Question about flashes...

[Joe Gondek]

when wearing knee pants in 18th century, garters are a simple thin leather strap with flat buckle.

It would be an easy matter to slide a modern style flash over the strap

[TheBrus]

when wearing knee pants in 18th century, garters are a simple thin leather strap with flat buckle.

It would be an easy matter to slide a modern style flash over the strap

Are these any relation to nicky tams? Anyone ever heard that cornkister? Does anyone know the origin of the name nicky tams?

[creagdhubh]

To me, red flashes are always absolutely spot on and work well with virtually any form of traditional Highland dress - day and/or evening. On another note, check out the sett of the Ogilvie tartan that chap is wearing in the advertisement above, wow!!!

Cheers,

[M. A. C. Newsome]

To me, red flashes are always absolutely spot on and work well with virtually any form of traditional Highland dress - day and/or evening. On anothe note, check out the sett of the Ogilvie tartan that chap is wearing in the advertisement above, wow!!!

Cheers,

I have always been tempted to get a kilt in that tartan. :-) It's the sett with the mist recorded color changes in a single sett repeat.

I have a great-grandmother in my family who was a Storey, which is supposed to be a sept of the Ogilvie clan, so you never know... one day you may see me in one of those!

[creagdhubh]

I have always been tempted to get a kilt in that tartan. :-) It's the sett with the mist recorded color changes in a single sett repeat.

I have a great-grandmother in my family who was a Storey, which is supposed to be a sept of the Ogilvie clan, so you never know... one day you may see me in one of those!

Do it Matt! I would love to see the Ogilvie tartan being worn, as I have never actually seen it worn in person, but I have always had this odd fantasy of wanting to, hahaha!

If I wasn't such a staunch wearer of Macpherson (Chattan) tartans only, I would most definitely have a kilt made of the Ogilvie tartan - could one even have this complex sett pleated to the stripe if they so preferred?!

Cheers,

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Do it Matt! I would love to see the Ogilvie tartan being worn, as I have never actually seen it worn in person, but I have always had this odd fantasy of wanting to, hahaha!

If I wasn't such a staunch wearer of Macpherson (Chattan) tartans only, I would most definitely have a kilt made of the Ogilvie tartan - could one even have this complex sett pleated to the stripe if they so preferred?!

Cheers,

Generally when this tartan is pleated the kiltmaker has to create a pattern for it, as it would be impossible to pleat to either sett or stripe given the huge repeat size.

[creagdhubh]

Generally when this tartan is pleated the kiltmaker has to create a pattern for it, as it would be impossible to pleat to either sett or stripe given the huge repeat size.

Intriguing indeed. I've always been quite fascinated by the Ogilvie tartan - i.e., it's colour scheme, complex sett, historical apsect, etc. If someone ever commissioned an Ogilvie kilt to be made by you Matt, or if you ever decide to make one for yourself, it would be very interesting to see this process being done, step by step. Either way, photos of each particular step would be awesome - perhaps a nice topic for your blog - this is all hypothetically speaking, naturally.

Cheers,

[The Wizard of BC]

Overthinking this topic just a bit.

Garters to hold up one's hose, and keep them from bagging around the ankles, have been around a long time. Lady's and men's fashion have included hose and/or stockings long before modern elastic. If you look at drawings and paintings as far back as the 16th Century you see pantaloons breeches, plus 4's etc. paired with stockings.

What to do, what to do? The folks of those days could wait around for the invention of elastic, but baggy ankles have always been seen as less than well mannered.

There is a line in the record of Captain, Sir Francis Drake's ships stores logs for 50 pair of garter buckles. C. S. Forrester in his Hornblower series makes reference to the Naval uniform including stockings, garters and buckles. The order of the Garter and our own Clan Crests show a strap with a buckle of a type similar to those described earlier.

Ribbons, cords and ties have been used with clothing for a very long time and the use to hold up your stockings is well known. Our modern idea of flashes hanging from an elastic band is probably a fairly modern development. At least since the development of synthetic elastomers. I suppose natural rubber could have been used before. but the point I am trying to get across is that just because we, today are used to elastic with flashes hanging down does not mean that something to hold up your hose was not used before elastic.