Knit Tie

**Sinclare** · 16th June 17, 09:27 AM

Hello! Just curious if anyone wears knit ties with their kilt? It's typically my tie of choice with the kilt as I think it looks quite smart and tends to come in colors that go quite nice with the kilt and jacket/waistcoat. Also, I think the straight bottom of the tie looks very nice, especially when only wearing the jacket and forgoing the waistcoat. I never really cared for club ties, so I find them a nice alternative.

**cck** · 16th June 17, 11:13 AM

I don't have any knit ties but I don't see why you could/should not wear one. Usually I wear a bow tie with my kilts.

**Tobus** · 16th June 17, 12:16 PM

It's not a terribly high resolution photo, but I'm wearing a knit tie in this photo from a few years ago at the Salado TX Highland Games. It's just a plain dark blue knit tie that belonged to my late Grandfather. Unlike all my other ties, I keep this one knotted all the time because that's how my grandfather kept it. It's a full Windsor knot, tied by his hands probably 20 years ago or more, and it gives me a sense of comfort and nostalgia to keep it in the knot that he tied.

I also have several other knit ties that were his, but they are not colours I would wear with my kilts (like turquoise).

**Sinclare** · 16th June 17, 02:15 PM

Very nice! I'm surprised they're not more common

**Tobus** · 16th June 17, 02:44 PM

I think they're probably more common than you'd think, but they're difficult to identify from a distance.

Here's a thread we had on knit ties about 5 years ago. Matt Newsome wears them a lot, and was selling them at one point. It's actually funny reading that thread now, because at the time I hadn't worn one since my childhood in the '80s when they were more popular. There are some very nice examples in that thread, though. I still see them pop up now and again at vintage shops, and try to snap them up when I find them if the colours are decent.

**OC Richard** · 16th June 17, 07:14 PM

What a great photo, Tobus!

Likewise you can't tell that I'm wearing a knit tie here, back in the 1980s.

I was inspired by seeing photos of Highland officers wearing knit ties. Also they had cool collar bars to hold everything in place.

**OC Richard** · 16th June 17, 07:46 PM

(This is where somebody chimes in and says "you ignorant American, Highland officers don't wear knit ties and collar bars!")

I am prepared:

**Jock Scot** · 16th June 17, 08:21 PM

OCR.

The collar bar was also a common civilian fad too, not just in Scotland but throughout the UK. Not sure about the rest of the world? Something that I don't see very often these days, probably due amongst other things, to collar styles changing.

**Liam** · 17th June 17, 09:05 PM

I have a couple of knit ties that I find work well kilts. I find that narrower ties (2.5 - 3 in.) look better with kilts as the kilt is generally worth higher on the body and the kilt jacket is shorter. A wider tie (3.5 in.) tends to look somewhat like a napkin.
Slainte

**OC Richard** · 18th June 17, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Liam

I find that narrower ties (2.5 - 3 in.) look better with kilts

I think you're right there.

Thing is, there's a more or less traditional standard corresponding necktie and jacket lapel width that, even if it's not the current fashion for Saxon suits, never is really out of fashion.

At times the current Saxon suit fashion is narrower, sometimes wider. But the old-school width is always around. Kilt jackets tend to stay around there, and tie width should usually correspond with lapel width.