Hat Question...Berets

[Alan H]

I've noticed a couple of guys recently wearing red or black military-style berets and I think they look pretty sharp. They can be had inexpensively hereabouts as well as for under $10 on ebay.

tams and glengarry hats just don't "do it for me"...though that's just me, ya know? If they float your boat, then that's great.

Anybody ever tried a military-style beret with a kilt?

I'm thinking that the XMarks pin would look pretty sharp on a beret.

[David in Maryland]

If I find that I need to wear a hat on my head while wearing a kilt, I typically go with a dark blue beret with my clan badge on the left side where they typically go, or I may wear an Irish style cap I have that look similar to the scaly caps. I go without hats so frequently that I can not justify spending the money on a balmoral. For casual occasions, when I would most likely wear a hat, a balmoral is to fancy for me.

[macwilkin]

I see a lot of fellows wearing berets with kilts, but when you think about it, the beret is very similar to a balmoral anyway, or an Irish caubeen. All have their "roots" in military headgear; the beret from the original headgear of the commandos and paras in the Second World War, and the French Alpine troops, and the glengarry came from the old soft Kilmarnock bonnet of the early 19th century.

I have a plain dark blue balmoral I wear the majority of the time; a diced glengarry for our St. Andrew's Society colour party, and I have been known to wear one of my "scally" hats with my tweed day jacket on occasion.

Cheers,

Todd

[Colin]

I have a black balmormal, but have only worn it once or twice.

[bubba]

I have a tan beret that I wear all the time with my kilts.

[bikercelt1]

I have a Balmoral and a Caubeen but I'm more likely to wear one of my Berets for casual or daily wear. I have pins on my Berets but I only wear a clan badge on my Balmoral or Caubeen, somehow it doesn't seem "kosher" to wear them on a Beret. (The "Xmarks" pin looks great on a Beret though!) I usually stay away from the cheap unlined Berets that you can get at surplus stores, I think they're uncomfortable (itchy) and don't hold a good shape. It takes a bit of wear and fiddling around to get a Beret to adopt a really good shape.

Jamie

[JazzKiltz]

I wear my berets with EVERYTHING and they always look great. I have a couple of black ones like you see anywhere and used to have a beautiful purple one that I got from an army/namy type store in Florence (once while wearing it, I was very "politely" informed that only the most elite of special forces in the Israeli military could wear that colour) and an actual UN "Peacekeeper" blue beret from a friend in the Canadian forces.

One of my favorite hats, actually. I've also been known to wear my porkpie with my kilt as well (kinda like a fedora, but with a shorter crown and a smaller brim).

[Hamish]

I am just not a 'hat' type of guy - no matter what the style, they just don't suit me so I very seldom bother with one. I much prefer to be as free up on top as I am down below!!

Whilst doing my military service I was obliged to wear the beret, but I looked a complete prat in it!!

Traditional Scottish headgear is pretty much considered to be 'costume' nowadays here in the United Kingdom anyway, and is really only seen as part of the uniforms of members of pipe bands.

[bear]

I have a Canadian Forces unissued maroon beret that I wear when I'm not wearing my Irish cap. I sewed on a black leather Bear kilts patch for a crest.
It looks really sharp, particularily with a Maple Leaf tartan kilt.

[Riverkilt]

I found that the Greek fishermen's caps I had, one tan and one navy worked well with my kilts when a Scottish flag pin was added front and center.. who'd have thunk it?

Boonie hats go well for hiking too.

Ron