ABF tie chain (aka Review my Attire 5)

[CMcG]

It is my great pleasure to present my new Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) regimental tie! The story of how it came into my possession is a bit convoluted, so bear with me. Follow this thread and you might qualify to participate in an ABF tie chain...

In the original Review my Attire thread, Tiny posted an outfit and asked for advice from the rabble. One of the primary criticisms of his style was that it was too "matchy."

Jock Scot posted a response thread called Review my Attire 2 in which he exemplified the epitome of THCD daywear while remaining humble enough to stick his neck out for comments. Jock also wrote "The real point of this thread was to provoke thought and give, some of you, the confidence to perhaps be a little more 'adventurous', or perhaps at least see that there are acceptable alternatives outside your own Non Scots comfort zone."

JSFMACLJR anteed up with Review my Attire 3 and followed Jock in provoking thought about mixing patterns and colours in THCD.

Then Jock Scot came up with a clever idea. He held a small contest for matchy kilt wearers to receive a regimental tie if they agreed to use it in putting together an unmatchy daywear outfit, post pics, and document their experience.

I entered but KFCarter won; his resulting thread is to be found in Review my Attire 4. Someone posted there that perhaps the ABF tie should be turned into a chain. Jock and KFCarter agreed that would be good fun, so they sent me the next ties for being sporting in my loss of the original contest. Thanks to them both for their generosity in assisting me to participate; I'm a student and wouldn't otherwise have had the funding

With the history done, my next post will be about the tie itself and the proposed chain. After that, I'll get on to the pics...

[CMcG]

First of all, proceeds from sale of ABF ties support the Soldier's Charity. You can get them through Smart Turnout.

It is a beautiful silk tie in the regimental style and ideal for anyone who doesn't have an affiliation with a group that has their own tie.

The idea of the chain is that when one receives an ABF tie from a fellow Xmarker, one returns the favour by sending an ABF tie to the next Xmarker. Priority should be given to matchy kilt-wearers looking to be more adventurous with their attire but I think other members of the rabble should also be eligible, if there are insufficient matchy guys to continue the chain.

I'd like to give the right of first refusal to Tiny for having started the original Review my Attire thread. If he does not wish to participate, I'll take the first person who posts their interest on this thread.


Jock Scot's original requirements for participation:

"Here is the deal. This volunteer will have to be known to me as being from the "every thing must match" school of thought -----I know who some of you are-----who has an adventurous streak and is perhaps from the ranks of the newer kilt wearing brigade . He will need a traditional style tartan kilt(box pleats will do), a tattersall shirt, traditional tweed day jacket (waist coat optional), brown/black brogues(wingtips, but NOT ghillie brogues), traditional day sporran, any colour other than white hose and flashes/garter ties.

Apart from the tweed jacket matching with the waist coat, the hose matching with each other, same with the flashes/shoes (perhaps sporran) NOTHING MUST MATCH in a significant way.Think of my pictures, Sandy's pictures and pictures of that style that you may have seen on this website.

When this volunteer has assembled his kit and PM's me his postal address, I will send him a tie(free of charge)and that he must wear it with the above gear, have a picture taken and publish it here with your thoughts on how you look and feel.

The tie will be along traditional Regimental lines and it will be yours to keep. You will not upset any "Old Soldier" by wearing this tie at any time at any place, but the money from the purchase(by me) of this tie will be going to a very worthy cause."

[CMcG]

And now, here is my premier donning of the ABF tie. I was invited to party and the host requested that I wear the kilt. They asked all their guests to dress up nicely, so my first pics aren't in the outfit that Jock specified... those pics will come later.

The hose came with a tweed jacket I purchased on eBay and I hadn't worn them before because the green doesn't match with the green in my kilt. They are, however, the nicest quality hose I own so I decided to wear them. Red flashes because I think they look bright and jaunty. The shirt has a bit of check pattern on it, whereas previously I would have worn a solid colour.



Here is a close up of the ABF tie. You can see that it not only has coloured stripes but also a pattern woven into the fabric itself:


As for my feelings about being less matchy, I really like the tie and how it brings some colour to the top half of my outfit. The pattern on the shirt is subtle enough that it isn't apparent at a distance. I enjoy the fact that the detail of it only shows up at close range. The shade of green in my hose and my kilt doesn't match and is still a bit jarring to my eye though... I'm undecided about bright red flashes.

OK rabble, have at it. Review my attire...

[KFCarter]

Well done, CmcG... looking forward to the pics!!

[JerseyLawyer]

Everything coordinates nicely without matching, in my opinion. In some aspects, it reminds me of the highland regiments - the general shade of the kilt, the hose, the flashes, and the black shoes. But that's just a way to say that it's not jarring at all.

For daywear, you can probably go with an even bolder sort of check on the shirt without difficulty.

Obviously, I'm American, but perhaps a bit of my Scottish genes show through on this - a lovat green jacket, tattersall shirt, striped or crested tie, blue kilt, grey hose, navy flashes, and brown leathers don't match? Pshaw!

[Bog Trotter]

Looking sharp, CMcG.

[KFCarter]

Good start, CMcG,

First of all, you look sharp, so well done.

I do appreciate what you're saying about the shirt's pattern not being apparent at a distance... it works, but I agree with Jersey Lawyer that you could get away with a bolder pattern still.

The different green shades (hose and kilt) might have bothered me a touch in the past, but not so much any more as my adapts. BTW, I think one of the most versatile colors of hose you can have is claret. They can work well with an "unmatched" array of almost any tone, and they also work well, IMHO, for formal wear.

So with this first outfit, I think you put your toe in the water, but let's see you dive in!... I'm looking forward to the "Jock specs" outfit next!

best

Ken

Oh, and red flashes? Yes! Any time I think.

[CMcG]

<snip>
I do appreciate what you're saying about the shirt's pattern not being apparent at a distance... it works, but I agree with Jersey Lawyer that you could get away with a bolder pattern still.

The different green shades (hose and kilt) might have bothered me a touch in the past, but not so much any more as my adapts. BTW, I think one of the most versatile colors of hose you can have is claret. They can work well with an "unmatched" array of almost any tone, and they also work well, IMHO, for formal wear.

So with this first outfit, I think you put your toe in the water, but let's see you dive in!... I'm looking forward to the "Jock specs" outfit next!

Thanks for the encouragement and advice Ken.

As for the shirt, I have managed to acquire a proper tattersall at the thrift shop and will showcase it in the Jock specs outfit. The subtle pattern of the shirt in the pics above seemed more appropriate for a dressier outfit... would something like gingham still have worked, or is that more for daywear?

As for the hose, my eye has yet to adapt and the two different shades of green are still clashing for me. Matching aside, I do appreciate the license to wear my highest quality kilt hose (thick green wool, nice cabling, yellow marl). As I mentioned before, they came with an eBay jacket and I had never worn them because they don't match

Finding a variety of hose colours on a tight budget becomes a bit of a problem though, claret or otherwise. In my price range (i.e. less than $20 including shipping and tax) one finds mostly the dreaded white, but also black, bottle green, lovat green, lovat blue, navy, and maybe brown.

I have black, lovat green, and navy but those all match my tartan! I don't much care for brown... I'm contemplating a pair of lovat blue hose for the Jock specs outfit... but I should probably stick with what I've got and "sock" my money into paying tuition There is always Christmas though...

[KFCarter]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice Ken.

As for the shirt, I have managed to acquire a proper tattersall at the thrift shop and will showcase it in the Jock specs outfit. The subtle pattern of the shirt in the pics above seemed more appropriate for a dressier outfit... would something like gingham still have worked, or is that more for daywear?

As for the hose, my eye has yet to adapt and the two different shades of green are still clashing for me. Matching aside, I do appreciate the license to wear my highest quality kilt hose (thick green wool, nice cabling, yellow marl). As I mentioned before, they came with an eBay jacket and I had never worn them because they don't match

Finding a variety of hose colours on a tight budget becomes a bit of a problem though, claret or otherwise. In my price range (i.e. less than $20 including shipping and tax) one finds mostly the dreaded white, but also black, bottle green, lovat green, lovat blue, navy, and maybe brown.

I have black, lovat green, and navy but those all match my tartan! I don't much care for brown... I'm contemplating a pair of lovat blue hose for the Jock specs outfit... but I should probably stick with what I've got and "sock" my money into paying tuition There is always Christmas though...

I get your drift about the smaller pattern and the dressier look you were going for. I do think that the "less constrained" approach is particularly suited to daywear.

Certainly with the "two greens" issue, I think it's better to be in a totally different color than in two "arguing" shades of the same color... again, why claret is so great... it isn't going to "argue" with most kilt tones, even with red-based tartans IMHO.

Understand you need to "sock" () that money away for the important stuff, but you could start a change jar and empty your pockets (or your sporran!) and the end of the day of whatever has collected there. You'd be surprised how fast you'd accumulate enough for some nice Lewis Hose from the Scottish Tartan Museum Gift Shop

Keep up the good work!

[CMcG]

Well done laddie! The tie looks well on you and unsurprisingly,for me, it fits in with your attire well and I have no doubts whatsoever that the tie will fit in with much of your attire in the future.

The great thing about regimental style ties is that you can choose to, as in your case with the ABF tie, pick out stripe(s) to highlight. In your case you have chosen blue and green(not trying to subconsciously match things are we?) stripe. If you wanted to you could highlight the red and blue by tying the knot in a slightly different place. Versatile these ties.

Thanks Jock As I've never had a regimental tie before, I had never considered that one might pick out stripes to highlight. If I highlighted matching colours, I assure you it was purely by chance!

<snip> I'll accept the challenge to participate in the chain. I've been searching goodwill for jackets to convert and tattersal shirts. The only bit of kit I'll be waiting on will be one jacket to be converted.

Once the jacket is ready I'll PM you to continue the chain and we can get the next member in line.

That's great Tiny. Just let me know when you're ready.

<snip>
Certainly with the "two greens" issue, I think it's better to be in a totally different color than in two "arguing" shades of the same color... again, why claret is so great... it isn't going to "argue" with most kilt tones, even with red-based tartans IMHO.

Understand you need to "sock" () that money away for the important stuff, but you could start a change jar and empty your pockets (or your sporran!) and the end of the day of whatever has collected there. You'd be surprised how fast you'd accumulate enough for some nice Lewis Hose from the Scottish Tartan Museum Gift Shop

Keep up the good work!

Fear not, I already have a change jar going. But I was trying to save for a hand-sewn kilt... upgraded hose will have to take a number and get in line

I agree that claret is a unique enough colour that it probably wouldn't argue with most kilt tones. Can anyone think of other hose colours with similar properties?

Ultimately, I think part of the non-matching thing is to not think about it too much... from that perspective, just picking out my best hose and putting them on is probably better than playing spin the colour wheel...