Full plaids

[orangehaggis]

I wonder if any of my fellow XMarkers could advise me on full plaids. The full plaid I'm used to, the pipers' plaid, has stitched in pleats across the bit of the plaid that wraps around the chest. However, I see in some vintage photographs of kilted gents in full day dress, the part of the plaid that wraps around the chest doesn't appear to be pleated. I'm planning to purchase a 10oz plaid to be work with my 16oz Ensign of Ontario kilt and a tunic similar to that worn by British infantry in the War of 1812. I think I would rather tend toward "antiquity" in this matter than modern fashion. Does anybody have any advice, or better yet, specifications?

Thanks in advance!

Mark O - Ohio

[MacAngus]

I would say do what you want you're the one wearing it.
However I think the stitched ones look better.
I have a scottish national modern pipers plaid and it hangs fantastically and looks sharp under the cross belt.
I had one that wasn't stitched and it was kinda a pain in the butt.
It also looked sloppy.

[Twa_Corbies]

I would go with a heavier weight for the full shoulder plaid, as these were worn not only for decorative use, but so that they could serve as a weather resistant covering in cold, damp and rain; the idea being that you could use it like a blanket or drape it about you as a sort of poncho if required. I would use a good 16 oz. fabric, you will want it to be double width (54") and about 3 and a half yards long. The ends should be fringed in twisted tails like a piper's plaid, which can be cone yourself if you have the patience. The fringe tails can have either one or two colors of thread in them, but should never have more than two colors per fringe tail, so it requires a bit of math to figure out how to divide up the threads befor twisting them together.

[Buckskin]

I agree that the heiver weight fabric would do better. I try to match my plaid weight to the kilt weight. Although, if you lived in the south, as I do , you might get to wear it a little longer in the year with a 13oz. If historical accuracy is what you are after then unpleated is the way to go. I would also question "pearled" fringe. You might check with Matt Newsom, but I am willing to guess 1" to 2" fringe, no pearl would be historically correct.

[beloitpiper]

I would not go for the heavier weight. When I have to wear full No.1 uniform, I have to wear a 22oz. piper's plaid, and it weighs considerably more than the 22oz. 8-yard kilt.

Yes plaids look nice, but big ones, especially piper plaids, are NO fun to wear.

[Jack Daw]

It's my preference that the plaid be the same weight as the kilt b/c the setts would be of a different size otherwise. I say this knowing that my own day plaid is a lighter weight/smaller sett than my kilt. I took advantage of a situation that came my way.