ghillie shirts

[beowulf67]

Welcome to the forum.

[MacWage]

That is a common shirt style for "casual" kilt wearing. Some wear it almost exclusively. Others HATE them.
As is refereced above, the common term is "jacobite shirt," though it is/was a VERY common geneal shirt style for a long, long time. It as the same GENERAL style of pirates. For a LONG time that was the rough equivanlent of a T-Shirt today. There are MANY variations as well. Some sleeves are more baggy and billowy, while others are more tight cut. They are the precursors of the modern "button-down shirt" or more precisely the polo (a fashion expert will probably want FAR MORE specific and less general statements to be more accurate).
I do not own one (but might one day). It just is on the edge of my style. I tend to like clean and graceful lines.
They are on the edge of the line between normal wear and costume. Much further over and one enters costume-dom. That shirt, however, is on the side of acceptable common wear.

As for the Princess Bride, try looking up Bartholemew Roberts. He was THE best pirate of all time and was just after Blackbeard. He captured 400 ships in 3 years before he was killed by grapeshot off Africa. He was also a devoted Christian and a tee-totaler, who banned drunkeness and gambling on his ship, held Sunday services, and entered battle sipping tea and to music (played by his musicians). Yet, he was known also being brutal at times, though not NEARLY as bad as other pirates could be. He was known as Black Bart and the Great Pirate Roberts or the Dread Pirate Roberts. It is to this real character and personality that the name in the movie alludes.

By the way, Roberts was Welsh!

[Panache]

... The sleeves aren't so puffy that I feel like Errol Flynn...

...and exactly what is wrong with feeling like Errol Flynn?

... try looking up Bartholemew Roberts. He was THE best pirate of all time and was just after Blackbeard.

I would have to disagree with both Roberts and Blackbeard as candidates for the "best pirate of all time". You can keep Captain's Kidd and "Calico Jack" Rackham and the all the others as well. In my mind the world's greatest pirate was none other than Henry Morgan. Though he would have prefered to be called a privateer. He had a colorful career and wound up knighted and then made the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. He died a wealthy man in Port Royal in 1688. Now that's the way to end your swashbuckling career!



Cheers

[MacWage]

I would have to disagree with both Roberts and Blackbeard as candidates for the "best pirate of all time". You can keep Captain's Kidd and "Calico Jack" Rackham and the all the others as well. In my mind the world's greatest pirate was none other than Henry Morgan. Though he would have prefered to be called a privateer. He had a colorful career and wound up knighted and then made the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. He died a wealthy man in Port Royal in 1688. Now that's the way to end your swashbuckling career!



Cheers

Ok, I'll not get into that fight. The term "best" can have different meanings. Some could argue "Long Ben" Every/Avery as the best, as he retired into obscurity with his money. Some would not even count Morgan as a pirate, but as a soldier who lead some buccaneer privateers with the full backing of the English government. Same with Drake and Hawkins. If fame is "best," then Blackbeard wins hands down, with Kidd as a runner (though his "pirate" career was a messy disaster). Tew (the one Kidd was sent to capture) could also be argued. I feel that the "Best Pirate" should go to the one who was OPENLY a pirate (NOT a matter of prespective) AND captured A LOT of ships (400) during a relatively long career (many went weeks or months as pirates, Blackbeard was 18 months, while Roberts went 3 years and escaped hanging by death in battle as his crew hid).
Many privateers are also considered pirates (like John Paul Jones by the english in the American Revolution, though Jones saw himself as a American naval officer). To me, a pirate must consider himself to be a pirate, then it (best) goes to the most captures and reputation (notoriety and character/memorability).
Rackham is known mainly through his 2 women crew, Anne Bonny and Mary Reed. Rackham himself was not too successful otherwise. Vane was successful in captures, as was England, but both were kicked out by their own crew for percieved cowardness.

I could go on. If anyone wants to continue, lets either go to PMs or a new thread in Off Topic.

Back to topic, the shirt is acceptable, but not liked or worn by many. Some notables, however, LOVE THEM.
Get one and wear it if you want, or don't if you feel so inclined.