Tartan flashes?

[Tobus]

Woollen twill tape is what you're looking for.

That is exactly what I've been looking for! I'd love to have traditional garters but I don't want to pay $24 per pair (the cheapest I've found them online). The price of this wool twill tape would let me have 3 different colored pairs of garters for that price.

What width of wool twill tape would be appropriate? I'm thinking 5/8" but I'm not exactly sure. Would 7/8" be too wide?

Also, if I buy this tape and make my own garters, what would be the best way to dress up the exposed ends? It kind of looks like all I'd need to do is perhaps run a stitch through the tape to bind it, then cut it about one inch below that and fray it out back to the stitch.

[slohairt]

The traditional wrap-around garter ties? Like the one I sell? They're not actually made from twill tape. They made from a thicker merino wool which is almost knitted as opposed to woven. They are about 36"-39" long and almost 1 1/2" inches wide. Incidentally, with the XMarks discount, I sell them for $22.50 CAD ($21.40 USD).

The style I was actually referring to in my earlier post is the more typical chevron cut loops which are sewn onto an elastic band which is then fastened together with cummerbund clips. Those are made from from 1 1/2" woollen twill tape.

[slohairt]

Is that a general point?

I think a tartan kilt, tartan waistcoat, tartan flashes with tartan (Argyll) hose can look good together.

Post a pic of tartan garters with Argyle hose! That way we can all judge.

[MacBubba45]

you are going to look like someone hit you with the Royal Stewart Stick,

Ha! Theres' a couple of people in the current LLBean catalogue that got hit by that stick!

[OC Richard]

When I got interested in Highland dress over 30 years ago I got every book I could find on the subject, travelled to Scotland to see the portraits in the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh etc. My "eye" is a result of all of that looking.

To my eye, tartan flashes look "wrong" because they're not in line with Highland dress as we can view it from 18th century portraits up through the 19th century etc.

They seem to have been cooked up rather recently. I suspect that they were invented by kiltmakers trying to find a way to utilise those leftover strips of tartan..."hmmm...a pity to throw those scraps out...but whatever is small and narrow enough to be made out of them? I know! Tartan flashes!"

Flashes have always been made out of material made in long narrow lengths, "ribbon" if you will. The regimental garters always seem to have been made of twill-weave worsted wool, always red.

Oddly, in the large collection of 1860's portraits The Highlanders of Scotland most men have no visible flashes. That surprised me because the regiments all wore visible flashes. In any case the flashes that do show are either plain/self-coloured/solid-colored or striped. The pipers of the Queens Own Highlanders wore striped flashes.

There are many things which should not be tartan:

[Rob Wright]

I do like tartan flashes with a solid colored kilt. Adds a nice bit of flash to my eye.

Rob

[Sammac]

With my last kilt I bought, I did not get matching tartan flashes. I like the solid one better, plus I can the solid ones with different kilts therefore being a bit frugal. I can see my dad smiling about that one.

[HarborSpringsPiper]

Oddly, in the large collection of 1860's portraits The Highlanders of Scotland most men have no visible flashes. That surprised me because the regiments all wore visible flashes. In any case the flashes that do show are either plain/self-coloured/solid-colored or striped. The pipers of the Queens Own Highlanders wore striped flashes.

I think this is an excellent observation and I too wonder what was going on there. Were they not using any garters at all? Were they using a woven tie garter without visible ends? Were they using elastic garters and didn't bother with flashes? Did the artist, MacLeay, just not capture this detail in some of his paintings?

Is there anybody else who is familiar with these prints that has anything historical to add regarding garter ties and flashes in the 19th century? Richard and I had previously traded an email over this and I was somewhat surprised to find that elastic dated back to 1820. I have no idea when it entered Highland fashion to keep one's hose "aloft".

[Zardoz]

I have tartan flashes that go with 3 kilts, my Nightstalker, Caledonia and X-Marks tartans. I wear the tartan flashes if they will go together well with the hose and rest of the outfit.
Example, if I'm wearing the X-Marks kilt with grey hose, the tartan flashes look good there. If I'm wearing charcoal hose, the tartan ones are a bit dark, so I'll usally go with light blue flashes for a little contrast.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I think this is an excellent observation and I too wonder what was going on there. Were they not using any garters at all? Were they using a woven tie garter without visible ends? Were they using elastic garters and didn't bother with flashes? Did the artist, MacLeay, just not capture this detail in some of his paintings?

Given Kenneth MacLeay's exquisite eye for detail, I suspect that in those water colours done for Queen Victoria where garters aren't to be seen, that they are under the turnover of the hose. 17 of the men depicted in the pictures do have garters so it seems doubtful the others were omitted by the painter. In addition to the 17 already mentioned, MacLeay's posthumous portrait of Prince Albert (done from a photograph) and his portrait of The Chisholm (done from life) show both gentlemen to be wearing garters.

Whether some of these garters are elastic... well, that's anyone's guess.