Spats (sp?)

[Angus MacSpey]

Are we confusing spats with puttees or gaiters here? To my recollection, they are two different animals.

Speaking of animals, if you're ever in Louisiana, don't get in any spats with gaiters.

[GlassMan]

I thought spats & gaiters were two different things too. I was thinking of the dressier item sold in the 20's & 30's as Men's Spats.

[MacMullen]

Spats:


Hiking Gaiters:


Ankle Hiking Gaiters:

[Andrew Breecher]

I'm wearing a closer style of low hiking gaiters, more similar to spats, in this photo:


Andrew.

[Big Dave]

Wear the Spats. If no one is wearing them all the time, you might start a new trend.

[Prester John]

Just for the record,

when I was married, I wore a charcaol cutaway morning coat with striped ascot tie and striped pants with white spats.

Everyone jeered and laughed and said I was an idiot, for weeks, imploring me not to do it on this important day...until they saw the first groomsmen in them.

I got alot of smiles and alot of apologies that day.

They looked great, and so did I (back then anyway).

Spats are generally pretty formal day wear, so if you need something a bit dressed down, I'd say consider, perhaps, a different more casual color. Khaki, perhaps?

And please post the results. I'd love to see it.

[GlassMan]

Thanks for everyone's comments. And big thanks for the pics of the differences between spats and gaiters. I was definitely thinking of spats.

I think I'm gonna find some spats to purchase. Don't know if anywhere locally has them. I did find some on eBay that I'm thinking of bidding on. One of them was a very nice fawn color that I think would go well with much of my wardrobe. I'd also love khaki in addition to white.

[Nick]

Wow, you were really decked out! I'm glad people realized who had the better sense

Spats were at one time regular day wear, my great-grandfather wore dove grey spats every day.

GlassMan, how tall is your ankle brace? If it's low, then regular spats will probably cover it. There are spats that are higher than the regular 4-button, but not so high as late Victorian spatterdashers, but they'll be harder to find.

[Mike n NC]

Not so hard to find really. Calf high, lace ups can usually be found in military surplus stores. You can usually find a good set by looking thru the pile and you can generally get them in tan, olive or white.

Mike