A new House of Edgar collection

[jsrnephdoc]

Pipe Major Scots Guards

What impresses ME about the Pipe Major's attire is just HOW many weapons he wears.

On my first visit to Scotland, my first stop was the Edinburgh Castle Museum. One or two days before, I'd been to the Verdun WWI Memorial that SCREAMED its pacifistic message in the starkest possible terms. At the Edinburgh Castle, what amazed me was how strong the message was of "yes, we know them English have trampled on us over and over, but just give us one more chance with our Claymores, Dirks, and Sgian dubhs against their nukes and jets and we'll slaughter 'em all."

For someone who grew up listening to Harry Lauder instead of Elvis and the Beatles, the militancy of those exhibits REALLY surprised me.

Four men in "day" tweed in The Highlanders of Scotland, no visible flashes, no kilt pins, no sginean, three of the four wearing ordinary brogues.

Perhaps the question about flashes is one of "just how much is TOO much multicolor. Once one gets past the orthogonal kilt, the on-the-bias waistcoat, and the diced hose worn by the guy on the left, there's no ROOM left on the body for any additional patterning.

I'm being a bit too emphatic, of course, but I suspect that here in the USA, where many people have never even SEEN a kilt, the specter of one of those four at an event where the attendees are supposed to "look good" would be just "WAY too much—too many colors, too many patterns." I'm NOT suggesting it's "wrong," just not what Americans are accustomed to.

I've been wearing kilts now for about a decade, but my wife still trembles a bit when she knows I'm going to do so for an upcoming event. She has a stepbrother about to be married in rural Texas, I KNOW I'll be one of only 2 or 3 people NOT topped by a cowhand's Stetson and shod in cowboy boots. Likely, all with those endowed with Y chromosomes will all be wearing respectable suits in between, but before my wife would even consider letting me unleash a simple modern barathea jacket and vest from Kinloch Anderson above a tame Robertson ancient hunting tartan kilt I had to obtain enthusiastic "permission" from multiple relatives of the bride AND groom that they would not be offended. Let's face it: "matchy matchy" IS the American way of trying to look elegant or formal.

I do love the diced hose. I have none. My dad did, and pretty closely matched the "look" of the Clan Chieftain in photos at a couple clan gatherings in Pitlochry.

Maybe that's the one element of Highlands attire I should search for on eBay.

[ShaunMaxwell]

She has a stepbrother about to be married in rural Texas, I KNOW I'll be one of only 2 or 3 people NOT topped by a cowhand's Stetson and shod in cowboy boots.

I've seen plenty of kilts worn at weddings in Texas, though generally by the wedding party rather than the guests.

As for the diced hose, while you CAN find them on eBay, you'll pay less here:

https://www.jhiggins.net/hose-diced-...ose-hand-knit/


I have a couple of pair, but find that they rarely get worn, apart from the odd Burns Supper (and honestly, they're really too dressy for that!)

Cheers,

SM

[jsrnephdoc]

I've seen plenty of kilts worn at weddings in Texas, though generally by the wedding party rather than the guests.

As for the diced hose, while you CAN find them on eBay, you'll pay less here:

https://www.jhiggins.net/hose-diced-...ose-hand-knit/

Maybe not uncommon in Dallas or Houston, but this will be "down on the Brazos."

And, thanks so much for the pointer regarding (less than impossible) pricing for diced kilt hose. My sister still has my dad's, but I stopped growing vertically 6 decades ago, so his will never be of any use to me.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Maybe not uncommon in Dallas or Houston, but this will be "down on the Brazos."

Given that the Brazos River bisects the state from northwest to southeast, that could range from West Texas to Southeast Texas... Where abouts? (I grew up in Washington County, of which the eastern boundary was the Brazos River, a bit less than an hour from Houston...

Cheers,

SM

[jsrnephdoc]

Given that the Brazos River bisects the state from northwest to southeast, that could range from West Texas to Southeast Texas... Where abouts?

West of Dallas. Typically, I just point the rental car when we visit. We end up visiting in Graham, Breckenridge, and this time we'll be spending some time in Mineral Wells.

[jsrnephdoc]

As for the diced hose, while you CAN find them on eBay, you'll pay less here:

https://www.jhiggins.net/hose-diced-...ose-hand-knit/


I have a couple of pair, but find that they rarely get worn

And, why do you suspect THAT is? Too dressy? not "matchy matchy" enough?

I have none, primarily because of the price, but I'm curious.

[ShaunMaxwell]

And, why do you suspect THAT is? Too dressy? not "matchy matchy" enough?

I have none, primarily because of the price, but I'm curious.

I’m not concerned with being “matchy-matchy,” it’s just that they’re probably too dressy for the occasions I have to wear them, but I have worn them from time to time.

The last time I wore them was a few years ago to a black tie Burns Supper in Houston:



Cheers,

SM

[jsrnephdoc]

I've seen plenty of kilts worn at weddings in Texas, though generally by the wedding party rather than the guests.

As for the diced hose, while you CAN find them on eBay, you'll pay less here:

https://www.jhiggins.net/hose-diced-...ose-hand-knit/


I have a couple of pair, but find that they rarely get worn, apart from the odd Burns Supper (and honestly, they're really too dressy for that!)

Cheers,

SM

Thanks for the pic of you and (I assume your spouse, given that even her lovely PURSE is in your chosen tartan), I assume at that Burns Supper.

As for being "too formal," my guess is that would apply more often to an American tourist visiting a pub in Glasgow wearing a PC, white tie, and fly plaid while the other ale guzzlers were swilling local ales and single malts clad in T-shirts bearing subtly or explicitly obscene logos and sandals. Here in the US, perhaps EXCEPT for Celtic Games or the Burns Night, no one would EVER suspect that you're overdressed when kilted, unless you were WHITE tie full formal.

May I ask where your wife acquired that purse?

[ShaunMaxwell]

May I ask where your wife acquired that purse?

As for the level of formality, I think that diced or tartan hose are likely better suited for white tie (I’m certain some of the Scots — who have been kindly biting their tongues thus far — can enlighten us!).

As for the purse:

Contact Carol MacDonald Lucas
cedesigns@cembdesigns.com

Cheers,

SM

[jsrnephdoc]

As for the level of formality, I think that diced or tartan hose are likely better suited for white tie (I’m certain some of the Scots — who have been kindly biting their tongues thus far — can enlighten us!).

As for the purse:

Contact Carol MacDonald Lucas
cedesigns@cembdesigns.com

Sadly, that domain is no more…

I don't know where to BEGIN looking for tartan purses. ChatGPT, perhaps…

And, as for "white tie" being an absolute that demands obedience, I've never understood it (perhaps because I've never been invited to such an event). Seemingly it's perfectly fine for a Scotsman's semiformal attire to include EVERY primary color, and with marled yarns, perhaps almost every gradation in the rainbow, but that little horizontal sliver of white below the chin is INVIOLATE!

And of course, that's true NOT just when British Royalty are entertaining at Balmoral, but even where fashion rules are flaunted; e.g., the Academy Awards "Red Carpet" where an actress may be exalted for wearing a dress costing "A Price Above Rubies" (even though the dress covers fewer of her assets than the rubies accenting them), but her XY escort's white tie must be entirely conventional.

OK, perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but I hope you get my drift…