Tan Diced Balmoral/Bonnet, non MOD?

[Luke MacGillie]

I seem to recall a discussion about civilian use of dicing on bonnets a long time ago, but I guess I've forgotten the details. What are the earliest examples of civilian diced bonnets that pre-date the military ones?

Pre date, I dont think I can say that. But David Allan's Highland Wedding at Blair Castle painting from the 1780's show them being worn by both military and civilians at the same time.








In my studies I have found the following ways to decorate the brow band and or bottom of a bonnet:

1. Nothing; the most common, medium to dark blue bonnet with no contrasting color.

2. Small knots of a contrasting color set up slightly from the brow band, the earliest treatment, found on a bog burial bonnet.



3. Solid red band, set up from the actual brow band. Ive only seen this in military portraits of mid to late 18th Century

4. Interrupted red band. Ive only seen one bonnet of this style, an actual bonnet in the Fort Ligonier collection. Red/blue




5. Solid red brow band, something that is seen on military officers, but not on any enlisted or civilians to the best of my memory.

6. Applied decoration of 2 color tapes braided together. Seen only on IIRC 2 1770's era portraits.

7. Zig Zag dicing, on 2 portraits, one late 18th Century, another early 19th Century (Glengarry himself and this one: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/15265/lot/184/




8. 3 Color dicing, usually red, white and green, numerous portraits both military and civilian, starting in the 1770's thru mid 19th. I believe that one regiment, the 84th Royal Highland Emigrants used Red, white and a lighter blue than their dark blue bonnets.



Alexander Robertson, 15th Clan Chief 1784



Portrait of Donald McIntyre, 1830 by Sir Edwin Landseer

On these last 2 styles, I know they are not hard/fast rules, during the world wars many regiments used what was available on the market at time of raising.......

9. 3 Color dicing, red, white and black, what I would call modern military dicing, mid to late 19th cent thru today.
10. 2 Color dicing bonnet colour and white, I think of this as civilian dicing, I don't know exactly when that style came into play, 1970's till now?

[Luke MacGillie]

I do not mean to derail but my wool bonnet is extremely warm and impossible to wear this time of year in Texas. How is that one?

Ive worn green(When SF Support also wore green) and maroon berets in Panama between 91 and 96. Sure it was not "Fun", but neither was it impossible. The fact that I could wear a beret and others could not, well it made it bearable.

[KMCMICHAEL]

Ive worn green(When SF Support also wore green) and maroon berets in Panama between 91 and 96. Sure it was not "Fun", but neither was it impossible. The fact that I could wear a beret and others could not, well it made it bearable.

I wore a green smokey hat in 125 degrees near Glamis, CA from 88 to 96 but...dem days be over. I suspect my kilt attire for the summer will be a Tilley or Panama straw. I was just hoping to find an alternative. I have friends that wore that green beret. I purchased a few Randall's from them and developed my preference for Bombay gin.

[Luke MacGillie]

Well, being Scottish, its pretty much like being the SOF of all the various European peoples, so a wool bonnet is just the price you pay

[Tobus]

I do not mean to derail but my wool bonnet is extremely warm and impossible to wear this time of year in Texas. How is that one?

In terms of wool thickness and heat retention, I suppose it's like any other. It does have an interior lining, similar to the Mackie bonnets. You could, of course, cut out the liner which would help release some heat.

To be honest, though, it doesn't bother me to wear it in the heat. But I'm probably not the right person to ask, since I prefer to be warmer than others. I'm the guy who is always freezing in the office when others are sweating, and I'm the one who sneaks over and adjusts the thermostat up a few degrees. Heat doesn't really make me uncomfortable unless it's over 100F. With that said, however, I won't typically wear a Balmoral in the summertime. Not because of the heat, but because of the sun. I switch over to a Tilley Airflo hat that has a brim wide enough to shade my poor pasty white skin against the brutal Texas sun. The older I get, the more I worry about skin cancer.

[Walkman]

I'm the guy who is always freezing in the office when others are sweating, and I'm the one who sneaks over and adjusts the thermostat up a few degrees.

So you're the one. I'm the guy who sneaks over and turns it down to 68° F.

[CollinMacD]

Wool is an animal fiber and has a tendency to actually breath during hot weather. Linen, cotton, another plant fibers have a tendency to hold the heat in. So in reality, wool is cooler then a linen cap. Wool has better tendencies to repeal water, Linen absorbs water.

Learned this doing years (22 years) of hardcore American Civil War re-enacting in the state of Virginia during the summer. Now that is hot.

[CollinMacD]

Received my Navy Blue with Navy Blue/White Checks J Higgins, Balmoral today, EXCELLENT quality and fit, VERY VERY happy with my new purchase....

[IsaacW]

Received my Navy Blue with Navy Blue/White Checks J Higgins, Balmoral today, EXCELLENT quality and fit, VERY VERY happy with my new purchase....

EXCELLENT!!!!

I actually recently picked up a Robert Mackie"tam" (smaller and slightly different design than the balmoral) second hand. It did not have a cockade, so I built one in a rosette form from a piece of scrap Campbell weathered tartan...

[kingandrew]

Isaac, I really like the rosette you made for your tam. Very nice!