Kilt pin vs. broach

[MichiganKyle]

I know kilt pins are considered "optional", but I rather like them and nearly always wear one. My question is this: is it improper to use a broach-style pin (like for a plaid) in place of a more normal kilt pin? I've seen some really interesting designs that are more in the broach category (mainly due to the shape - symmetrical/round rather than a more vertical orientation), but I've always stuck to more of a normal vertical kilt pin shape. Just thinking some variety might be nice, if it isn't too much of a faux pas.

As a follow-up question, if anyone does that, would be: are they typically be worn in the same place as a normal kilt pin (further up than in from the corner, kind of mirroring the proportions of the pin itself) or would it typically be more symmetrically inward from the corner (same amount up as from the side)?

[ThistleDown]

MichiganKyle, look through these thirty-nine pages of kilt pins worn by XMarks members: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...lt-pins-64703/

[Katia]

Most of the plaid brooches I've seen are pretty big-- as in 2-3+ inches. I'm thinking they might look a bit strange as a kilt pin?

[MichiganKyle]

Most of the ones I've been eyeing have looked smaller, but I will keep an eye on the actual measurements. Lots to look at on that thread. Thanks!

[Tomo]

Certainly in many old photos (Victorian/Edwardian) you will see kilt pins that are round - so on that basis no faux-pas in my book - and, as mentioned above on the "show us your kilt pins" thread you will see plenty of variety.

The only think against this, is to think about size or scale. Otherwise, in my view, anything is better then the fairly trite, mass-market sword and clan badge pins (yes - I will admit to having had these in the past).

Personally, I prefer antler, horn or wood pins as they are more organic looking - but I do have 2 that are essentially re-purposed brooches (and think some of the Scottish agate brooches of yesteryear would also do the trick):

[Father Bill]

In terms of shape & style, this is my favourite, but it would never do for a broach as it is far too small - about 2"

[MichiganKyle]

That's about the size and almost exactly the style I was looking at. Good to know. Thanks!

[Father Bill]

That's about the size and almost exactly the style I was looking at. Good to know. Thanks!

Well, it's a Celtic Cross on Clergy tartan, so it goes rather well together. That particular one is sterling silver from Ian Grant's in Edinburgh. I don't have that kilt any longer, but I wear the same pin on my Sinclair modern kilt and take great pleasure in it.

[OC Richard]

is it improper to use a brooch-style pin (like for a plaid) in place of a more normal kilt pin?

A plaid brooch would be a huge kilt pin! I've never seen anybody do that. (I'm talking traditional purpose-made plaid brooches which are 3-4 inch diameter.)

I've seen some really interesting designs...symmetrical/round rather than a more vertical orientation

As best I can tell, our modern traditional kilt pins, usually sword-based, sometimes a dirk or axe (they're usually vertically-oriented weapons) began appearing/getting popular sometime after the end of WWI. By the 1930s they were considered a basic part of a Highland outfit.

The offerings in a Forsyth catalogue, 1960 (probably by Robert Allison)



In Victorian times kilt pins weren't all that popular, and you don't see the 20th century style ones. Usually kilt pins were either an ordinary blanket pin, or were round, like a miniature cap-badge, with the clan crest on it.

Clan crest regalia was hugely popular in Victorian times, and the same crest-in-a-circle badge in different sizes would be worn as a cap-badge, plaid brooch, and kilt pin all together. The same crest, without the circlet, would appear as a sporran badge and on buckles.

Here, in MacLeay, the man on the right wearing matching crest-in-a-circle badges on bonnet, plaid, and kilt. Also the clan badge, without the circlet, appears on his sporran. (Note that neither man is wearing flashes, another thing that wasn't terribly popular in Victorian times, but became common after 1900.)



By the late 19th century the Clan Crest fad was over, only to come roaring back around 1980.

There's a current pipe band that wears clan crest cap badges on their kilts, Boghall & Bathgate.

are they typically be worn in the same place as a normal kilt pin?

There's really no standard or rule about where any type of kilt pin should be worn, other than somewhere more or less close to the fringe.

Personally, if wearing a jacket I like the kilt pin around halfway between the bottom of the jacket and the bottom of the kilt. To me it looks odd when people wear pins way down in the very bottom corner of the front apron, where, by the way, they are more likely to catch on things. (Like Boghall & Bathgate above, if I was them I'd move those badges up a few inches.)

Most Scottish Highland regiments didn't wear kilt pins, one that did was the Gordon Highlanders, who wore a plain blanket pin. As you can see they wear it higher on the kilt than you generally see kilt pins worn. (I do believe that that elderly gent has more medals than the Duke!)

[MichiganKyle]

A plaid brooch would be a huge kilt pin! I've never seen anybody do that. (I'm talking traditional purpose-made plaid brooches which are 3-4 inch diameter.)

Oh goodness, no. I wasn't thinking something of that size, merely the same proportions.

I tend to wear my kilt pins at a similar height to your Boghall & Bathgate picture, but nearer to the outer edge of the front apron. It does tend to catch on things more (quite frequently on my headphone cable at work), but it also does serve the stated functional purpose of keeping the outer edge of the apron from blowing in the wind too much. To the point where I've been out and about and noticed the outer apron flapping in the wind more than I'm used to before realizing that I forgot to put the kilt pin on after washing.