1 Kilt 10 Looks : A Visual Guide to Formality in Highland Attire

[macwilkin]

I take it the missing letter was a "w"? I raised this once before as I understood that any headwear with such a diced band denoted allegiance to the Crown, hence its wearing by forces personnel.

I have been searching for a source for this long-standing myth regarding dicing for quite sometime now; ironically, historian Stuart Reid mentions that Stewart of Garth described the dicing on bonnets as symbolic of the "fesse-chequey" of Stewart Arms, so if this indeed the case, dicing originally was a Jacobite, and not a government symbol.

Reid does discount this theory and states his belief that dicing was really just a decoration that could have been tied into diced hose.

And finally, while some regiments did wear diced glengarries (the Royal Scots, KOSB, HLI/RSF, etc.), others did not. Like many other pieces of military custom and tradition, the origin of this chestnut may be lost to the mists of antiquity.

Regards,

Todd

[Chas]

I have been searching for a source for this long-standing myth regarding dicing for quite sometime now; ironically, historian Stuart Reid mentions that Stewart of Garth described the dicing on bonnets as symbolic of the "fesse-chequey" of Stewart Arms, so if this indeed the case, dicing originally was a Jacobite, and not a government symbol.
Reid does discount this theory and states his belief that dicing was really just a decoration that could have been tied into diced hose.Regards,Todd

Hi Todd,

I don't think the Stewart of Garth explanation will work. The fesse chequey of the Stewarts is Azure and Argent as opposed to the Gules and Argent of the dicing. As you know, heraldicly they would be two totally different arms.



When one thinks of Stewart arms it is always the Azure and Argent, not anything else. I have always thought that it is just decoration.

Regards

Chas

[macwilkin]

Hi Todd,

I don't think the Stewart of Garth explanation will work. The fesse chequey of the Stewarts is Azure and Argent as opposed to the Gules and Argent of the dicing. As you know, heraldicly they would be two totally different arms.



When one thinks of Stewart arms it is always the Azure and Argent, not anything else. I have always thought that it is just decoration.

Regards

Chas

Chas,

If you re-read my post, you'll see I stated that Reid dismisses the aforementioned theory of Stewart of Garth.

T.

[Chas]

Hi Todd,

Sorry about that, misunderstood completely.

There has been a long tradition of diced hat bands in the UK (Fire, Police, Ambulance). Fire had red/white; Ambulance had green/white and the Police had either Black/white or Blue/white. Fire and Ambulance personnel tend to wear different types of head gear now, so the diced band has migrated down onto the HiVis jacket. The police are now the only ones to still wear the diced hat band.

Regards

Chas

[Stratherrick]

Aye, it was a missing "w", and me so pedantic, well, most of the time

Whether it's an urban myth, I'm not sure either. The times when I have heard it brought up are in pubs and when I've been watching Scotland play international football matches. As regards the latter, some folks get away with it as they say that, for the day, they're in the Tartan Army!

I've never seen matters come to blows, but I have seen a few heated arguments. Maybe I'll write to the Scottish military to find out the sense and sensibilities of it all.

Cheers

Bruce

[macwilkin]

Aye, it was a missing "w", and me so pedantic, well, most of the time

Whether it's an urban myth, I'm not sure either. The times when I have heard it brought up are in pubs and when I've been watching Scotland play international football matches. As regards the latter, some folks get away with it as they say that, for the day, they're in the Tartan Army!

I've never seen matters come to blows, but I have seen a few heated arguments. Maybe I'll write to the Scottish military to find out the sense and sensibilities of it all.

Cheers

Bruce

Bruce,

I would suggest consulting with the Scottish Military Historical Society, or the aforementioned Stuart Reid.

I haven't seen any reliable documentation to support the claim, so for me, myth is a correct word to use.

T.

[Phil]

Maybe I'll write to the Scottish military to find out the sense and sensibilities of it all.

Cheers

Bruce

It would be an interesting one. Usually anything with extra ornamentation has a military connection. Civilian dress is a bit plainer.