Why all the negative comments on Flat Caps?

[O'Callaghan]

I noticed when this debate was raging the first time that, almost without exception, those who thought the flat cap looked ok with the kilt were from North America, while those who thought it a no-no were from the UK.

The flat-cap, it seems, has different cultural connotations on either side of the Atlantic. Nothing wrong with that.

But I did find your above remark about Scottish caps not resonating with you because your heritage is Irish.... um... but isn't that a kilt you are wearing in the photo?

I don't understand why, as a person of Irish heritage, you would feel uncomfortable in a Scottish cap, yet perfectly comfortable wearing the Scottish kilt.

I'm not saying you must wear a Balmoral or Glengarry -- not that at all. If you don't like them you don't like them. I'm just confused by your reasoning.

The balmoral/tam/blue bonnet is/are only worn to represent Scottish heritage, probably because the Irish have the very similar caubeen instead. Why would someone of Irish descent wear a Scottish version of the hat that was probably derived from the caubeen? The kilt has a century plus of history in Ireland (but I'm sure you knew that). However, everyone concedes that Scots wore the kilt first, and that cowboys wore jeans first. Being neither a Scot nor a cowboy, I'm about as likely to wear a ten gallon hat with my jeans as a balmoral with my kilt. Not very.

The Irish Air Corps currently wear blue glengarries and the Irish National Army field green ones, to match their respective uniforms, and I'm not just referring to pipers, although in fact the army pipers wear a black caubeen with saffron ribbons and green hackle instead. The glengarry derives AFAIK from an English military forage cap by way of the Highland Scots regiments. Many regard it as a military/pipers' hat, and I would say with some justification, but if some Scots want to wear it as a 'civvy' item to denote their heritage, then why not? Just don't expect the Irish to do that.

I don't think you are really confused, just pretending to be confused in an ironic way. But then, everybody knew that.