Traditional highlandwear outfits are most commonly worn to formal events like weddings and other black tie events. The swing of the pleats, the different colours of tartan and all the accessories make for a much more interesting outfit than a plain suit. While it’s ultimately down to personal preference, as a rule of thumb, a Prince Charlie or Argyll jacket and waistcoat are worn to the most formal occasions. These outfits are also accessorised with a dress sporran. For slightly less formal occasions, tweed jackets and semi-dress sporrans are more appropriate. This doesn’t mean that a tweed jacket can’t be worn to a very formal event like a Burns Supper, but it does give you an idea of what to wear depending on the circumstances. The problem is that this rule only considers formal events and a lot of people would like to wear a kilt to a range of much more casual occasions. So what can you wear with your kilt to dress it down?
If you're going to a casual celebration that isn’t quite ‘suit-appropriate’ but the dress code is smarter than a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, what options do you have if you want to wear a kilt? A ghillie shirt with a day sporran is a safe bet if you want to keep your outfit as traditional as possible. A ghillie shirt is an informal highlandwear option with criss-cross lacing around the neck. It’s relatively lightweight and comfortable which makes it an excellent choice for warmer temperatures.
If you are looking for a way to wear your kilt casually during the colder months, a very stylish choice is to pair it with a wooly jumper and a day sporran. What you wear under your jumper will depend on whether you plan to take it off. A smart dress shirt with no tie would work really well if you do think that your event venue will be warm enough to warrant removing your jumper. The collar will also look great folded over the neckline. If you plan to keep your jumper on throughout the event, then a T-shirt underneath will be your most comfortable option. As for the accessories, this is really down to personal preference. Choosing to wear a jumper with your kilt takes your outfit outside of the usual highlandwear customs and it’s now more in the realm of fashion, than tradition. This means that you can choose to wear or veto any of the normal highlandwear accessories. We would suggest keeping a sporran as part of your outfit as this is a practical item as well as a kilt pin as this helps add a little weight to the apron of your kilt, but the rest you can either include or discard. Get creative with it and forge your very own casual highlandwear style.
Over the past few decades, kilts have definitely broken free from the confines of their traditional roots. With each year that passes, more and more kilts are being featured in fashion publications which is opening new ways for people to wear their kilt. After all, if you’ve bought your kilt you’d want to be able to wear it more than for the occasional wedding. It’s an exciting time for kilts and highlandwear in general, with its popularity showing no signs of slowing down. So with that in mind, why not start to consider how you would choose to wear your kilt casually. At your next event, give it a try and if you don’t own your own kilt, feel free to hire one from us for as little as £40. We can’t wait to see how you style your next look.