Summer rugged outdoor wear: awesome or blasphemous?

[haukehaien]

It looks fine, although I agree with Panache that the diced hose tops look too formal. I'd replace them with some of What Price Glory's khaki/dark green hose tops, which would (I think) look more appropriate while having the same functionality.

[Tobus]

It looks fine, although I agree with Panache that the diced hose tops look too formal. I'd replace them with some of What Price Glory's khaki/dark green hose tops, which would (I think) look more appropriate while having the same functionality.

It's curious that some of you guys think of diced hose tops as formal only. I do agree that if we were talking full hose, worn civilian-style with low-cut shoes, diced hose are best left for formal wear. But these are military hose tops, worn with leggings in a similar style to spats. There's nothing formal about that. Heck, men used to march into battle wearing spats and diced hose. And considering the nature of hose tops (which have no foot on them), these can only be worn with spats, which IMHO give them a decidedly outdoorsy look. They are not designed for formal wear; the closest they could come to formal wear is a military dress uniform.

Does the general kilt-wearing world not make an exception for diced hose tops worn with leggings/spats, given their long history of military service? If not, then should they?

Now, I can certainly understand ThistleDown's "costumey" remark, considering a recent discussion which revealed that many of the native Scots shy away from diced hose due to associations with corny musical acts of yesteryear. I can even understand it being "costumey" in the sense that it's loosely emulating a military style when I am obviously not in a Highland Regiment. I very much expected that reaction, though I was hoping at least one person would call it blasphemous.

As an aside, my wife hates this outfit. She says it's too busy, there's too much going on, too much for the eye to look at, nothing matches, nothing flows, she hates that tartan, doesn't like epaulettes on shirts, etc., etc., etc. The one thing she didn't say was that the hose looked too formal.

[gary meakin]

It's curious that some of you guys think of diced hose tops as formal only. I do agree that if we were talking full hose, worn civilian-style with low-cut shoes, diced hose are best left for formal wear. But these are military hose tops, worn with leggings in a similar style to spats. There's nothing formal about that. Heck, men used to march into battle wearing spats and diced hose. And considering the nature of hose tops (which have no foot on them), these can only be worn with spats, which IMHO give them a decidedly outdoorsy look. They are not designed for formal wear; the closest they could come to formal wear is a military dress uniform.

Does the general kilt-wearing world not make an exception for diced hose tops worn with leggings/spats, given their long history of military service? If not, then should they?

Now, I can certainly understand ThistleDown's "costumey" remark, considering a recent discussion which revealed that many of the native Scots shy away from diced hose due to associations with corny musical acts of yesteryear. I can even understand it being "costumey" in the sense that it's loosely emulating a military style when I am obviously not in a Highland Regiment. I very much expected that reaction, though I was hoping at least one person would call it blasphemous.

As an aside, my wife hates this outfit. She says it's too busy, there's too much going on, too much for the eye to look at, nothing matches, nothing flows, she hates that tartan, doesn't like epaulettes on shirts, etc., etc., etc. The one thing she didn't say was that the hose looked too formal.

For me it's just a matter of personal preference I guess.
I have a pair of red diced hose and would never even consider wearing them unless I was getting "dressed up".
Right or wrong, it's just my perception. When I see diced hose, I think formal.