When to wear the Balmoral

[Colton Gunning]

Hello Freinds,

My question pertains to what and when is the proper occasion to wear a Balmoral Bonnet, is it now odd to wear it due to a possible loss in popularity, was it originally military or civilian? If it is still appropriate to wear, what is the proper occasion to wear it, is it everyday wear similar to a base ball cap in modern times or is it similar to a graduation cap, is there a certain color it has to be or are there any offensive colors that should not be worn...i.e. military, royalty, ect. Also since I am still younger than most people who wear a kilt would it look weird to wear a balmoral or even disrespectful?

[Jock Scot]

Short answer. As long as its not indoors then, whenever you like.

The longer answer is. The colour matters not, although sober colours are more usual. In truth, most civilian kilt wearers in Scotland in particular and Scots in general usually go bear-headed unless the weather requires the head to be covered. Personally I wear the balmoral fairly regularly kilted or otherwise and quite often when shooting or fishing when there is a stiff breeze blowing and anything with a brim tends to blow away.

In the sun.





In the rain.


In the country.


On the Normandy cliffs(Point Du Hoc)


In the wind.


Usually not at all.

[Tarheel]

I am a hat wearing guy (my whole life had head gear). I wear the type of hat that fits the elements and feeling I have for presentation of the day. I wear a Glengarry with semi-formal during football games when I'm among a crowd. I wear a bandana or ball cap when working, A Stetson when playing with old bikers at rallies, and on - and on. I would wear a balmoral as an alternative when, 1) for warmth, 2) kilted casually, 3) around other kilties at Highland games. You may be able to adopt the Balmoral as a comfortable alternative to any normal American choice of cap. Set a trend if you're so inclined.

[Cavalry Scout]

I'm with Jock!

[Mikilt]

I just got my first balmoral and I find that I wear it just about any time I am kilted. It snowed here today and I wish I had my balmoral!

[TheForrester]

I've worn the Balmoral (which, I've always heard, is civilian, the Glengarry is military) anywhere I need something warm or sun blocking on me head, whether in the kilt or occasionally not. Nowadays, I proudly wear the one that belonged to my late father.

Western style hats also occasionally find their way onto the head, even an official red beret when I'm in Scouter uniform.

The Balmoral can be worn anywhere you would wear a cap.

[Father Bill]

Rspectfully, neither Balmoral nor Glengarry is more or less military nor civilian than the other. More mythology.

[Dughlas mor]

As is evidenced by one of Jock`s great photos, you don`t need to be wearing a kilt to wear your Balmoral. I must say, though, Colton, if I lived where you do I doubt I would be wearing a Balmoral very much. May you be blessed with cool weather!

[freep]

As I understand it, the Balmoral grew out of the much earlier broad bonnet. I further understand the broad bonnet was not only wide in form but also widely distributed amongst the Scottish population. The tam o shanter seems to be the missing link between the two, though that's just a guess on my part.

[OC Richard]

My question pertains to what and when is the proper occasion to wear a Balmoral Bonnet, is it now odd to wear it due to a possible loss in popularity?

It's a fashion thing, especially in the Pipe Band world. In the 1960s and 1970s nearly all Pipe Bands wore Balmorals. I have photos of Highland Games in the 1960s and there are no Glengarries and no Ghillie Brogues to be seen in them. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s fashion changed and Glengarries were nearly universally worn by Pipe Bands. Now Balmorals are starting to make a bit of a comeback.

In the non-piping Highland Dress world Balmorals have always been the most popular hat, I think I'm safe in saying.

The Balmoral is the surviving original Scots Bonnet, going back to our earliest images of Highland Dress.

About when to wear a Balmoral, as a purely practical matter, it's when the air is cold and there's no sun.

was it originally military or civilian?

Like nearly every aspect of Highland Dress, the Balmoral started out civilian and was later adopted by the Army. Almost everything in the dress of the Highland regiments can be shown to have civilian origins, despite the widespread myths about various things being "military".