TOP TIPS to avoid coming a kilt cropper

"I've seen people wearing kilts back to front, too long, too short and even one gentleman with the sporran around his neck!" says Ambrose Moore. "Nothing looks smarter than a kilt worn correctly - wear it the wrong way, however, and you'll end up a laughing stock."

So just to make sure you get it right, here is Amrose's simple guide to looking a cracker in the kilt:

1. Put on your shirt, tie, socks, shoes, flashes and sgian dubh before you put on your kilt. Then put on your sporran with the jacket going on last.

2. The pleats should be to the back of your kilt and it should sit well up on your body - approximately 2 inches above the waist.

3. Your kilt should never touch your socks. Ideally it should come to the top of your knee - ignore the old wives' tale that it should touch the floor when you kneel down.

4. Your socks should NOT be pulled right up to the knee but should be approximately 2-3 finger widths below the bottom of the knee cap.

5. When wearing ghillie brogues for a formal function or a wedding, the laces should be tied as follows: start off in the usual way by crossing the two laces and pulling tight. Twist the laces three times and pull tight again to create a vertical thong of about one inch. Pass the laces around the back of your ankle, leaving the remaining lace and toggle to dangle.

6. Your sporran should be centred to the front of your kilt with the chain strap through the loops at the back of the kilt.

7. Your jacket dictates the sporran you choose. The Prince Charlie jacket should be worn with a full evening sporran.

8. Cream socks should be worn with an evening or wedding outfit - coloured socks are for more informal occasions.

9. Flashes should be worn to the outside of your leg, bringing the sock turnover down to cover half the double loop of the flash.

10. The sgian dubh is normally worn down the right side of the sock, although strictly speaking a left-handed person could wear his down the left side. The translation of sgian dubh is 'hidden knife' and that's what it should be - only the top inch should be showing above your socks.

11.The only tartan you should wear should be the kilt - forget about tartan bow-ties and socks.

12. The time of day that you marry dictates whether you should wear a tie or a bow-tie. For weddings before 12 noon, you would generally wear a silver grey tie; after 3pm etiquette dictates that a bow-tie should be worn.

13. You should wear a kilt pin on all occasions. It should be pinned only through the front apron of the kilt and is for decoration only.