Brown with Traditional Argyll

[COScotsman]

This question was banned on social media. Why? I have no clue so I'll ask here:

I will be attending, as are many of you in your area, our society's Burn Nicht supper. I recently received my Weather MacMillan kilt. Due to the palate, brown seems to go best with it. My question is this: Can one don a black Argyll jacket with mostly brown color in kilt and accessories? I understand that the "matchy" issue is predominately this side of the pond but still curious in traditional kilting.

[Father Bill]

Tartan is tartan. Any tartan is considered correct with any other kit.

[Tobus]

I agree with Father Bill. A black Argyll jacket goes with a kilt of any tartan, full stop.

Now, mixing other daywear accoutrements of an earthy/tweedy nature might look odd with a black Argyll, so one might tread with caution there. For instance, a tattersall shirt and brown sporran with brown shoes would be questionable with a black Argyll. But the kilt? It is the mainstay.

[OC Richard]

I think weathered tartans look great with Evening Dress.

One of the loveliest Highland outfits I've ever seen was a full outfit, kilt and bias-cut Sheriffmuir doublet and waistcoat, all in a matching Weathered tartan. I don't remember the tartan but it was one of the blue/green/black tartans like Black Watch or MacKay, one without bright overstripes.

It's true that when "reproduction" colours were introduced around 1949 by DC Dalgliesh the Highland Dress world initially wasn't quite sure where they fit in.

In Victorian times tartans were tartans and they were worn in all modes of Highland Dress.

Then around 1900 the "vegetable colourings" (later dubbed "ancient colours") were invented and straightaway kilts in these lighter, softer colours were accepted, like the existing colours, for all modes of dress.

And so things stayed until Dalgliesh invented their "reproduction" scheme.

With "modern" and "ancient' (and indeed the more recent "muted") colour-schemes green is green and blue is blue, but now with "reproduction" colours green was brown and blue was grey, a radical departure.

At some point Lochcarron copied Dalgliesh's "reproduction" scheme, dubbing it "weathered".

What I've seen since I started kiltwearing in 1975 is a tendency for men to use "weathered' kilts in Day Dress, often creating Earth-tone or even entirely brown outfits.

Yet there's no reason not to treat "weathered" colours like any others, and wear them with any mode of dress.

[OC Richard]

BTW due to films like Braveheart and television series like Outlander using Dalgleish's "reproduction" colour-scheme to represent early Highland Dress, it seems like most of the General Public thinks that ancient and 18th-century tartans were like that.

In Outlander it's an anachronism of over 200 years, just as jarring to the tartan-watcher as seeing a television set in one of the Outlander homes, or seeing someone drive a 1940's automobile.

Here's MacKay in reproduction/weathered colours and the basic Outlander tartan.

[McMurdo]

I think it can be done well. Here are a couple of examples, using the black argyll in a couple of different levels of formalities, with the Scottish Wildcat Tartan.

[Jock Scot]

This question was banned on social media. Why? I have no clue so I'll ask here:

I will be attending, as are many of you in your area, our society's Burn Nicht supper. I recently received my Weather MacMillan kilt. Due to the palate, brown seems to go best with it. My question is this: Can oqne don a black Argyll jacket with mostly brown color in kilt and accessories? I understand that the "matchy" issue is predominately this side of the pond but still curious in traditional kilting.

As a Burns night celebration is usually not really a terribly formal event for most, ( the word “supper” gives a good guide that the event is not to be formal. Smart maybe, but no need for formal, black tie, attire.)then I see no reason not to wear the rather "discreet" weathered tartan with a black argyll. Personally, I think more flamboyant tartan hues for the rather more important formal events would still be, for most, a better choice though.

[Jock Scot]

Oooops, sorry. Dual post , now deleted.

[OC Richard]

A Burns night celebration is usually not really a terribly formal event for most; the word “supper” gives a good guide that the event is not to be formal. Smart maybe, but no need for formal, black tie, attire...

Yes indeed, the Burns supper I've piped at for many years is like that: people are smart, but not Formal. The only kilts to be seen are the organiser's and mine; the other gents are in slacks and nice jumpers etc (no suits or ties are seen).

However at the other Burns suppers I've piped at, the men appear to have a "if you got it, wear it" ethos, and there's a sea of matching black Prince Charlie coatees, black ties, and oftentimes dirks and plaids.

Evidently each man is required to wear at least seven pins (cap-badges, kilt-pins, and lapel-pins all count towards that total; what a man lacks in one, he will compensate for with another).

[Father Bill]

Evidently each man is required to wear at least seven pins (cap-badges, kilt-pins, and lapel-pins all count towards that total; what a man lacks in one, he will compensate for with another).

........ 😳