Black Watch spats

[OC Richard]

One wouldn't think so, but the most difficult thing to acquire when putting together a Black Watch style uniform are the spats.

Spats are spats, no? No, they varied a bit from regiment to regiment, and the Black Watch's were/are the most divergent, having squared off toes.

Here in SoCal we have a "42nd Highlanders" pipe band, and a group of Black Watch reenactors, and I've yet to see a single one of those people with the correct spats.

So, I've been slowing putting together a Black Watch 'impression' (the reenactor jargon for your persona). I chose Pipe Major not out of megalomaniacal self-aggrandizement but because 1) the crossbelt hardware is far easier to acquire and 2) the position is more suitable for my age and appearance.

Here's what I had to work with for the spats, a pair of new never-whitened spats I've had since the early 1980s and never worn. Happily they're the large full cut often seen on old Army spats, there was plenty of material there.

Underneath is a spat with the seam opened, lining removed, and pressed. On top is a spat pinned to the new shape.



Here they are toe to toe. (I should mention that the wide rounded shape on the left was worn by the Gordons, Seaforths, Argylls, and Camerons; the square shape on the right was worn by The Black Watch; the pointy shape seen in J Higgins spats wasn't worn by any Scottish regiment.)



Here are both spats sewn to the new shape. One still needs its strap reattached.



Here are the finished things, treated with white shoe polish, worn with shoes, and showing my fat pale calves to good effect



Here's what I wore today to Old Fort MacArthur Days (a big reenactor gathering). Most of this uniform remained unchanged from the mid-19th century to today. The footwear, kilt, sporran, and belts would have been worn in a variety of orders of dress (Full Dress, Service Dress, with the white No3 Dress, etc). My jacket is the tropical/warm weather cotton version of the wool Service Dress tunic introduced in 1908 and my overall uniform was worn from then well into WWII.



I also made the pipe ribbons, kilt ribbons, and put together the crossbelt (the subject of its own thread a while back)

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...project-81704/

[unixken]

I have to offer up a compliment here. I've seen you post a great number of photos over the 2 years I've been on this forum, and I admire the attention to detail I always see in your apparel. Whether it be something on the ceremonial/performance end of the scale, or just a decent casual or day-wear look, your photos are always easy to admire. Well done, sir.

[OC Richard]

thanks! That outfit was a longstanding goal of mine, reaching back to the first time I saw The Black Watch on tour in 1976. Since that time I've always regarded their kit as the nicest-looking piper's kit there is.

Yes I've always had that attention to detail, stemming from my reenacting days back in the 1970s (Civil War). Reenactors always seem to have that attitude, that nothing less than perfection is acceptable, and it rubbed off on me!

[Elizabeth]

Very nice "hack" on the spats! Nice job on the uniform, I appreciate your attention to detail as well.