A new House of Edgar collection

[figheadair]

That's superb Peter! How awesome it is to have a big commercial weaver on board with such a project.

May it continue to yield fruit!

And may I say you make a wonderful presenter. You're so comfortable in front of camera. (Put a camera in my face and I stammer nonsense.)

My one, minor, quibble is their repeated closeups of tartan flashes.

Thank you Richard.

It was a wonderful opportunity to share some of my research, and the quality of the filming is superb.

Happy, I can distance myself from the tartan flashes. They are definitely not my thing.

[Jock Scot]

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Happy, I can distance myself from the tartan flashes. They are definitely not my thing.

Tartan flashes are not for me either. I have never understood why they are so popular.

[Arnot]

Tartan flashes are not for me either. I have never understood why they are so popular.

They are indeed popular. I think some people like them for some reason. Others might think they are saving a little money as many times they are included in the cost. I always include them in the cost if someone asks for them. I try to nudge them toward plain colour, but it doesn't always work.

[OC Richard]

Tartan flashes are not for me either. I have never understood why they are so popular.

Nor for me.

I think the proliferation of the things is economics: when a kilt is finished the maker has tons of little cuttings. In the old days they were probably binned, the cuttings being too small to make much out of.

But they can make a pair of flashes, and I've noticed kiltmakers who include them free or for a nominal charge, creating the temptation to wear them.

I dislike the whole thing of making flashes out of woven yardage, cut to pattern and sewn together as you would a shirt.

As we know traditionally they were made from tape woven to purpose in the correct width.

There is one advantage to the woven-fabric ones: in the matchy Pipe Band world the fact that House of Edgar weaves solid-coloured cloth in a number of their tartan-colours and makes flashes from it allows bands to purchase flashes which perfectly match their kilts, even in HoE's unique "muted" range.

[geomick]

Tartan flashes are not for me either. I have never understood why they are so popular.

I'm still new to the modern style of kilt, but I guess I am one of the few who actually likes Tartan flashes. Is the preference a Scotland vs USA thing? Seems all of the USA kilt companies I have dealt with promote the Tartan flashes.

I do have a set in plain Bottle Green to match my tie if I am wearing a waistcoat and jacket.

[Father Bill]

Of course they promote it. It's one more thing they can sell you.

[figheadair]

I'm still new to the modern style of kilt, but I guess I am one of the few who actually likes Tartan flashes. Is the preference a Scotland vs USA thing?

The 'modern' style of kilt has been the norm since the 1880s. By contrast, tartan flashes are a fashion accessory that has become the norm in the past 30-40 years. This was driven principally by the kilt shops/hire trade and is equally prevalent in Scotland amongst many of those newer to kilt wearing.

I prefer traditional plain or striped garters and would never choose to wear tartan ones.

[Jock Scot]

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I do have a set in plain Bottle Green to match my tie if I am wearing a waistcoat and jacket.

Here in Scotland the traditional way of thinking is, if anything of your kilt attire------apart from shoes------ is matching or not , then it is not something that we worry about too much. In fact some, most even, traditional kilt attire thinkers don't even give it a thought.

I am not sure where the idea of kilt attire matching came from, but the kilt hire companies and the newer kilt attire companies in general are, I think, responsible.

[Mike Horah]

I like them personally and they help to keep my socks up! While I have flashes to match the three different tartans I wear I also have others - red- black and a check light grey - which can vary the mix and can just as easily be used to match the socks for example. On a black tie evening I may well wear black flashes with black socks .

And( horror of horrors) I have a bespoke leather kilt I had made in imitation of Black Watch in blue and green leather for the pleats and it has blue and green leather flashes. The rules for matching stuff are like any other formal or otherwise clothing ensemble - If you care in any way about it of course - you mix and match to suit your personality the occasion , (the weather!)your own colouring etc And just for a bit of variety. I don't suppose back in the day Highlanders paid too much attention to this . No Scots kilt wearing friends I know seem overly fussed either.

And if you really want to be antique you don't use elastic anyway let alone flashes but cloth ties made of the tartan. There seems to be quite a fashion these days for Jacobite style wear which personally I find quite appealing, but I think belted plaid is not for me!

[geomick]

I like them personally and they help to keep my socks up! While I have flashes to match the three different tartans I wear I also have others - red- black and a check light grey - which can vary the mix and can just as easily be used to match the socks for example. On a black tie evening I may well wear black flashes with black socks .

And( horror of horrors) I have a bespoke leather kilt I had made in imitation of Black Watch in blue and green leather for the pleats and it has blue and green leather flashes. The rules for matching stuff are like any other formal or otherwise clothing ensemble - If you care in any way about it of course - you mix and match to suit your personality the occasion , (the weather!)your own colouring etc And just for a bit of variety. I don't suppose back in the day Highlanders paid too much attention to this . No Scots kilt wearing friends I know seem overly fussed either.

And if you really want to be antique you don't use elastic anyway let alone flashes but cloth ties made of the tartan. There seems to be quite a fashion these days for Jacobite style wear which personally I find quite appealing, but I think belted plaid is not for me!

I do need to get a couple of pairs of classic striped garters to go along with 17th/18thC hose (once I get some of those).