Plus fours, only for hunting/fishing/golf??

[tweed_for_me]

Hello

The plus four and also the rest of the league, plus two, sixes and eight, are they "only" usable on the golf course or out on the hills?

Will I look just stupid if I where a pair out on a sunday country side walk?

Thanks for looking
Good sunday afternoon all.

[NJS]

Plus twos and breeches are still regularly worn for shooting. Plus fours used to be popular for golf but, frankly, these days, people normally wear bright trousers and a jumper. Whether you would look silly in plus fours out on the hills probably depends on whether you would feel silly; if you wouldn't feel silly, then go for it!

The first description on Scaramanga 'The Man With The Golden Gun' in the Bond novel mentions that Scaramanga is wearing a tan suit, co-respondent shoes and a pinned stock instead of a tie. The description goes on to say that the get-up, however, lacked theatricality because of the man's fine figure. There we are.
NJS

[DFR]

I rather suspect many will think you extremely stupid for wearing such clothes. However you might feel you can carry it off and damn onlookers anyway.

[tweed_for_me]

Thanks for replying.
Well, yes, maybe I will look stupid.
But, still, there is something nice, great, about these "pants", hmmmmm, need to learn more. But, maybe I will get me a pair!

[NJS]

Plus fours look a little antiquated and comical but plus twos aren't as they are still in regular use. Plus twos also have the advantage of being higher and so more practical for walking through the ling; especially in the wet.
NJS

[shredder]

If your walk calls for a pair of Wellies, there is no other type of trews that is more sensible than plus2s. In the Engadin in the midst of winter, I find that the combination of plus2s with a pair of warm socks and oiled leather military boots, made for arctic missions, to be ideal for long walks. Plus2s are part of my standard cycling kit in cooler months. In other words, with or without a gun, I enjoy wearing them.

[Russell]

It would be sad if a segment of society was so petty as to consider any form of even remotely appropriate dress as “totally stupid” – but as DFR wrote - some no doubt would, however I expect such people would consider any form of dress other than exactly what they wear themselves as being ridiculous.

I live on the edge of a small market town & a 300 yard walk down the road takes me into the ‘countryside’. I can’t imagine many people locally would pay much attention to me if I wore plus 4’s when out walking & they certainly wouldn’t think ill of me for doing so. That said – I’d be hesitant in strolling through the nearest city in such rig.

Peoples’ attitudes aside, the key thing with any form of ‘country dress’ is it being appropriate for the job in hand at a practical level - never mind any ‘style’ considerations, which can follow on.

Considering your options:

If your walks take you on muddy bridleways or footpaths over fields then you would deservedly be thought to be a bit ‘unprepared’ if you returned from your walk with the bottoms of full length trousers covered in mud. Cords & mud don’t mix well as you’ve probably found – hence your question. To avoid that you can wear decent wellies but they don’t support the foot that well, they are hot (especially with trousers) & can look a bit OTT if you call in at a pub. An alternative with full length trousers is to wear good ankle boots (traditional style or the modern walking boot) along with gaiters which protect the trousers & can be taken off & stored in a coat pocket if you call in somewhere for a meal. By gaiters I mean the sort found in any hiking shop; they connect to the boot with a strap & a hook, have zipped sides along with a drawstring top.

Wearing breeks, +2’s or +4’s means you’ll only dirty your socks; to avoid even that you can wear gaiters. Breeks/britches are the shortest & most closely fitted around the knee (but due to the cut still allow a lot of free movement). As NJS has written, breeks are very commonly used by walkers & climbers – to the extent that anyone doing a decent hike would look a bit ‘amateurish’ without them & they are not at all out of place for a gentler sort of walk (or bike ride). Worn in conjunction with suitable boots, socks & gaiters they are practical & stylish. They make the wearing of wellies more comfortable as well as Shredder mentions.

+2’s are supposedly cut a couple of inches longer than breeks but still fasten above the calf & so have more ‘drape’ around the knee which gives a baggier appearance. If correctly sized they look attractive & are close enough to breeks to avoid any archaic appearance. +4’s are cut even longer/baggier & they can look a bit ‘too much’ on some people. More importantly they aren’t as practical as breeks or +2’s as the extra cloth flopping about & hanging lower is a liability. It’s worth trying +2’s & +4’s before you buy as the ratio of waist size to leg length can make +2’s look more like +4’s on some wearers.

Breeks come in an almost limitless range of both synthetic & tweed materials. +2’s are more usually tweed & it would be difficult to find +4’s in anything other than tweed. Even though I adore tweed it’s got to be said that when pushing through wet waist high cover or brambles the most rugged of the synthetic materials are ideal. For a healthy walk on country roads, footpaths & bridleways tweed is just the thing (Teflon coated if you wish).

I’d suggest the situation for golf is as NJS described. When shooting though nobody would particularly notice or care if someone wore anything from breeks to +4’s (although most would be wearing breeks/+2’s from practical considerations).

If the opinion of other people is important then as a slightly tongue-in-cheek generalisation I’d suggest that when used in the appropriate environment:

A man wearing breeks would be seen as – a walker/countryman.

A man wearing +2’s would be seen as – a countryman/walker.

A man wearing +4’s would be seen as – his own man.

However a frequent point made on the LL is that you have to feel your choice is right for you otherwise you won’t wear it well.

Regards
Russell

[NJS]

Here's a plus fours suit belonging to the D of W's:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?q=duk ... 62&bih=481

But this is what he wore in later years:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?q=duk ... 62&bih=481

NJS

[couch]

Whether you would look silly in plus fours out on the hills probably depends on whether you would feel silly; if you wouldn't feel silly, then go for it!

One sees this demonstrated over and over again. You remind me that there is a very eminent eye surgeon living near me, who in his early 60s is very trim and fit, with looks just on the refined edge of rugged. In dry fall weather he is often seen doing Saturday errands around the old shops attired in a Shaker knit jumper over lederhosen, bulky knee socks turned at the tops and sturdy hiking/climbing shoes. Not only does he look well and coherently turned out, but completely natural in this rig. It's not until later that one asks oneself--wait a minute, was George wearing lederhosen?

[NJS]

Whether you would look silly in plus fours out on the hills probably depends on whether you would feel silly; if you wouldn't feel silly, then go for it!

One sees this demonstrated over and over again. You remind me that there is a very eminent eye surgeon living near me, who in his early 60s is very trim and fit, with looks just on the refined edge of rugged. In dry fall weather he is often seen doing Saturday errands around the old shops attired in a Shaker knit jumper over lederhosen, bulky knee socks turned at the tops and sturdy hiking/climbing shoes. Not only does he look well and coherently turned out, but completely natural in this rig. It's not until later that one asks oneself--wait a minute, was George wearing lederhosen?

It's funny that you should say that because, about twelve years ago, when we lived in Blackheath Village, there was an old chap there who used to go shopping at the weekend in Lederhosen and complimentary gear, and he too just looked perfectly in order and unselfconscious. There is a lot in that I think: if it's all of a piece and you don't feel self-conscious about looking weird, you can wear more or less anything you like.
NJS

[alden]

There is a lot in that I think: if it's all of a piece and you don't feel self-conscious about looking weird, you can wear more or less anything you like.

Indeed, there are men who can wear anything and look great and there are other men who spend tens of thousands a year to look like dustbins. It must have something to do with having Style..

Cheers

Michael

[shredder]

Ha!

[tweed_for_me]

Thanks all for the information.

Yes, the plus 2, 4 or what ever is a odd "rig", but I do find it interesting.

Just as Russell say, I do seek something that offers me practicality and at the same time will be ok to use at a local pub.

Thanks Russell for the information about length of the breeks/+2`s/+4`s .

Now, I will get myself a pair of +2`s.

[alden]

Tweed

I thought about plus 2s as well for use on my ranch. Instead I chose tough Carhart trousers that I fold, cover with heavy knee socks and stuff into my Le Chameau boots. The "Chasseur" zip boot was ordered custom with the calf measure just a bit bigger than normal to accommodate the folded trouser and sock. It works great and the Carhart trouser can be worn off season with normal boots easily.

Michael

[NJS]

There is a lot in that I think: if it's all of a piece and you don't feel self-conscious about looking weird, you can wear more or less anything you like.

Indeed, there are men who can wear anything and look great and there are other men who spend tens of thousands a year to look like dustbins. It must have something to do with having Style..

Cheers

Michael

This is true and nerve is a necessary component of Style. I think that this is actually evident in a particular photograph of Christine Granville / Krystyna Skarbeka - a Polish/British SOE agent in WWII, who twice talked her way out of apprehension by the Gestapo; the second time she even also secured the release of three high-ranking colleagues who had been condemned to death and took the chief of the local Gestapo as a voluntary prisoner, just by force of personality:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llxf0Z81zHA/S ... istine.jpg

and for anyone at large in Town: Alessandro Palazzi at Dukes Hotel now includes a Polish vodka in his Vesper Martini in tribute to her; whether or not she was the inspiration for Fleming characters Vesper Lynd and Tatiana Romanova.
NJS