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

**NancyMan** · 30th January 09, 09:59 PM

Hats I wear with a kilt: ascot, balmoral, beret, curling tam, flat cap, glengarry, ivy league and newsboy- in solid colours, tweed and tartan, diced or not. Without counting I can say I have between thirty and forty caps. (I have a roughly equivalent number of kilts and smoking pipes.) When I lost my hair I figured it was God's way of saying "Thou shalt wear a hat from now on."

Hats I do not wear with a kilt: ball cap, cowboy, or fedora. (Sadly, I have many fedoras that have collected dust since I took to full time kilt wearing.)

On occasion I have worn a top hat with a kilt but its a difficult look to pull off.

For me clothes are wearable art and I have a great enough range of kilts and accessories to create a completely unique look every time I step out of the door. The hat as well as everything else must contribute to a unified and coordinated style that gets confirmed in the hallway mirror prior to each outing. Heck, I even coordinate the pipe I'm going to be smoking with my evening's ensemble.

Without question, tradition informs my choice in dress, head wear included. But I don't live in the past and my fashion sense compels me to create a contemporary look for here and now.

**Mr. Kilt** · 30th January 09, 11:21 PM

I like flat caps, and I wear one with my various kilts. Mind you, I also like flat 7-Up and Dr. Pepper.

**Southern Breeze** · 30th January 09, 11:26 PM

Lets see, flat caps, Hawaiian shirts and tartan....

**Derek Conley** · 31st January 09, 01:27 AM

12 pages! Wow...

My .02: I like flat caps. I own about... 5 of them now. Some tartan (IOS, Dress Gordon), others not. I've yet to wear them with my kilt, and I wouldn't wear a tartan flatcap with a kilt, but would have no problems wearing the solids (or tweed, if I owned one) with the kilt.

Then again, I'm a heathen and wear baseball caps (always Marine Corps) with my kilt too.

**Larry124** · 31st January 09, 01:28 AM

My own preference is (traditional style) flat cap yes, ball cap never.

**Geoff Withnell** · 31st January 09, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by Derek Conley

12 pages! Wow...

My .02: I like flat caps. I own about... 5 of them now. Some tartan (IOS, Dress Gordon), others not. I've yet to wear them with my kilt, and I wouldn't wear a tartan flatcap with a kilt, but would have no problems wearing the solids (or tweed, if I owned one) with the kilt.

Then again, I'm a heathen and wear baseball caps (always Marine Corps) with my kilt too.

Semper Fi!

I wonder if I'm the only person on the board who wears yarmulkes with their kilts? At least when I'm in synagague

Geoff Withnell

**SteveB** · 31st January 09, 04:41 AM

Derek,
Thanks for reminding me. The Ball cap, I wear with my U.S. Air Force tartan kilt, is either a generic U.S.A.F., or my combat squadron's hat from when I served.
When people ask me about the tartan, I can point to the baseball cap for their answer.

Geoff. - There are others who wear yarmulkes to and in synagague. My church participates with our neighbouring synagague in many ecumenical activities. All of us wear yarmulkes to and in our neighbours house.

**Good Egg** · 31st January 09, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Derek Conley

12 pages! Wow...

My .02: I like flat caps. I own about... 5 of them now. Some tartan (IOS, Dress Gordon), others not. I've yet to wear them with my kilt, and I wouldn't wear a tartan flatcap with a kilt, but would have no problems wearing the solids (or tweed, if I owned one) with the kilt.

Then again, I'm a heathen and wear baseball caps (always Marine Corps) with my kilt too.

I know that they're going to 'hate' me for this but actually it looks fine - probably because it looks as if its the look you intended to achieve. Unfortunately the flat cap wearers look as if they are going for traditional/conventional and have missed the mark.

I'm also afraid that those gentlemen who mentioned that they have worn their flat caps tweed or tartan with kilts in Scotland and received compliments from the natives probably failed to understand the native humour which leans heavily toward irony/sarcasm.

**Jack Daw** · 31st January 09, 12:14 PM

I have 5 touring (flat) caps - three in different herringbone colors, a fourth in a dark-gray flannel wool, and a fifth in oiled cotton for rain. I don't wear them with my kilt.

**Derek Conley** · 31st January 09, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Courtmount

I know that they're going to 'hate' me for this but actually it looks fine - probably because it looks as if its the look you intended to achieve. Unfortunately the flat cap wearers look as if they are going for traditional/conventional and have missed the mark.

Thank you! That day was sort of a "dedication" ensemble, if you will. USMC cap and shirt, Law Enforcement tartan, and my actual work boots I wear on patrol every night. The whole thing was really quite comfortable.

Originally Posted by Courtmount

I'm also afraid that those gentlemen who mentioned that they have worn their flat caps tweed or tartan with kilts in Scotland and received compliments from the natives probably failed to understand the native humour which leans heavily toward irony/sarcasm.

I've been recognizing this sarcasm first-hand with my piping instructor.

Luckily for me my humour runs in the same direction so I can appreciate it, and really... once recognized... is quite refreshing, I find.