Plain Ties

Because tartan against tartan competes. If your kilt, waistcoat or fly plaid already carries the sett, a plain tie in one colour pulled from it gives the outfit somewhere to rest. A plain tie is also the more useful purchase, since it works with a suit as readily as with Highland dress.

A standard tie with a turndown collar for an Argyll jacket and daytime wear. A bow tie with a wing collar for a Prince Charlie in the evening. A cravat as a softer daytime alternative at a wedding. See tartan ties and cravats if you want the sett rather than a solid.

One taken from the sett of your kilt rather than a contrast, and preferably one of the quieter tones rather than the loudest stripe. Black works with everything and is correct for evening. If you are matching a wedding party, agree the colour across the group before anyone orders.

Standard width around three inches. Length matters more than usual, because a kilt waistband sits higher than trousers, so the tie tip should finish at the top of the waistband. A tie cut for a suit often hangs too long over a kilt, which is why buying Highland specific is worth it.

Exactly as any other bow tie, and it is worth learning rather than buying pre-tied, since a hand tied bow sits slightly imperfectly and that is what makes it look right. Practise the week before. A wing collar shirt is what a bow tie needs, not a turndown collar.

It is the easiest way to coordinate a party without matching everything. One tie colour across the group with the groom in a different one is the standard approach, and it works better than varying the kilts. Agree the colour before anyone orders rather than after.