Utilikilts worn formally?

[Zardoz]

I'll preface this by saying I do not own a UK, or any "UK type" contempo kilts,
but reading the first post I was thinking "sure, why not?"
But honestly, after looking at most of the photos that thought changed to "maybe not". As some have noted, I kind of see UKs as chinos/casual slacks equivalent, and while you can wear a nice shirt and tie with chinos, I don't think a tux jacket would work too well.

[masonpiper]

Could not find a pic, but I have one of the pebble gray mockers and do wear it dressed up. It is a more formal fabric that the originals, and lends its self well to being dressed up. I wear black gillies, black or burgundy hose, the kilt, usually a white shirt and tie, sometimes a sweater and I found a gray wool jacket that is waist length or I wear my black Argyll and vest.
Not a suit level of formal, but above the sports coat and slacks, what I call lodge uniform.
Peace all

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Father Bill, I actually was asking for examples of where others had done this and people's impressions of whether it "worked" or not. I will say that some of these work with a dark UK mocker, preferably black, and with a nice jacket, and I can even accept it as black tie formal, although personally, I would be wearing one of my nice wool tanks for that formal an event, as I agree that the material is a bit less formal than the rest of the outfit.

And I recalled that I did dress up a UK mocker in gray a while back for Chinese New Year (daughters are both from China), and thought it looked good, and rather formal. And an interesting mix of heritages.

[Bugbear]

I'll preface this by saying I do not own a UK, or any "UK type" contempo kilts,
but reading the first post I was thinking "sure, why not?"
But honestly, after looking at most of the photos that thought changed to "maybe not". As some have noted, I kind of see UKs as chinos/casual slacks equivalent, and while you can wear a nice shirt and tie with chinos, I don't think a tux jacket would work too well.

I think the material and things like snaps are a major issue; not sure I completely understand the construction of the UK without having one in my hands.

That being said, I am intrigued by the idea of a contemporary type of construction with more elegant materials and closures; canvas or denim studded with snaps isn't quite right in my mind...

[Tobus]

I'll preface this by saying I do not own a UK, or any "UK type" contempo kilts,
but reading the first post I was thinking "sure, why not?"
But honestly, after looking at most of the photos that thought changed to "maybe not". As some have noted, I kind of see UKs as chinos/casual slacks equivalent, and while you can wear a nice shirt and tie with chinos, I don't think a tux jacket would work too well.

I do own a Utilikilt, but I pretty much had the same mental progression as you did as I looked through the pics. I just can't see taking a UK past a certain point in formality. Mainly because, as artificer pointed out, the material simply doesn't suit it.

The good thing about Utilikilts is that they have tried to make various models which are more or less appropriate for different levels of dress. It would be odd, for example, to try to dress up a tan Workman model. But a black Mocker can go further. I'm sorry, though, their tuxedo model just looks bizarre to me.

I think it also bears saying that when one tries to take a modern kilt to the upper levels of formality, one is going to be compared to traditional kilts, whether they intend to or not. Even in the eyes of those who don't know anything about kilts, they will likely have a vague memory of a random image of Sir Sean Connery (or other celebrities) who they have seen dressed formally in a kilt. In terms of "pulling it off", this must be factored in.

One thing that really struck me as I was looking at the photos is that it really destroys the image of "formality" when you wear scrunched hose and show a lot of lower leg. Even if we're trying to completely ignore traditional kilt protocol, it just looks too casual to do that.

[Riverkilt]

Tan Mocker with sweater - preppie look sorta



With Pendleton vest at work.

[Alan H]

I think I'm pretty free-thinking when it comes to this stuff, but I kind of have to agree with the consensus..... what follows is my opinion, only.

A contemporary kilt is sort of like blue jeans or maybe "Dockers". I LOVE my carhart and Levis blue jeans. When I'm not in a kilt, I'm in blue jeans. My X-Kilt and revK digicamo kilt are analogous to this.

But I wouldn't wear a pair of blue jeans to a truly formal, as in black-tie, gig. There's "contemporary dressed-down formal" like kilt + turtleneck or maybe a cool embroidered third-world shirt, possibly even a modified sportcoat with a tie and button down shirt. I'm all for it. But that's about it.

It doesn't mean that you CAN'T wear a kilt like this to black-tie, it just means that I, personally, think it looks kind of funny.

If someone just hates, hates, hates tartan, can't spend multiple hundreds of dollars on a kilt, but want to wear a kilt uber-formal, then maybe they can try something like that Stillwater black shadow "heavyweight" kilt???

[artificer]

It doesn't mean that you CAN'T wear a kilt like this to black-tie, it just means that I, personally, think it looks kind of funny.

If someone just hates, hates, hates tartan, can't spend multiple hundreds of dollars on a kilt, but want to wear a kilt uber-formal, then maybe they can try something like that Stillwater black shadow "heavyweight" kilt???

I agree completely, Alan. If I recall correctly, I think we've seen pix in the past of someone in the shadow tartan dressed to the nines. It looked quite monochromatic, but very cool, in a modern sort of way.

Now I'll have to try to dig it up.

As a place-holder, here's one I just dug up online.

Although I do dislike the black wing collar and lighter "mobster" ruche tie.
ith:

[Catdad]

Tan Mocker with sweater - preppie look sorta



With Pendleton vest at work.

Ron, you look great in any kilt you wear!!!

[Riverkilt]

Ummm, thanks....but I avoid side view pics....my six pack abs turned into a keg....