Is a 1 ¼” (31.75mm) badge too small for a glengarry cap?

**Kriegbert** · 21st November 21, 05:38 PM

I bought a lovely brooch I want to use for my glengarry cap badge, but it’s much smaller than the more typical 50mm glengarry badge or 40mm Balmoral badge.

will it look odd? I was thinking if I had the ribbon proportionally smaller to frame the brooch in proportion it might not look too off.

note I do not have any clan affiliation etc so want to use a piece of regular jewellery for the glengarry

**Jock Scot** · 22nd November 21, 12:48 AM

If you like it then wear it. If its small then I doubt anyone will notice. If anyone does notice and makes a critical comment, then sentence one applies.

**Kriegbert** · 22nd November 21, 01:41 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

If you like it then wear it. If its small then I doubt anyone will notice. If anyone does notice and makes a critical comment, then sentence one applies.

I love it! I suppose I just don’t want someone staring because it’s too small! Or worse yet criticizing!

**Hauge** · 22nd November 21, 01:46 AM

Put it on, and have a look in the mirror.
(take a picture, now You're at it) ;)

**Jock Scot** · 22nd November 21, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by Kriegbert

I love it! I suppose I just don’t want someone staring because it’s too small! Or worse yet criticizing!

Most people have good manners and don't pass comment. What they see may not enthuse them and they will usually hold their council.

The truth is, that if you are going "off piste" with your attire as a conscious decision, then you are laying yourself open for comment, even if its a silent one. So get used to it.

**OC Richard** · 22nd November 21, 05:32 PM

The Scottish regimental cap-badges worn on Glengarries by the Highland regiments were all rather large, and I think that seeing those colours my instincts about what size badge looks proportional. (Obviously the regiments thought so! They could have made the badges any size they wanted.)

Clan cap badges became super popular with Victorian civilians, and they tended to be proportional too.

Here's a Mackie Glengarry and Balmoral demonstrating the two sizes of cap-badges made by Carrick. To my eye each looks "right".

When I see a Pipe Band wearing the Balmoral-sized badges on their Glengarries they look small to me.

**Pleater** · 22nd November 21, 09:31 PM

Presumably it is to be a permanent feature on your glengarry, so perhaps it could be made to look a little more than it is by making a needlework setting for it using something like a patch of ribbon to create a different texture as a background then creating a ring around it using gold or some suitable colour of cord couched down so that the overall effect is something like the belt on the clan badges to enclose the irregular outline of the badge.

That would enhance its impact considerably and should not be beyond most people handy with a needle.

Anne the Pleater

**Ninehostages** · 22nd November 21, 11:01 PM

That's military beret size.

**Bruce Scott** · 22nd November 21, 11:43 PM

I think it's going to look pretty odd. This beret badge is 1.25" wide x 1.75" high and it looks out of place on both a balmoral and a glengarry.

IMG_0920.jpg

**Kriegbert** · 23rd November 21, 06:29 AM

I’ve found some brooches that are wreaths—basically circles with empty spaces in the middle, so I might place the brooch I lik e inside that to frame it—I think that’ll work splendidly

actually, does anyone know where one can find clan badge garters without the crest inside?