing kilts stylishly for decades, I don't know how much is him and how much is his valet but you could do far worse than to copy his style!
Now I'm going to turn around and agree with wildrover. If you want a sgian don't feel limited to "Scottish" stores. If you find one there, great, but look around. Any somber colored, fixed blade knife with a blade no more than 3-4 inches is fine. If it is nice and sharp or a beautiful blade in its own right then you have even more leeway. I grew up always having a pocket knife and feel naked without one, as evidenced by the many I've had confiscated. There is a lot of history to the "black knife," they're useful and I would err to the side of having it and not needing it than the reverse.
Good luck with your wardrobe.

If your buddy tells you to "check 6" on the radio, you know you're pretty much f**ed! If he says it in a bar... well, it depends on how you play your cards.

[Drum Major]

Colin, anumber of things to note.
1. Kilts are pleated 2 ways. Military kilts and pipeband kilts are pleated 'on the line' ie all the pleats have the same section of the tartan to the crease so that you do not see the tartan at the rear of the kilt. A kilt made for an individual who is not in either of the above organisations is best to have a kilt made 'on the sett' ie when the pleats lay flat they form the tartan the same as the fron panels.
2. If you get a barathea argyle jacket you can wear it for day wear and evening wear if you get it in black. get a matching waistcoat with it. For evening wear a black bow tie with the jacket and waistcoat is acceptable for black tie affairs. During the day you may dispense with the waistcoat and wear a belt. A tweed jacket and waistcoat is daywear only. Lovat green, Lovat blue or a rust colour is acceptable.
3. A black sgian dhu can be worn with day or eveningwear whreas a staghorn handle is only for daywear.
4. A black glengarry (without dicing) goes well with the black barathea. A balmoral matching the green or blue tweed is best, while a navy blue/black balmoral goes with the rust colour jacket. Dicing came from the House of Hanover worn by lowland regiments and should only be worn by military personel or pipeband drummers. Pipers do not wear dicing. The tails of a glengarry hang while those of a balmoral are tied in neat bow and sewn to the back of the balmoral.
Best of luck in your choices.

[wildrover]

If he says it in a bar... well, it depends on how you play your cards.

I'll tell you a story, believe me it's true, a tale you'd best hope...never happens to you! hambeast on yer six, wave off, wave off!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo3D4OCqPXc

1. Kilts are pleated 2 ways. Military kilts and pipeband kilts are pleated 'on the line' ie all the pleats have the same section of the tartan to the crease so that you do not see the tartan at the rear of the kilt. A kilt made for an individual who is not in either of the above organisations is best to have a kilt made 'on the sett' ie when the pleats lay flat they form the tartan the same as the fron panels.

We do take a lot of our kilted cues from military conventions...although IMHO the sett vs stripe choice isn't really so cast in stone. Your kiltmaker should be able to provide a few photographs during the process, of potential pleating schemes, so you can make an informed decision. Some tartans may show the eye-catching effect of one color when the pleats are flat, but show another color when the pleats swing...other tartans may have a very good sett, but lose the beauty of it when pleated to a line.

Dicing came from the House of Hanover worn by lowland regiments and should only be worn by military personel or pipeband...

I'd agree with that 100%.

Back to sgian dubhs...and horn vs other...if you have a handle formed from part of an antler tine, yeah...it'll look less dressy. But...carved, inlaid, or scrimshaw horn or bone would be another matter entirely. I'd like to get a "sgian dubh" (not really a traditional sgian dubh) from Edge Alaska or D'Holder...one of these days when I have the $$$$...for example...


-Sean

[Colin MacBean]

Thanks for all the extra help A lot of that stuff I had failed to research. There are some problems that have been arising... 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... 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

[xman]

Your dad's outfit sounds just fine to me. I would go without any dicing on a highland bonnet, but that's just my choice.

We are set on the argyles over the barathea ...

'Argyle' is a style or cut of jacket whereas 'barathea' is a type of wool cloth used to make various garments including jackets. 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.

[Colin MacBean]

Lol at myself... Yes of course I meant tweed

[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

[Colin MacBean]

Actually, your Dad's outfit sounds killer, definitely not a mishap! sounds like he's setting a good example already, so make sure you're listening to your old man's advice!

My Dad is very cool but... He did say that his balmoral bonnet was a glengarry

He got his outfit from his Dad actually so it is an interesting outfit. Thanks again for all the advice. Appreciate it so much.

[Drum Major]

All the above sounds good advice. It is just a matter of understanding the general rules so you know there is far more flexibility with daywear compared with evening wear. That is where a faux pas is more obvious. There are plenty of sites that give good advice on these rules. Fashion varies where ever you go. Stay close to the rules and you will be fine. There is always room for movement.