Question about flashes...

[Steve of Lansing]

OCRichard posted some pics he found on Ebay, and I had a question about them.

All three of these gentlemen look to me like they are wearing flashes, and I was under the impression that flashes were a fairly new thing and that garter ties were the thing to use for a traditional look.

If the youngest of these pics are over 60 years old then I suppose my questions would be:

A) How long have flashes been "in style"?

B) How recent is "recent" in regards to kilt wear?

C) Am I totally wrong about the pics and I wouldn't be able tell a garter tie if was wrapped around my neck?

Thanks in advance

Always, -Steve

[longhuntr74]

My hunch is that as long as elastic has been readily available, that elastic topped flashes have been used. When people talk about "traditional" with respect to garter ties, I think they're referring to the 18th and 19th centuries. The lack of availability of garter ties at modern highland games and many, if not most, kilt/scottish attire retailers would seem to be an indicator to me that garter ties are not considered de rigeur among most kilt wearers these days...and probably haven't been for several decades.

[Zardoz]

I've seen elastic flashes mentioned or shown in materials on Highland dress going back to the 40s and 50s. They are mentioned in MacKinnon's 'Tartans and Highland Dress', a book often quoted here, which I think is at least 50 years old.
If I recall correctly in that book, MacKinnon states that elastic garters with the flashes sewn on are the most "sensible" type for most applications, and that garter ties should only used with castellated style hose, where they are tied outside the hose. He said, and I tend to agree, that the garter knots make an "unsightly bulge" in turn down style hose.

[Jock Scot]

Yes, I too think flashes are about as old as elastic, so considerably older than me.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Take a look at this exhibit in our museum, of an outfit dating to pre-1854.
http://www.scottishtartans.org/muirhead.htm

Those orange things in the lower left of the picture are garter flashes. Not quite like the modern elastic ones, but they are not self-tie, either.

They are made from woven ribbon, with the decorative "flash" sewn onto a garter band, made from the same woven ribbon as the flash (not elastic). I don't recall now just how the garter fastened (or if the fastening mechanism has even survived with it) but I can check when I am in the museum on Monday morning if I can remember to.

[Steve of Lansing]

Very cool, all! Thanks for the info!

[furballx]

Dragging up a thread that is a few months old......

Is there any info available regarding the fixing or tying of these flashes? I am looking to produce a set for a 1910 style formal evening dress outfit and would like to ge the detail right.

Also, can anyone confirm whether or not flashes were matching tartan around the turn of the century, or where they red or green as most non-tartan ones of today seem to be?

Thanks if anyone can help,
Dave

[Tobus]

Also, can anyone confirm whether or not flashes were matching tartan around the turn of the century, or where they red or green as most non-tartan ones of today seem to be?

When you say "matching tartan", are you referring to tartan flashes, or simply flashes that match the colours in the tartan?

To my knowledge, tartan flashes have only been around for a few years. Maybe a decade.

[furballx]

When you say "matching tartan", are you referring to tartan flashes, or simply flashes that match the colours in the tartan?

To my knowledge, tartan flashes have only been around for a few years. Maybe a decade.

Sorry, should have been more clear, I mean flashes matching your kilt, that is to say the same tartan as the kilt.
Dave

[M. A. C. Newsome]

All of the early examples I have seen have been solid color. I'm not sure exactly when tartan flashes came into vogue but I suspect fairly recently. Certainly for the 1910 era you are looking at, solid would be the way to go.