Pantless Saturday / new bonnet

[Dale-of-Cedars]

I had two functions to attend Saturday; the BC Highland Games in the morning and a Gala Night at our local playhouse in the evening.
Granted I went over the top for the latter, the acceptable dress range for the 'Gala' started with shorts and flip-flops, but I don't have any black-tie events on my calendar for the next decade.
20140621 - BCHG_DHH01.jpg20140621 - LPGMAN_DHH01.jpg
My 'new' bonnet is a black 2nd-hand $5 Kangol wool beret with a new maroon/green toorie I made last week, following Charlie Thompson's instructions.
20140614 - Kangol bonnet_DHH01.jpg

[rtown]

Looking good. Also I like the two color toorie you made. Really cool.

[ASinclair]

Well done sir. I especially like your daywear jacket.

[Stan]

LOL..LOL..I like your statement about about "going over the top"....And I say Bravo to you..Just yesterday after noon I had a conversation about this very subject, and how it's NICE o get dresses up now and then. In fact, in my conversation with friends yesterday when I mentioned organizing a black tie event just so we could all have a "dressed up evening" i wasn't met with any groans, but rather a lot of "Yha,..that sounds like fun" from every one there....So,. besides looking good for both your outings, I also think that you did humanity a service by going "formal"....

You weren't over dressed, they were under-dressed. I'm suspect that your evenings formal attire sparked a few "I told you so's" later on that evening.

AND, one last time...BRAVO for you!!

[Benning Boy]

Just for the record, I'd like to see you post pictures and remarks about your new bonnet in the beret thread in the How to Accessorize forum. It might help someone looking for info in the future.

[Dileasgubas]

I love the fly plaid paired with the claret hose. They somehow seem to balance out. Great look!

[Nathan]

Just for the record, I'd like to see you post pictures and remarks about your new bonnet in the beret thread in the How to Accessorize forum. It might help someone looking for info in the future.

Funnily enough, I completely agree with you on this point. That picture could be very helpful for someone on a shoestring budget, especially if there was a place others could get a wool kangol for $5 outside of the thrift shop lottery.

There are berets and there are berets. The kangol beret pictured is a very different style than the military beret and Dale chose an excellent one to do a DIY conversion to bonnet. My old leather banded military beret wouldn't do the job but this one works quite well. Adding the toorie helps a great deal. It also helps that this civilian beret has no hard backing for a bonnet badge in the wrong place.

Dale: you're already looking quite smart, but if the spirit ever moves you, you can pick up some ribbon at Fabricland and make a cockade and trim the band. If you did, you'd have a unique, traditional, and bespoke looking Balmoral for a fraction of the retail price. The ribbon band will also help the hat keep its shape as you wear it and sweat on it.

[Dale-of-Cedars]

Funnily enough, I completely agree with you on this point. That picture could be very helpful for someone on a shoestring budget, especially if there was a place others could get a wool kangol for $5 outside of the thrift shop lottery.

Will do. It was fun and didn't take long.

There are berets and there are berets. The kangol beret pictured is a very different style than the military beret and Dale chose an excellent one to do a DIY conversion to bonnet. My old leather banded military beret wouldn't do the job but this one works quite well. Adding the toorie helps a great deal. It also helps that this civilian beret has no hard backing for a bonnet badge in the wrong place.

I actually stitched in a backing of some semi-flexible plastic with punched holes for the badge pin. The Kangol is unlined and very soft, so the badge (heavy pewter) wanted to flip forward and hang down by my ear without support.

Dale: you're already looking quite smart, but if the spirit ever moves you, you can pick up some ribbon at Fabricland and make a cockade and trim the band. If you did, you'd have a unique, traditional, and bespoke looking Balmoral for a fraction of the retail price. The ribbon band will also help the hat keep its shape as you wear it and sweat on it.

LOL, I actually bought the 1.5" ribbon at Fabricland for a cockade based on the original Crawford arms; red (Gules) and white (Argent or Ermine), 2 days before the games. But with my better half grand-mothering down in California this month I didn't have time to sew it up.
Hmm, I hadn't thought of trimming the band; it's soft and nicely elastic as it is. Like the diced curling tam I also got second-hand. Do knit bands tend to loosen with age?

[David Thorpe]

I have a few of these already made up. PM me your shipping address if you'd like one.
NewCockade.jpg

[briansbarkery]

David, What do the ribbons represent on your clan badge?