Casual kilt jackets?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Once upon a time Kevin Kenny of Empire Canvas was making kilt length shooting jackets for us to sell in our gift shop. They were never quite as popular as I had hoped. We offered them from Harris tweed, they were really well made, and quite a unique item. Alas, he's not able to offer them any longer, but perhaps if you know someone handy with a sewing machine, they can serve as a source of inspiration.

Here's mine:


Another observation, if I may -- if you are looking for something more dressed down than a normal tweed kilt day jacket, I'd say wear any kind of jacket you like. Who cares if it is specially made for the kilt or not? If it's that casual, I wouldn't think it mattered all that much how it was cut, if it was "too long", etc. If it's warm and functional, it's good enough!

On cold mornings at some of the fall Highland Games around here I've seen people in their Barbour jackets, Carhart jackets, windbreakers, Ike jackets, some hip length, some waist length, some with hoods, some without -- in other words, just about anything they had at hand. The point was to be warm, and whatever they had in their closet worked.

[macwilkin]

Too dressy! I'm sorry, but that style of jacket isn't what I meant by "casual". Nobody I know wears jackets like that (i.e. with a lapel) unless they're trying to look nice. It's a great looking jacket, and would definitely be more casual than many other jacket choices, but it's not quite casual enough for what I'm talking about.

That's not entirely correct. A tweed sportcoat is a casual garment. Looking nice and looking casual isn't a contradiction in terms.

And now you know someone who does wear a jacket like that when dressed casually. And I'll bet their others here that you know as well who do.

I second Matt's recommendation for Barbour jackets, by the way.

T.

[ForresterModern]

We used to wear a looser version of something like the Ike jacket years ago that was called a varsity jacket or letterman's jacket, like high school kids wear to attach their sports "letters". Most were wool melton bodies with leather sleeves from the shoulders down, although I have seen them in various solid colors or with the body in one color and the sleeves in another, and personally have had them in leather, suede, mixes of leather and fabric, and in a whol smear of colors. Check your sporting goods stores, or even menswear stores like Menswearhouse or josabank for somewhat dressier melton wool styles. They carry leather aviator/bomber style jackets that are similar.

I also have a grey "navy pea coat" style car coat that is a bit longer and at least partially covers the bum, that works nicely although does at least partially covers the sporran and front aprons as well as most of the fell. Sorry no pictures. But I picked it up for around $20 clearence at an Old Navy store in the spring--like a wool overcoat in half length.

I also have numerous "tech" jackets in technical materials ( water proof soft shells) that are cut in a similar fashion that are just the right length for wearing with kilts when outdoors in the fall, or, with a hefty sweater beneath, frankly for good winter weather use as well. North Face Apex Bionic is one brand in particular, but most upscale winterwear vendors will have other brands like Columbia or even cheaper store brands that are just as functional, and come in a veritable rainbow of colors. They are my choice for colder weather and hiking, etc...

[Spc. Scott]

As Matt said: "anything they had at hand. The point was to be warm, and whatever they had in their closet worked."

This will trump just about everything.

[CMcG]

I'm on the hunt for a kilt jacket that's meant for a casual setting or outdoor activities. Like hiking, barbecueing, etc.

<snip>

Stillwater Kilts makes a kilt cut leather jacket. Something like that would be good for BBQing or causal outdoor things. Maybe not so good for hiking or other active pursuits though...

[Dale Seago]

Stillwater Kilts makes a kilt cut leather jacket. Something like that would be good for BBQing or causal outdoor things. Maybe not so good for hiking or other active pursuits though...

Thought that had been unavailable the last couple of years -- is it back?

I've found a leather "bomber" style jacket to fit the bill nicely, as it's originally a short-waisted military design for seated flight in aircraft. Filson in Seattle have a wool bomber-cut jacket, too: See http://www.filson.com/products/macki...taProduct=aa13

I picked up another leather jacket recently which, while pricey, I find goes very well with the kilt: http://www.territoryahead.com/jump.j...emType=PRODUCT

[Mael Coluim]

I second Matt's recommendation for Barbour jackets, by the way.

T.

Aye, Todd. When the weather turns raw they are the best! I appreciate your recommendation on them from last year and got this at a nice discount at Sierra Trading Company. In fact I'm using it today!

[Tobus]

Once upon a time Kevin Kenny of Empire Canvas was making kilt length shooting jackets for us to sell in our gift shop.

Story of my life... a day late and a dollar short! I like the look of that jacket, Matt. It is more along the lines of the kind of casual I'm envisioning. It's probably still a tad on the delicate side for rough use (tweed would snag on pretty much everything I hike through), but it's certainly got the look I'm thinking of.

Another observation, if I may -- if you are looking for something more dressed down than a normal tweed kilt day jacket, I'd say wear any kind of jacket you like. Who cares if it is specially made for the kilt or not? If it's that casual, I wouldn't think it mattered all that much how it was cut, if it was "too long", etc. If it's warm and functional, it's good enough!

Well, that's kind of what I'm doing now. And I just get annoyed that it interferes with my sporran or falls lower than the fell line of my kilt, limiting the swish of the pleats, etc. It just doesn't look or feel 'right' for wearing with a kilt.

That's not entirely correct. A tweed sportcoat is a casual garment. Looking nice and looking casual isn't a contradiction in terms.

I'm not trying to say that the tweed sportcoat isn't casual. It's just not the kind of casual I had in mind. I don't really know how to explain this. In my area of the world (and with the people I know), a jacket of that style is seen as dressy. I have several tweed sportcoats that I occasionally wear to work with trousers and boots, and when I wear them, people ask me why I'm so dressed up. That's just the way things are around here. So while such a jacket may be seen as very casual in Highland fashion circles, it just isn't seen that way everywhere. I don't know if it's the shoulder pads or the lapels or what it is that gives it that pseudo-dressy look, but it just looks more upscale than I am going for.

I think that sportcoat would look great for hanging out at a Highland Games or other particularly Scottish event, and I do like it! But I think for the purposes I had in mind when I started this thread, it would look more dressy than necessary. I am thinking more along the lines of something I'd wear with a non-collared shirt or sweater or a thermal, along with hiking boots. Maybe even something I'd wear for working on fences or other light-duty work, if that makes sense.

Stillwater Kilts makes a kilt cut leather jacket.

Now that is an interesting jacket. Not really what I had in mind, nor would it be my cup of tea, but it's interesting in that it takes a fairly plain modern jacket and gives it 'kilt styling'. I'm honestly surprised that there aren't more companies offering similar items for the ever-expanding non-traditional kilt market.

Back on the subject of the Ike jacket, I have some questions. I managed to find this page with some pretty fair prices on vintage jackets. What I've noticed, though, is that there seems to be a lot of variation between them. Some seem to have shorter length bodies, or hidden buttons, while others are longer, or have exposed buttons, or look more like dress jackets. If you look at the length of material below the pocket, or the ratio of body to sleeve, there's a huge variation. Why?

Also, I'm confused by the sizes. Many of these are shown as size 34 or 36, which seems awfully small! My chest size is about 38, and usually I have a hard time finding jackets made that small. Is their measuring system different than what I'm used to? In other words, if I would normally wear a 38 short in a modern jacket, what size should I be looking at in one of these jackets?

[macwilkin]

I'm not trying to say that the tweed sportcoat isn't casual. It's just not the kind of casual I had in mind. I don't really know how to explain this. In my area of the world (and with the people I know), a jacket of that style is seen as dressy. I have several tweed sportcoats that I occasionally wear to work with trousers and boots, and when I wear them, people ask me why I'm so dressed up. That's just the way things are around here. So while such a jacket may be seen as very casual in Highland fashion circles, it just isn't seen that way everywhere. I don't know if it's the shoulder pads or the lapels or what it is that gives it that pseudo-dressy look, but it just looks more upscale than I am going for.

I think that sportcoat would look great for hanging out at a Highland Games or other particularly Scottish event, and I do like it! But I think for the purposes I had in mind when I started this thread, it would look more dressy than necessary. I am thinking more along the lines of something I'd wear with a non-collared shirt or sweater or a thermal, along with hiking boots. Maybe even something I'd wear for working on fences or other light-duty work, if that makes sense.

I live "just up the road" from you in SW Missouri, and whilst the general opinion you express about is essentially the same, it still doesn't change the fact that a tweed sportcoat is a casual garment. In the words of one of my favorite poems, The Little Red God:

Wear the garments he likes to wear,
Never dreaming that people stare;

Your second paragraph does help clarify what you're looking for, though. Might I suggest a fleece jacket or sleeveless vest, a la L.L. Bean, Orvis, et. al.?

T.

[CMcG]

Thought that had been unavailable the last couple of years -- is it back?

<snip>

It is apparently back "while supplies last" along with a kilt cut sports sport:
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Sti...ilt%20Jackets/