Pipe Band tartan trends

[OC Richard]

In other threads it is noted that the 78th Frasers and SFU both have new kilts, and I noticed the new kilts for both have darker palettes this time. In this massed band clip from Deeside where there is not one band with a bright red kilt. In fact, I think a couple of the bands are wearing the same tartan (Granite) woven in different colors. Aberdeen is known as the Granite city.

There does seem to be a trend in pipe bands away from bright colors toward more somber palettes. It used to be there was always at least one band wearing Royal Stewart or MacLean of Duart (Shotts).
The black hose is a trend I hope will be replaced by something a little brighter, although the bright white hose we wore 20 years ago was not my favorite either. SFU wore Lovat blue hose for a few years, and it seemed a shame when the fashion changed to black.
Where will it go next?

That is an interesting clip, thanks for sharing.

Yes it seems that they're all wearing dark Modern Colours or modern tartans like Granite as you say, except for one band I see wearing a blue/green tartan in Ancient Colours.

I do follow Pipe Band trends, I find it interesting. As you know a band set of kilts is an extremely expensive thing, resulting in bands tending to change tartans infrequently. So the accessories change more often than the kilts.

SFU was down here in Southern California in 2005 or 2006 and they switched hose (it was a two-day Games). One day they they wore a lovely blue, not Lovat blue, not Ancient blue, but a brighter blue I would call St Andrews blue perhaps.

I think you're correct that the trend in Pipe Bands is going to be towards more muted colours. I did a thread giving my predictions of where Pipe Band dress might be in 10 years: I think we will be seeing more "weathered colours" tartans and more tweed, somthing like this:





Here's the thread

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-decade-96208/

I also did a thread several years ago showing that there's more variety in Pipe Band tartans than there used to be. You can look in the Worlds' programme where the list the bands' tartans, in the old days, and even up through the 1980s, most of the bands were wearing just a few different tartans, Royal Stewart and its variants, MacLean Of Duart, and the old military tartans. (There was a time at the Worlds when a quarter of the bands wore either Royal Stewart or MacLean Of Duart.)

Then there was an explosion in new Fashion Tartans and District Tartans and Commemorative Tartans and such.

In the last decade or so some of the top Grade One bands are having bespoke tartans woven:

Field Marshal Montgomery: Drumalig
78th Fraser Highlanders: 78th Fraser Highlanders
Scottish Power: Scottish Power
Australia Highlanders: Australia Highlanders
Lomond & Clyde: Lomond & Clyde
New Zealand Police: Clan MacLeod Society Centenary

And bands like SFU doing traditional tartans but in special colours.

Looking back, I did find this review I did of the dress at the 2019 Worlds, where I talk about tartans a bit.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...onships-95744/

2018

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-2018-a-94390/