Argyll Hose with Day Wear

[IsaacW]

A couple chessboard top hose I wear...

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[Jock Scot]

Pattern tops are not the same as full patterned hose. I think there is a long established and accepted usage of those for daywear.

I cannot help but agree.

[davidlpope]

There is a fairly recent example of diced top hose with day wear and I don't see anyone taking him to task.

Those aren't Argyll hose. They're plain hose with a checked cuff.

These are Argyll hose:



These are Diced hose:

[ShaunMaxwell]

And here's a pair of Argyle top hose:

[AFS1970]

I may be over complicating things, but I would think of the patterned top hose as a sort of hybrid between levels of formality. In this I would wear them during the day, but only if I were more smartly dressed, as the pictures in this thread all show others doing. I think if I were informally dressed, perhaps in a T-Shirt at a pub, I would not think to have such fancy hose. However with a shirt and tie, a jacket or sweater/jumper they would not seem fancy at all to me.

This thread is renewing my desire to get a pair or two of checkerboard hose.

[DyerStraits]

I consider tartan hose and diced hose as part of formal wear. However, I think (like the Pirates' Code), our rules are more like guidelines. So if one chooses to wear tartan or diced hose with informal day wear, and it 'works', then it's personal flair.

Aye, I'm with Allen and Liam. It's a more formal choice, and "formal implies "evening wear", but it depends on the occasion, and for the "right" type of day event, I say have at it. If it's a very "Gaelic-centric" occasion, e.g. St. Andrew's Day or Tartan Day, I do not hesitate to break out the Argyle hose. As mentioned elsewhere in this discussion, the Argyle Top hose from House Of Cheviot are an oherwise excellent, versatile compromise.

This is merely another instance of mastering the rules in order to (ponderously) break them, of which Highland Dress offers seemingly unending, uniquely challenging--and enjoyably debatable--opportunities, which in turn makes me, again, wish I had started kilting up long, long ago...

[Tomo]

If you don't feel comfortable wearing it - then it's probably the wrong option. Otherwise go for it.

Personally I'd reserve full argyle or diced hose for formal evening wear (not that I have any), plain for down the pub or at the match and either plain or patterned cuff for everything else. I think those worn by the Prince of Wales and IssacW are spot on for day wear and pretty versatile - I have something similar () but if you want to go with diced for day wear than something more muted like these in ancient green/blue might work:

[Spartan Tartan]

I would argue that although tending toward historical, diced hose are still appropriate for day wear and remain traditional. Certainly they are fine for formal evening wear, but I would not say they are limited to such.

Edited to remove unnecessary content.

[Nathan]

Some great points being made here. Just a couple of points to clarify:

1) Stating whether or not you'd wear tartan or diced hose with day wear (tweeds) does not answer my question which is whether you think that choice is traditional or whether it has become historical. Those are two very different questions. I think some people wear them and look smashing. Again, what I'm trying to determine is whether they're acting in accordance with accepted traditional Highland conventions when they do so or whether they are making an idiosyncratic, eccentric, theatrical or indeed, historical sartorial choice.

2) Hose with a pattered top cuff are irrelevant to the thread. They have a long history among sportsman and are worn with country wear by kilted and non-kilted gentlemen alike. I like them and wear them but they have absolutely nothing to do with this discussion.

[davidlpope]

Nathan,

Argyll or diced hose with daywear does not fall into the traditional category. I'm not sure what category it falls into (Eccentric? Historic? Romantic?), but it's not THCD.

Even if Invercauld does it...