IDEAL v. BUDGET

[McMurdo]

Would it be overkill for daywear to use Lewis hose or is that strickly eveningwear?

I wear Lewis Hose for day wear often as do I'd say many of us who own them. They would not be overkill at all, having said that they are one option that is readily available that do work with evening wear.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Would it be overkill for daywear to use Lewis hose or is that strickly eveningwear?

Hola amigo! This isn't carved in stone on the face of a cliff somewhere in the Grampians, but generally speaking tartan, argyle, or diced hose are an evening wear item. The exception would be an ultra-formal daytime event-- a levee or coronation come to mind-- for most other "jacket and tie" events held before 6PM solid, dark coloured hose are your best choice. Now this is honestly a fairly recent convention and you will easily find lots of photos taken before WWII of men in civilian attire wearing diced hose, similar to those worn by golfers in "Plus Fours". I personally think this looks rather smart-- buy you'd probably really need to be wearing a jacket and tie to pull it off.

(I have possibly mis-read your post-- by "Lewis hose" were you referring to hose in MacLeod of Lewis tartan?)

[McMurdo]

Matt
Interesting thread. Here is what I'd say

IDEAL

1. The kilt itself.
I'd have to say a handsewn 8 yard kilt in a tartan that has some meaning to the wearer i.e. your clan tartan. From a reputable kilt maker.


2. Shoes, daywear.
Any comfortable dress shoe

3. Shoes, eveningwear.
Kilties Buckle Brogues or Glenfinnian's from MacKenzie Frain

4. Hose, daywear.
A pair of hose that picks up one of the secondary colours of the tartan, good quality for example the Lewis line from Hawick hose House of Chevot.

5. Hose, eveningwear.
Diced or Argyll hose.

6. Sporran, daywear.
L&M Leather day wear sporran, black or brown, or a Ferguson Britt in your choice of fur or leather.

7. Sporran, eveningwear.
L&M Sealskin sporran, or perhaps a Sealskin sporran from Kinloch Anderson

8. Jacket and/or waistcoat, daywear.
Argyll, or Braemar cuff tweed jacket and waistcoat, from Kinloch Anderson, Geoffrey Tailor or Hector Russell

9. Jacket and/or waistcoat, eveningwear.
I'd say a doublet in velvet from a reputable highland wear shop Kinloch Anderson, Geoffrey Tailor etc.

10. (Because it has to be a round number), your one other piece of personal advice.
I'd say try to present a clean professional appearance even when casual, in my experience if you look like you are supposed to wear it'll be easier for others to accept you wearing a kilt.

BUDGET

1. The kilt itself.
I would say this is the one area not to scrimp on, if you get the best quality you can afford it may well last you the rest of your life and become a family heirloom.

2. Shoes, daywear.
A comfortable pair of Dress Shoes. Probably in your closet already.

3. Shoes, eveningwear.
A pair of Ghillie Brogues or Oxfords whichever you prefer.

4. Hose, daywear.
WBerin hose a very good value in a number of colours.

5. Hose, eveningwear.
I'd again say go ahead and get the Lewis hose they will work wonderfully for formal wear.

6. Sporran, daywear.
There are many sporrans out there at a good price for what you are getting I'd suggest checking out ebay if you are really tight, if you can spend $50-$60 I'd say get a Buzz Kidder.

7. Sporran, eveningwear.
My first dress sporran was from Celtic Croft it is the Economy Chromed Cantle Sporran. I gave it to a friend from the forum who needed a dress sporran, but it really is a great starter sporran.


8. Jacket and/or waistcoat, daywear.
Tweed to my mind would be best, however if you are trying to save money why not get not jacket that will do double duty? In this case I'd say a Black Barathea Argyll jacket and waistcoat with silver buttons. These can be found at several highland wear shops, as well as ebay.

9. Jacket and/or waistcoat, eveningwear.
You could use the same Black Barathea Argyll you are using for daywear. It will be more than appropriate for evening wear.

10. (Because it has to be a round number), your one other piece of personal advice.
Same as for day wear.


Another idea is to look through the 1 kilt 10 looks thread it goes from Casual to White Tie with one kilt and different accessories.

[Jock Scot]

There has been some good ideas floated already and I would not argue with any of them. However there is another way of looking at this, it may not be popular in this modern day and age of instant gratification, but if looked at in the long term it will work out the cheapest way. Gentlemen save your pennies ,wait,save more pennies and wait again. Whilst waiting do your homework and then buy the best. Forget all this cutting corners with cut down this or that, forget the 5 yard cost cutting kilt, forget making do, forget the buying of umpteen kilts, umpteen jackets, umpteen kilt pins, umpteen bonnets, umpteen sporrans, umpteen kilt hose and the list goes on. I am not at all sure the sponsors will like me saying this, but they are in business to sell to us all, whatever they can and as much as they can at a given quality that the customer is prepared to afford-------- that is how they make money and there is nothing wrong with that. But for me, I want to look in my wardrobe and see one or two things that may well be expensive, but I know they are the best and will last many years, decades at least. I do not want to see a wardrobe full of whims and fancies that work out even more expensive than I dare think, in the cold light of day!

[dowofbuchanan]

ill make my list later as it is rather late but, unless one of you guys wants to commit a felony theres alot of us regular guys and a few of the mods that aint gettin a seal skin sporran.


edit. somehow the word guys became guess ... guess it is late

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

ill make my list later as it is rather late but, unless one of you guys wants to commit a felony theres alot of us regular guys and a few of the mods that aint gettin a seal skin sporran.


edit. somehow the word guys became guess ... guess it is late

You know, without risking time in the pokey, genuine seal skin sporrans, fully legal to possess, are available on the used market in the USA on a fairly regular basis. Sure, they aren't cheap, but they are there if you look.

[McMurdo]

ill make my list later as it is rather late but, unless one of you guys wants to commit a felony theres alot of us regular guys and a few of the mods that aint gettin a seal skin sporran.


edit. somehow the word guys became guess ... guess it is late

Funny
I thought this was the Ideal for Traditional Highland Wear, as such I answered with Sealskin. You really must remember this is an international forum, some of us are not beholden to the Marine Mammals Act of 1974.

[dowofbuchanan]

Funny
I thought this was the Ideal for Traditional Highland Wear, as such I answered with Sealskin. You really must remember this is an international forum, some of us are not beholden to the Marine Mammals Act of 1974.

im fully aware that it is international, and that you are in canada where the seal trade is alive and well, and that hamish and jock are in the uk where it can be purchased without second thought. i actually pointed it out incase any of the non us posters forgot or wanted to give a suggestion for a sporran choice on the same level as a silver/seal combo. infact the op is a us citizen and would have to get his seal second hand. i dont use the term american ... i dont like it ... after all what continent are canada and mexico on, or brasil for that matter.

[Ancienne Alliance]

McMurdo says that the kilt itself is the one area not to scrimp on, if you get the best quality you can afford it may well last you the rest of your life (...)

Jock Scot recommends that you save your pennies, wait, save more pennies and wait again (...) and then buy the best (…) in the long term it will work out the cheapest way.

I will have to agree with both these gentlemen.

I can well understand the eagerness to go out there kilted and show it off to the face of the world. It’s a fact that you can always sell your cheap sporrans, sgian or kilt pins on @bay and gradually replace them…

But I wouldn’t recommend that with the kilt.

It’s just darn to expensive (and symbolic) to fool around with…

You can ask English Bloke … it is an expensive lesson to learn!

Best,

Robert

[Panache]

Panache was lounging in his library enjoying a gin and tonic and one of the darker works of William Sakekespeare when his butler informed him of a visitor. The young man, obviously distraught, explained he had come for advice. "Certainly dear fellow, please have a seat and explain your problem" said Panache motioning him toward a comfortable chair. The young man said "I need to have a highland outfit for my wedding and my wife wants me to wear a kilt on our honeymoon. I need a formal outfit and a day wear outfit. A rental is not an option and I am on an extremely limited budget"

Panache thought.

"Do you have some skill in sewing? Or have a friend who does?"

The young man nodded.

"I assume that you can manage with dress shirts, bow ties, ties, and such without my aid?"

The young man nodded.


"Then I recommend the following..."


And here is what Panache recommended

1. The kilt

Stillwater Kilts, their Heavyweight Model (let's assume Black Watch tartan) $130

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Sti...Watch%20Tartan

The standard length of 24" might need to be hemmed and a few simple modifications to the underapron and first pleat will make it hang better)

Also purchase a pair of matching tartan flashes from Stillwater for $5 (total $135)

2. Shoes, daywear

Target

Brown simple Oxfords $30 (total $165)

http://www.target.com/Cherokee-Teddy...&searchSize=30

3. Shoes, eveningwear

Target

Black dress shoe $34.99 (total $200)

http://www.target.com/Merona-Ramiro-...&searchSize=30

4. Hose, daywear

USA Kilts Wool blend kilt hose

http://www.usakilts.com/store/cart.p...uct_detail&p=4

2 pairs (bottle green and navy blue) $40 (total $240.00)

5. Hose, eveningwear

From the Scottish tartans Museum Gift Shop 1 pair Lewis Hose (charcoal) $48

Also 1 pair of traditonal garter ties in tartan red $24 (total $312)

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/hose_lewis.htm

6. Sporran, daywear

Buzz Kidder Rob Roy Sporran from USA Kilts $60 (total $372)

http://www.usakilts.com/store/cart.p...t_detail&p=268

7. Sporran, eveningwear

Chrome Cantled Economy Sporran from the Celtic Croft $65 (total $437)

http://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/Highlan...me_cantle.html


8. Jacket and/or waistcoat, daywear

Tweed Jacket conversion (per XMTS instructional threads)

Second hand stores typically have a number of tweed jackets for sale for under $10, including dry cleaning we will put the price at $30 (total $467)

9. Jacket and/or waistcoat, eveningwear

Tail coat and waistcoat conversion (per XMTS instructional threads)

Used from a second hand store or ex rental. Budget $120 including cleaning and buttons (total $587)


10. Belts

From Stillwater Kilts

Brown leather embossed kilt belt $34

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Sti...0with%20Buckle

Black leather embossed kilt belt $34

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Sti...0with%20Buckle

One thin (1/2" wide) plain brown ladies belt for use as a day wear sporran strap, new or second hand $10 (total $665)

Use the chain that comes with the Buzz Kidder sporran for your formal outfit (it will be better quality than the one that will come with the formal sporran) and pick up a simple black sporran strap from Stillwater Kilts for $11 (total $676) for when you use your cantle sporran with your tweed jacket.

Total $ 676 (not including tax)


"Assuming that the tailoring on the kilt and jackets were done well (and that the jackets were well chosen for conversion) the above items allow one to dress well for most occasions.

When finances permit you should purchase

a handsewn kilt (though keeping SWK Black Watch one as it would still be a usefull asset for one's closet).

a black argyll kilt jacket and waistcoat (for occasions where the PC style coatee is too formal and the tweed jacket not formal enough

and good quality fur or leather sporran"

The young man, far less distraught thanked Panache and walked to the door. He stopped and paused there before leaving

"What about the sgian dubh and kilt pin?" he asked

"Surely you must leave something for your bride to gift to you on this special day?" said Panache with a wink.

"Of course" said the young man who then adjourned.

Panache, his work done, resumed reading of kings, ambition, and witchcraft whilst happily sipping his G&T.

Cheers

Jamie :ootd: