Review my attire 2.

[CDNSushi]

The whole purpose of a regimental/club/school tie is to identify the wearer as a member and/or alumnus. It's not supposed to match or blend in with a shirt. See Matt's earlier post.

Think of it like academic regalia. I have heard colleagues complain about their hood & gown colours, but again, the whole point is identification.

T.

Todd, you're right. I understand the rationale. It's just that don't agree with it from the point of view of my own aesthetics. If identification to a group, regiment, club, etc were my prime purpose, I would begin with that item (or items) and build the rest of my look around that. But that's the way my mind works.

[macwilkin]

Todd, you're right. I understand the rationale. It's just that don't agree with it from the point of view of my own aesthetics. If identification to a group, regiment, club, etc were my prime purpose, I would begin with that item (or items) and build the rest of my look around that. But that's the way my mind works.

No worries; I understand where you're coming from. I have several ties from organizations I belong to, & I obviously do not set out intentionally "clash" with my attire when I wear them, but I obviously want them to "pop", as their original purpose -- of course, few people can identify them!

T.

[ctbuchanan]

I'm sorry but I didn't read thru every post, but I wanted to mention how much I think a good stick always adds to a kilted gentleman. I like the entire look, and the stick just makes it all work that much better.

[Mike_Oettle]

Jock Scot wrote: “I have always regarded larger sporrans rather like ‘go faster stripes’ on cars – a sad man's accoutrement for trying to make up for a lack of certain physical attributes.”

To which Nighthawk responded: “<img src="http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/images/smilies/rofl.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Rofl" class="inlineimg" /> I like that!”

Me too!
Regards,
Mike

[auld argonian]

I don't know about the large sporran thing...

I saw a segment on that Tartan TV show (US only, I guess, so you folks in the UK shouldn't wonder) where one of the presenters (who was a rather large man) weent looking for the Loch Ness Monster (yeah, I know...touristy...you can all come over here and we can search for the Sasquatch...although, I think I've seen him drinking at the Duke of Perth, so it won't be much of a search).

Anyway...this fella had a truly capacious Rob Roy type sporran and I thought that it looked great and perfectly functional. I mean, it looked like you could pack all of your necessities AND a couple of sandwiches in this puppy. Just looked like a good option for long days out.

So it's not like some kind of "sporran envy" compensation thing so much as having the extra cargo capacity...

Best

AA

[Jock Scot]

I don't know about the large sporran thing...

I saw a segment on that Tartan TV show (US only, I guess, so you folks in the UK shouldn't wonder) where one of the presenters (who was a rather large man) weent looking for the Loch Ness Monster (yeah, I know...touristy...you can all come over here and we can search for the Sasquatch...although, I think I've seen him drinking at the Duke of Perth, so it won't be much of a search).

Anyway...this fella had a truly capacious Rob Roy type sporran and I thought that it looked great and perfectly functional. I mean, it looked like you could pack all of your necessities AND a couple of sandwiches in this puppy. Just looked like a good option for long days out.

So it's not like some kind of "sporran envy" compensation thing so much as having the extra cargo capacity...

Best

AA

What do you (not you AA necessarily!) need all this sporran capacity for? We over here have wallets--so do you----- put it in the inside pocket of your argyll. We have mobile phones---so do you----- put it in your argyll pocket. We have car keys---so do you----- put them in your other argyll pocket. We wear glasses---so do the rest of the world----- put the glasses and case in the other inside pocket of your argyll. We have a handkerchief-----so do you----how about the breast pocket of the argyll? What in heavens name do you want a large sporran for? Ok we don't have hand guns(sorry mods)---you chaps in the US do,on occasion-----well ok, maybe a large sporran might be needed for that!

We sometimes have sun(yes it has been known)------you chaps have a lot of sun---so shirt sleeves are the need------well this Scot can fit all the above in his sporran(Minus the hand gun!) and a bit more. So I ask again, what do you need all this sporran capacity for?

[auld argonian]

gee...I'll admit that this is Chicago but, really....I'm not packin'! Honest, officer...

Just that I'm not necessarily wearing a kilt jacket all of the time...often it's just a shirt or maybe a sweater so I don't have the pockets. I guarantee that those pockets do get well used when wearing a jacket, though. I do have one of the Stillwater Cargo Sporrans, though and it's usually enough. A lot of it has to do with organization; not having to dig around in the sporran to find your bus pass or pulling out your ringing cell phone and dumping half your stuff on the ground in the process...the cargo sporran helps in that regard.

Best

AA

[Jock Scot]

unnecessary post--now deleted.

[CMcG]

I'm a little late replying to this but here's my two cents.

Jock looks great. His outfit is well coordinated and he carries himself with confidence. Just by looking at it, there even appears to be a lot of "matching" going on. From Jock's explanation, however, we know that he put no effort into trying to match...

When it comes to THCD, this is somewhat of a quandary to me and perhaps to others. Jock's accouterment exemplifies insouciance partly because his wardrobe has been put together over many years. Things go together without him having to agonize over it.

For someone new to the kilt, there are a lot of purchase and dressing decisions to be made. People then invariably post all kinds of things about how to "match." The THCD answer is not to concern oneself with matching but I think that is a dangerous answer for some folks, especially those living in places without a deep kilt "kulture." I think it would be better for a newbie to match than to end up erring on the side of brigadoonery...

In reviewing Jock's attire then, I am trying to observe how things tone together and how his outfit is coordinated. I see that he is only wearing colours that are found in his tartan: blue, green, red, yellow, and black. There are varying shades of these colours (i.e. bonnet, jacket, and tartan contain 3 different greens) but they compliment not clash.

He is also mixing things up so that flashes, hose, shirt, tie, and jacket go with the tartan as opposed to each other; none of them are the same, matching colour. This avoids the so called "tartan sandwich" of hose and shirt matching. There is contrast without conflict and it all comes together around the tartan. Not to make a rule out of this one example, but that could be be a rather good guideline for THCD...

If I really exert myself to find anything to nitpick, I could only say that a man of Jock's stature could pull off a bigger knot on his tie

[Ryan Ross]

Small? I am really not sure about that. As I have said, I have never considered that the sporran was too small. I have always regarded larger sporrans rather like "go faster stripes" on cars--- a sad man's accoutrement for trying to make up for a lack of certain physical attributes.

On the contrary. When I see a larger fellow with a smaller sporran, I'm always reminded of a codpiece*. That's just how it appears to my eyes, and there really is no changing that fact... not that there's anything wrong with codpieces.





*Codpiece- a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers and usually accentuates the genital area. It was held closed by string ties, buttons, or other methods. It was an important item of European clothing in the 15th and 16th centuries.