Hawaiian shirt with an XMTS tartan kilt

[Panache]

For your amusement I offer myself up as the subject for an opinion poll. Today for Tartan day, I and my family visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Now the day was an especially warm one and I paired my XMTS tartan kilt my lovely F-H.C.A.G. had made with with a loose fitting blue based Hawaiian shirt, a traditional Hawaiian necklace, and a Panama hat. The question I put forward to the Rabble is...

...does it all work? If tattersall is OK are there other patterns that are OK with tartan? Vote and comment. If it works...why? If if it doesn't work...why? I think there will be some interesting discussions that will come of this.



Cheers

Jamie

[Liam]

Only if you are in Hawaii.... I got a good chuckle out of this one, but had to vote no!

[davidlpope]

Jamie,

You pull this off well.

No one else could.

David

[OC Richard]

Looks fine to me.

You make a valid point, I think. If you look at late 19th century onward British shooting clothes and gentlemen's country clothes you'll see patterned shirts, ties, jackets, and waistcoats worn with long trousers and plus-fours and these were all worn also with kilts. Who can say whether it was a matter of Highland dress appropriating these non-Highland things, or a matter of co-evolution, or the situation where men owned these things and happened to wear them with trousers and kilts alike.

So it makes sense out here at the Pacific Rim for kiltwearers to wear the shirts (and hats) that they might wear when not in kilts.

Having lived most of my years here in California (having come out from West Virginia in the 1960s) I will note that when I finally visited Hawai'i I was surprised by the number of things that weren't different from California! For sure California and Hawai'i are more alike than California is to West Virginia. These "Aloha shirts" (as they're called in Hawai'i) are very common here- there are men for which they form the bulk (or even the entirety) of their wardrobe.

I've told the story before about the funeral I piped at that when I arrived at the cemetery I saw all the gathered people pulling Hawai'ian shirts out of a big box and putting them on over whatever clothes they were wearing. Having just returned from Maui, and having a gaudy Aloha shirt in my car, I thought "when in Rome" and put it on with my kilts. The people were delighted.

Also the gathered people pulled bright loud random socks out of another box, took off their own shoes and socks, and each put on a mismatching pair of the colourful socks. So dressed, and with the heavenly voice of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole blaring out of a boom-box, the funeral commenced. It turns out that the deceased invariably wore an Aloha shirt and two garish and mismatching socks (sans shoes).

[Father Bill]

Sure as the dickens isn't my thing as most folks here know, but you know on you Jamie . . .

. . . believe it or not, voting "yes!"

Bill+

[Farmer Jones]

The colours are well matched.

[sailortats]

I think that in this instant it works and it works well. The fact that the shirt only contains colors seen in the tartan is what makes it work for me.
And it was hot yesterday, reached 82F here in S.F. and most likely it was hotter at Monterey Bay.

[Tarheel]

There was a comparison of photos during the US Presidential contest between (then V-P) Nixon and Senator Kennedy.
Nixon had a three piece suit when he visited the coast. His statement, "I only feel comfortable in a suit."
J. F. K. was seen in swim suit, deck shoes and polo shirt (with his children). The environment calls for the attire at times.

Jamie nailed the ambiance of a west coast, easy-feeling, day trip. A yes vote from me.