Shirt tucked in or out?

[Tobus]

I'm with Tobus. I always tuck in my shirt with a kilt. An untucked shirt hangs down and not only looks sloppy, but throws off the proportions of the whole outfit, much the same way wearing a normal suit jacket looks wrong with the kilt. The kilt's higher waist really calls for a tucked shirt (and a shorter jacket when you wear one).

I do wear some shirt styles that are designed to be untucked with pants or shorts, such as Hawaiian shirts and bowling shirts. But I never wear these styles with a kilt. The two looks just don't go together, for the same reason I don't wear a kimono with combat boots or a t-shirt with a necktie.

Showing off the kilt belt is another good reason to tuck. For the sort of tactical, outdoors, and working activities these kilts are designed to do, a loose shirt would seem to get in the way.

I think the Utilikilt and its brethren can look very stylish. I even like the t-shirt, and boots look with them. But I would still tuck in the t-shirt.

Andrew

I suppose it must be said that the Utilikilt and many other non-traditional "utility style" kilts are made to be worn down at the pants waist, not the higher natural waist. For someone with a long torso, wearing a shirt that just barely hangs down that far, maybe an untucked shirt wouldn't be a proportional issue. I have a short torso and a higher waist than others (even when I try to wear trousers low on the hips, they ride higher than they seem to on most people), so I just can't seem to get away with an untucked shirt without it hanging down past my buttocks. On the bright side, I never seem to have issues with my shirt coming untucked in the back like a lot of folks, so I guess there's that...

On the subject of Hawaiian and bowling style shirts, it's funny that I never really seemed to take to this style until recently. I blame it on getting older and not tolerating the heat like I used to be able to. I've really come to appreciate a lightweight linen shirt, untucked when wearing shorts, for maximum airflow. I still prefer solid coloured shirts over patterned ones, but it seems that patterned ones are the easiest to find. A floral pattern or leaf pattern isn't too bad with shorts and sandals (love my KEEN sandals!), I suppose, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to wear one of those shirts with any sort of kilt. But a plaid flannel shirt, I'm OK with.

So for the time being, if I'm wearing a Utilikilt, I generally stick to something like this:

[McMurdo]

I always tuck my shirts in, to me it looks sloppy otherwise, I say that for both traditional and non-traditional kilts.

[Taskr]

Put on your U Kilt. Take the shirt you plan to wear, put it on untucked. Look in mirror. Tuck shirt into U Kilt. Look in mirror.
Which one looks better? There ya go.

[6cuda6]

Put on your U Kilt. Take the shirt you plan to wear, put it on untucked. Look in mirror. Tuck shirt into U Kilt. Look in mirror.
Which one looks better? There ya go.

Gotta get a kilt first, then i can try it....lol.

[Jumpmonkey]

I tend to keep it all tucked in, but there are some days, when I just want a bit of leisure in my life, and I'll opt for an untucked t-shirt and a traditional or non-traditional kilt. Don't be afraid to enjoy a bit of comfort when the mood takes you. Life can't be all tucked shirts and vests and the like.

[tripleblessed]

I tend to keep it all tucked in, but there are some days, when I just want a bit of leisure in my life, and I'll opt for an untucked t-shirt and a traditional or non-traditional kilt. Don't be afraid to enjoy a bit of comfort when the mood takes you. Life can't be all tucked shirts and vests and the like.

What he said. Having spent a lot of years building theater sets, lighting them, and/or wandering about them making people wonder why I was cast, I may well focus overmuch on the visual. Though I do find (for me) that the usually rougher fabric of lower garments is less comfortable
on my waist, and I, too, am a big fan of comfort. So I tuck. And since I had to quit working, I have more leisure than funds to deal with it.

[Allan Thomson]

Only ever wear a proper kilt & not a util kilt but would say always tuck with a kilt. Although in my younger days when I was more high waistband concious (was shorter & had a longer kilt which was belted to reach the right above the knee length) than now with a longer shirt and a phillabeg if not wearing a waistcoat I would half tuckthe shirt with a generous overhang and then fold the overhang over, pleat each side then secure my belt over the top to hold the shirt in place making the waistline look not so high.

Had a family which was always forthcoming with advice when not wearing things correctly, but I do not recollect any comments regarding this. The effect I thought was similar to seeing a battledress blouse worn with a phillabeg.

[rmcglew3]

It just looks better, especially if I have a nice belt and buckle... why hide it?

I was wearing my Utilikilt at my professional society chapter meeting with over-the-calf socks. One of the women asked me if it would be a faux pas if I didn't wear long socks. My answer was that you kind of make up your own rules wearing something that less than 1% of men are wearing. She got my point!

[Fedgunner]

I am in the "always tucked" group. I do have a slight blouse where the shirt meets the kilt, but no more that an inch or less. When I wear a sweater (jumper) I pretty much do the same thing by folding under the waist band to the same length as a tucked in shirt.
I wear all my kilts at the "military waist".

[Fedgunner]

Srangely enough, the last few years I have gravitated towards wearing untucked shirts in the summer when I'm wearing shorts. I consider it a function of decreasing tolerance for the Texas heat, and I'm starting to heed the advice of experts who recommend loose-fitting light clothing to avoid heat stroke. A loose linen button-up shirt, untucked, is a great relief in the heat. But I don't have any problem with the visual aesthetic when paired with shorts. If I did it over a kilt, though, it would just look all kinds of wrong to my eye. I can't really explain why.

If I am wearing shorts, my "rules" are reversed. I never tuck in a shirt when wearing shorts.