Hawaiian shirt with an XMTS tartan kilt

**OC Richard** · 7th April 16, 04:04 AM

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** · 7th April 16, 04:10 AM

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** · 7th April 16, 04:29 AM

The colours are well matched.

**sailortats** · 7th April 16, 05:07 AM

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.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 7th April 16, 05:26 AM

I think it works OK, and I have also worn Hawaiian shirts with some of my kilts, most recently to my Dad's wedding at home, where I wore a Davidson ancient kilt with a Hawaiian that had a black base color, and then red, orange, and yellow flowers, and I thought that the shirt and kilt went great together, an my wife agreed!

For me, the blue in the shirt is almost too matchy to the kilt. For the XMTS tartan, I would probably go with a lighter, yellow background shirt with blue flowers/designs, but that is personal preference.

**Benning Boy** · 7th April 16, 11:21 AM

I think the aloha shirt is perhaps better worn with a solid color kilt, something like a 5.11 TDK and others. However from the pic above I can see that it might work with tartan if carefully chosen. I do like the camp shirt style, of which the aloha shirt is just a color variation, and have worn solid color camp shirts with a tartan kilt. I think River Kilt has posted pics before of himself wearing untucked aloha shirts at parties.

I have a couple of aloha shirts, one that is special to me because of when and where and how I got it. I may have to experiment with it. Steve Ashton, the Wizard of BC, has written often here that the simplest way to coordinate things when wearing a kilt is to put on matching shirt and hose, or a combination that nearly matches, and then put on any kilt you chose. I suppose if you wore hose close to matching the main color of a Hawaiian shirt the aloha shirt and tartan combination could be pulled off better. The shirt should be tucked in unless your taking part in some very informal activity, like a rowdy party.

My big question now is is it OK to wear a guayabera shirt with a kilt?

**Dughlas mor** · 7th April 16, 01:35 PM

I wouldn`t wear such only because I`m not into Hawaiian shirts. It certainly works for you, though, Jamie. Such panache!

**ratspike** · 7th April 16, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Benning Boy

My big question now is is it OK to wear a guayabera shirt with a kilt?

Yes, absolutely. I really like my black Cubavera with a kilt.

**Liam** · 7th April 16, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Benning Boy

I think the aloha shirt is perhaps better worn with a solid color kilt, something like a 5.11 TDK and others. However from the pic above I can see that it might work with tartan if carefully chosen. I do like the camp shirt style, of which the aloha shirt is just a color variation, and have worn solid color camp shirts with a tartan kilt. I think River Kilt has posted pics before of himself wearing untucked aloha shirts at parties.

I have a couple of aloha shirts, one that is special to me because of when and where and how I got it. I may have to experiment with it. Steve Ashton, the Wizard of BC, has written often here that the simplest way to coordinate things when wearing a kilt is to put on matching shirt and hose, or a combination that nearly matches, and then put on any kilt you chose. I suppose if you wore hose close to matching the main color of a Hawaiian shirt the aloha shirt and tartan combination could be pulled off better. The shirt should be tucked in unless your taking part in some very informal activity, like a rowdy party.

My big question now is is it OK to wear a guayabera shirt with a kilt?

Jamie and Ron(RiverKilt) can both pull off looks that we mere mortals cannot!

**kilted firefighter** · 8th April 16, 12:14 PM

Sorry... I've debated responding to this thread because "if you don't have anything nice to say".....I try not to post anything negative but, since you asked, this makes me cringe. If I saw this outfit in the wild it would be hard not to stare. I don't think it's the color or pattern of the shirt. The hose remind me of school girl uniform socks, and the shirt opening is creepily close to the top of the kilt. I hope my reply has not crossed the line from simply sharing my opinion into being rude and insulting. I have the greatest respect for your sense of fashion and observe your posts carefully.