Escaping the Black Argyll

[OC Richard]

I've been increasingly annoyed at being trapped in my black Argyll jacket- you know, black Barathea with square chrome buttons all over- and have been looking for the best way out.

I was already playing in Pipe Bands in the 1980s when those jackets suddenly became standard, expected, and to all intents and purposes required. At the 1984 World Pipe Band Championships only one top-level band was still competing in Full Dress (they from outside Scotland) the rest wearing Argylls, nearly all black.



But why trapped in the Black Argyll even for my solo funeral and wedding gigs?

Part of it, to quote Dr Ian Malcom

I wear only two colors, black and gray. These are appropriate for any occasion, and go well together should I mistakenly wear gray socks with black trousers. I find it liberating...

In like manner a piper can wear black to a funeral, wedding, or any other occasion and look appropriate.



The other matter is that my Black Argyll is lightweight and very comfortable. I do have a tweed Lovat Argyll but the cloth is quite heavy and it's not often cool enough here to wear it.



So I determined to purchase a lighter-weight tweed jacket. I looked at off-the-peg ones but decided to go the bespoke route. St Kilda (Glasgow) had a wide selection of tweeds, the whole Marton Mills range, at what seemed a reasonable price. You can customise just about any detail regarding the jacket design.

I sent off for swatches from Marton Mills, who graciously sent them free of charge. (I purchased the Heath Coffee swatch from USA Kilts.)



And laid against a strip of tweed Hunting Stewart Weathered, the kilt I'll generally be wearing.



Here are some brown(ish) ones laid against my kilt & sporran.

L-R 1)Dunlin Coffee 2)Evergreen and Redstart 3)Plover.



L-R 1)Heath Coffee 2)Heath Bog 3)Plover.



L-R 1)Barn Owl 2)Multicheck 3)Plover.



I'm struck by the wonderful neutrality of Plover, which looks different with different things, and which I'm using as sort of a control.

I think Hunting Stewart Weathered looks exceptionally good with blues. Here are some

L-R 1)Flint Bog 2)Flint Quarry 3)Lomond (Lochcarron)



As can be seen there's no bad choices! Each tweed co-ordinates with the tartan in a lovely unique way.

My band-mates loved Dunlin Coffee, the brown herringbone with overcheck.

In the end I decided to go with Multicheck. The best colour? No, I don't think so. But I've always wanted a check Argyll, in one of the so-called Gun Club Checks, and this might be my only opportunity to get one. (I'm far too big to wear vintage clothing.)