Help with Leatherneck tartan accessories!

[Recon1342]

Soon (Before years’ end), I shall be commissioning my first traditional kilt. As I served in the US Marines for eight years, the tartan will be Leatherneck (Sometimes called US Marines). On account of still having wee bairns in the household (and the grocer’s bill that comes with them), this kilt is going to have to do-it-all for awhile. Casual accessories do not concern me. Church, however, is a suit and tie affair, every Sunday. I’ve a black suede waistcoat that goes well with everything, a Leatherneck Tartan necktie (plus a couple dozen others in various colors and patterns) and I wear a white shirt.

I’m definitely new to this sartorial scene, so assuming black waistcoat/shoes, white shirt, and leatherneck tartan, what colors would you utilize in accessories like Kilt hose, jacket, tie, sporran, etc.?

I feel a bit overwhelmed, to be honest…

[Jock Scot]

Gosh, you have asked a never ending question! My advice is take it steady with your purchases. I think the expression, “ buy in haste and repent at leisure” needs to be foremost in your mind. With a young family you already know that is important, but it is easy, very easy, with kilt attire to end up with a lot of kilt attire that you wished you hadn’t bought. Hurry slowly!

Ok you have your tartan chosen and it makes a super kilt. So, what next? Hose? Claret might be a thought. Ties? It might not be everyone’s choice to wear a tartan tie with your kilt, so, a stripe of some sort? Shirt? Well white you have and that’s fine for church, but a tattersall pattern may be a consideration too. Shoes? Black polished Oxford style will get you by for almost any event.

So now your mind is starting to work on what I have suggested? Now is the time to study kilt attire pictures, at a guess I suspect that the more traditional route might be where you will start and that’s good as it gives you a foundation from which you will build on and who knows where you will end up?

Two things,I seriously suggest though, is avoid the “ hire shop” look if you can, and try to avoid looking like a refugee from a pantomime. You think I am joking? There is plenty of evidence on the internet to suggest that I am not! Good luck.

As an afterthought, I started a thread recently called “Divorcing Need From Necessity”
In the kilt advice section that may help ? Also read carefully the many interesting threads and the even more interesting posts that this website contains.

[12stones]

Semper Fi from another Marine who also served 8 years. I no longer own a Leatherneck kilt as I got rid of it when I lost weight. Unfortunately, with COVID and recent laziness it would probably fit again now lol. The tartan in my avatar is the Teufel Hunden tartan I designed.

Anyway, my suggestion is to get a nice tweed coat and vest from USA Kilts. This way you can add some variety by adding the vest or not. I know you have a suede waistcoat, but suede isn't really my thing so I'd have a matching vest with my tweed coat. Rocky can help you pick a color and would most likely send images of swatches over the Leatherneck tartan to help you decide. Charcoal or gray or some dark green or blue would probably look great. Sporran and belt would be dark brown for me. Same with shoes: a dark brown brogue. And hose is where you'd be able to really make your changes up so it's not the same outfit every week. I'd also forego the tartan tie.

Looking forward to see what you come up with.

[OC Richard]

I shall be commissioning my first traditional kilt...the tartan will be Leatherneck.

Church is a suit and tie affair.

...Leatherneck Tartan necktie and a white shirt.

I’m assuming black waistcoat/shoes, white shirt, and leatherneck tartan, what colors would you utilize in accessories like Kilt hose, jacket, tie, sporran, etc.?

Of course people can and do wear whatever they want. Be aware that I'm coming from the viewpoint of traditional Highland Dress, so take my advice as being from that quarter.

First, I think it's helpful to understand a bit of background.

In Victorian times Highland Dress had tremendous variety and men mixed various elements in every possible way.

Then after World War One, in the 1920s, our modern "traditional Highland Dress" emerged, and remained pretty much unchanged for the next half-century. Many men, myself included, still dress in that style.

The important thing to understand about this 20th century "traditional Highland Dress" is that it had three main categories:

1) Civilian Day/Outdoor Dress

2) Civilian Evening Dress

3) Military Highland Dress

and the evidence of hundreds of photographs from the c1920-c1970 period show that it was very uncommon for men to mix or confuse these categories. Doing that would be like somebody showing up at a wedding wearing a tuxedo jacket with khaki cargo shorts and flip flops!

Highland Evening Dress is for formal evening events. Evening Dress jackets are worn. Nowadays black Prince Charlies and black Argylls are most common, but traditionally there are a half-dozen different jacket styles and they're not necessarily black. Evening jackets have always been made in dark green, dark blue, and Burgundy/Claret as well as black.

A bow tie would be worn, and an Evening Dress sporran, and traditionally tartan or diced hose and buckled shoes.

But that's not what you seem to be describing. You mention men in suits, not men in tuxedos.

The suit equivalent is Highland Day Dress.

For Day Dress the jackets are traditionally tweed, in a wide variety of colours, the colours most often seen being Lovat green, Lovat blue, moss green, brown, and so forth.

Like with a suit, with a Day jacket a long tie is worn, though rarely tartan. Most often neckties are solid, stripe, or have an all-over pattern. Paisley etc aren't often seen.

Day sporrans, traditionally, are brown leather, with or without fur front. A Day sporran with a fur front is no more "formal" than a plain leather one.

Day hose/socks are traditionally plain and in a colour that matches or harmonises with the jacket, and aren't traditionally black or white.

Day shoes are traditionally plain black leather shoes. Yes, traditionally the leather sporran is brown and the shoes are black.

That's it in a nutshell.

But we don't live in the year 1930, or 1960!!

And Highland Dress has undergone a new transformation, the impact of the Kilt Hire Industry, which began taking off in the 1970s.

A new category of Highland Dress was invented, "semi-Dress" or "semi-formal", with a whole range of new sporrans specifically designed for it. (Well, there wasn't much in the way of "designing" involved; all they did was start making all the traditional brown Day sporrans in black, sometimes sticking portions of Evening sporrans on them.)

Personally I don't consider the Kilt Hire Dress to be traditional Highland Dress, but you should be aware of it, because you'll see it all the time now.

Anyhow if you're interested in the traditional look, for a suit equivalent it would be a tweed vest and/or jacket, long tie, traditional brown Day sporran, plain hose, and plain shoes, an understated and comfortable outfit.

[Recon1342]

Of course people can and do wear whatever they want. Be aware that I'm coming from the viewpoint of traditional Highland Dress, so take my advice as being from that quarter.

First, I think it's helpful to understand a bit of background.

In Victorian times Highland Dress had tremendous variety and men mixed various elements in every possible way.

Then after World War One, in the 1920s, our modern "traditional Highland Dress" emerged, and remained pretty much unchanged for the next half-century. Many men, myself included, still dress in that style.

The important thing to understand about this 20th century "traditional Highland Dress" is that it had three main categories:

1) Civilian Day/Outdoor Dress

2) Civilian Evening Dress

3) Military Highland Dress

and the evidence of hundreds of photographs from the c1920-c1970 period show that it was very uncommon for men to mix or confuse these categories. Doing that would be like somebody showing up at a wedding wearing a tuxedo jacket with khaki cargo shorts and flip flops!

Highland Evening Dress is for formal evening events. Evening Dress jackets are worn. Nowadays black Prince Charlies and black Argylls are most common, but traditionally there are a half-dozen different jacket styles and they're not necessarily black. Evening jackets have always been made in dark green, dark blue, and Burgundy/Claret as well as black.

A bow tie would be worn, and an Evening Dress sporran, and traditionally tartan or diced hose and buckled shoes.

But that's not what you seem to be describing. You mention men in suits, not men in tuxedos.

The suit equivalent is Highland Day Dress.

For Day Dress the jackets are traditionally tweed, in a wide variety of colours, the colours most often seen being Lovat green, Lovat blue, moss green, brown, and so forth.

Like with a suit, with a Day jacket a long tie is worn, though rarely tartan. Most often neckties are solid, stripe, or have an all-over pattern. Paisley etc aren't often seen.

Day sporrans, traditionally, are brown leather, with or without fur front. A Day sporran with a fur front is no more "formal" than a plain leather one.

Day hose/socks are traditionally plain and in a colour that matches or harmonises with the jacket, and aren't traditionally black or white.

Day shoes are traditionally plain black leather shoes. Yes, traditionally the leather sporran is brown and the shoes are black.

That's it in a nutshell.

But we don't live in the year 1930, or 1960!!

And Highland Dress has undergone a new transformation, the impact of the Kilt Hire Industry, which began taking off in the 1970s.

A new category of Highland Dress was invented, "semi-Dress" or "semi-formal", with a whole range of new sporrans specifically designed for it. (Well, there wasn't much in the way of "designing" involved; all they did was start making all the traditional brown Day sporrans in black, sometimes sticking portions of Evening sporrans on them.)

Personally I don't consider the Kilt Hire Dress to be traditional Highland Dress, but you should be aware of it, because you'll see it all the time now.

Anyhow if you're interested in the traditional look, for a suit equivalent it would be a tweed vest and/or jacket, long tie, traditional brown Day sporran, plain hose, and plain shoes, an understated and comfortable outfit.

That seems to be the general consensus, and the overall impression I’ve gotten from the fine folk on this forum. I very much appreciate the help and advice. And yes, the traditional Highland dress, to me, is much more appealing than the “Pipe Band” outfits that seem to be so common in the US.


Even if my ancestors were Scotts, and henceforth lowlanders. (Tongue lodged firmly in cheek for that one, by the way…)

[tky58]

I started kilting about 16 years ago with a Stillwater kilt in Leatherneck. The first few times I wore it was with my Wooly Pully sweater. I then bought other items (sporrans, Prince Charlie, Tweed jacket) as I could afford them. The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem.

YUT!

[McMurdo]

Take a look at the 1kilt 10 looks thread that Panache and I did in 2009, gosh it seems like a lifetime ago, but the advice holds true, and serves to illustrate that there can be a lot done with just one kilt.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-attire-46888/

As for affordable kit, as for sporrans look to OC Richard's excellent post Quality Sporrans for less money

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...s-money-93109/

[Recon1342]

Take a look at the 1kilt 10 looks thread that Panache and I did in 2009, gosh it seems like a lifetime ago, but the advice holds true, and serves to illustrate that there can be a lot done with just one kilt.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-attire-46888/

As for affordable kit, as for sporrans look to OC Richard's excellent post Quality Sporrans for less money

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...s-money-93109/

Thanks, McMurdo! I’ve read the aforementioned threads, and am eternally grateful to all the fine folk here for the wealth of knowledge. I have found a sporran, thanks to Father Bill’s estate sale posts. Black leather day sporran with carved feathers on the flap.

Slowly but surely, I’ll get there. I do have a number of polo shirts, pullovers, and such that can be worn for a more causal look. Next up will be the kilt, probably a Casual Kilt from USA Kilts. After that, I’ll see about saving up the required scratch for a tweed jacket.

I plan on taking my time and being patient. Much like vintage photography equipment (another hobby of mine), rushing is oft ill-advised…

[Sir William]

Soon (Before years’ end), I shall be commissioning my first traditional kilt. As I served in the US Marines for eight years, the tartan will be Leatherneck (Sometimes called US Marines). On account of still having wee bairns in the household (and the grocer’s bill that comes with them), this kilt is going to have to do-it-all for awhile. Casual accessories do not concern me. Church, however, is a suit and tie affair, every Sunday. I’ve a black suede waistcoat that goes well with everything, a Leatherneck Tartan necktie (plus a couple dozen others in various colors and patterns) and I wear a white shirt.

I’m definitely new to this sartorial scene, so assuming black waistcoat/shoes, white shirt, and leatherneck tartan, what colors would you utilize in accessories like Kilt hose, jacket, tie, sporran, etc.?

I feel a bit overwhelmed, to be honest…

Semper Fi!

I wear either red or green hose with my Leatherneck kilt, with yellow or sometimes red garters.

I prefer black leather so plain black shoes (often my old dress shoes - not the Corfams). I wear a black belt with my old brass EGA beltplate (same as worn by DIs, but I got mine from being on the base color guard) which looks great with the Leatherneck kilt. I've a black sporran by Thorfinn, sadly no longer with us, and he made the flap with an piece of fabric from my very old (ca. 1970) Greens, on which he attached my USMC jump wings. But if you like brown, or want to mix and match, go for it.

If I wear a tie, which is rare anymore, I either wear one in the Leatherneck tartan or with small EGA emblems on it, though at a recent funeral I wore a black tie and kilt jacket.

Casual is actually much easier than dressing for church. You can wear a polo/golf shirt, button shirt or t-shirt of your choice. Color doesn't really matter - I've worn red, green, blue, khaki/tan/oatmeal, white, black, tattersall as the mood strikes. Same for the hose and garters - whatever you have (just avoid white).

[Riverkilt]

And, there's always the simple classic leather A2 jacket....



Or one of the many wool jackets available.