kilted 35 years but forum newbie

**OC Richard** · 22nd October 09, 04:12 AM

Hi everyone!

I began playing the GHB 35 years ago this year (1974-2009) and with that, of course, came kilt-wearing.

Back then, with no internet, the process of learning about Highland dress was hodgepodge and catch-as-catch-can. All I knew about it was from the photos on the covers of the two albums my father had, the very albums responsible for my getting interested in the pipes.

One photo was of a piper in the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band in Full Dress. Everything below the cantle of his sporran wasn't seen. The other was a full-length photo of Pipe Major John MacLellan playing pipes in Day Dress. Imagine my confusion, seeing the leather day sporran in one photo and the top of a metal cantle in the other. I had no idea about horsehair sporrans etc.

My first kilt was made by my grandmother, who knew nothing about kiltmaking whatsoever. Looking back, it really wasn't all that bad considering we didn't know what we were doing. The fabric came from House of Fabric and was just a commercial plaid: tan background with large navy stripes and smaller lines of navy, black, and red. Living out in the Desert (Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs) I thought this "tartan" handsome and fitting. I've even thought about creating my own tartan now and loosely basing it on that old kilt.

My first big "ah-hah!" came when I saw the Black Watch on tour in 1975 (or was it 1976?). The programme was chock-full of photos of members of the Black Watch in Full Dress, No1 Dress, and No2 Dress. Now I knew was Highland Dress was all about- at least as worn in the Army. To this day I have a soft spot for the uniform of the Black Watch as it's the first time I saw a pipe band in person and the first time I saw Highland Dress in person.
In the programme also was an advert for The Scottish Shopper in Seattle. I sent off for their catalogue and it was quite a revelation and I learned a lot about civilian Highland Dress from its pages.

Shortly after this I went to my first Highland Games, in Santa Monica. It was 100 degrees on the field and some pipe bands were wearing Full Dress!

I went about trying to piece together a Full Dress uniform. My grandmother made a 2nd kilt for me, this of actual tartan (MacDonald of the Isles Hunting) and I fringed a full plaid. By accident I came across used full tartan hose in MacKenzie which matched my kilt perfectly.

My first doublet was one I made, taking a black suit coat from Goodwill and altering it into a doublet complete with flaps and cuffs and lace/braid and all. It actually came out pretty good- I think I have a photo of me wearing it somewhere. Along the way I bought spats and a waistbelt and crossbelt and horsehair sporran. I won $300 in a logo design contest and I bought a feather bonnet. I also made a tweed Day jacket by altering a Harris Tweed sportcoat bought at Goodwill.

I moved to Greater Los Angeles in 1976 and around 1978 joined my first pipe band. This band had a wonderful Full Dress uniform which it wore for gigs and the day I got issued all that stuff I felt like I had won the lottery. The entire uniform was the Real Deal made by Thomas Gordon and Son, Glasgow. Those doublets were made from heavy Melton and weighed a ton and were covered with gold lace/braid. The kilts and full plaids were made of 16oz Strome and it was the first time I had worn a real Scottish-made kilt.

Back at that time I was very interested in the dress of the Highland regiments and I read everything I could find on the subject. Much of this knowledge has stayed in my noggin and to this day I can immediately spot all the little inaccuracies (and big inaccuracies) worn by re-enactor types at Highland Games.

I'm still a Highland Dress enthusiast and I love seeing interesting and properly worn HD at various Games. I've been to the World Pipe Band Championships a couple times and it's fantastic to see 230 bands from all over the world in all their glory (unless it's pouring rain all day and all anyone sees is 8,000 pipers and drummers in black rain capes).

Greetings all! Richard