Garter Tie Manes

[Blake Roth]

I have had garter ties for some time now that I purchased from Scottish Trading Company. Since then I have noticed that many ties worn by others seem to have the fringes bobbed; any road, they're shorter than mine. I am wondering if I was supposed to shorten them myself. They seem to be a little shy of the length touted by other vendors and thus I always use the most basic tying method to get them around my calf (and I have slim calves) just to have some fringe showing. It feels a tidge trivial, but I'd rather not be doing the garter tie equivalent of leaving basting stitches in my pleats
Advice is most appreciated.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Blake,

Pictures might help. Did they look like these when they came to you?
http://www.scottishkilthose.com/trad...l_garters.html

I would not normally expect there to be any after-market work you have to do with your garters, they should be just fine to wear as they are. How long is the fringe on yours?

[rlloyd]

Maybe the issue isn't from the garter length, but from the turn-down size of the hose?
Also, here's a video by someone *points up* on how to tie them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h08uYRMx7A

[Blake Roth]

Mr. Newsome,
As the saying goes, a picture's worth a thousand words. The fringes on my sets seem to be double the length of the ones from the trade photo you've linked. When I wear them, if I don't tuck some up into the cuff, it puts me in mind of the feathers on a draft horse. When I see other pictures of ties worn, there usually is a bit of the un-fringed part peeking out just under the cuff line-or in shots of those in Hunting breeks, a goodly portion of the tie is visible.
Measuring them now the solid bulk of the tie is 29 inches with each fringe being 3 to 3and 1/2 inches long themselves on either end. If I recall correctly, name brand ties run about 36 inches, which explains why I can't use but the simplest wrap and tuck method with these.
To rlloyd:
I have noticed that too, especially the difference between common hose with the diamond cuffs and regimental hose (like from WPG) where the cuff is supposed to be very wide. I actually like the wider, but as the diamond cuff type are so available I have more of those. When I put them on, I usually end up double folding them. Believe you me, when I bought my ties I watched all the instructional clips from the museum over and over.