Fly plaid advice.

[Sir Didymous]

From a few of the topics I read doing a search to make sure that my question is a new one, I gathered that there aren't many on here that care for fly plaids in general. I do have a question though. When wearing a fly plaid should it always be of the same tartan as the kilt or are there some exceptions. More specifically, can one wear their clan tartan for their kilt and an organizational tartan or the like for their fly plaid? For example could a US Marine with the name of Farquharson wear their kilt in the Farquharson tartan and a fly plaid in the US Marine tartan? I'm a minister and am decended of the clan Ferguson and was considering a kilt in the clan tartan and a Clergy fly plaid.

[piperdbh]

One certainly could wear two different tartans, but one shouldn't. It looks funny.

[Cygnus]

The general rule that I've heard is that tartans should only be mixed with tartans of the same clan/family - so a hunting tartan kilt with a modern tartan plaid, though maybe not the best look, would be perfectly acceptable. Mixing other tartans, so far as I know, is generally viewed as a no-no.

Here's an example of mixing tartans (but no plaids in sight) - Prince Phillip is wearing a Royal Stewart tartan kilt and a Balmoral(?) tartan waistcoat:

[BBNC]

Are my eyes deceiving me, or is Chas wearing loafers in the picture? I figure if it's good enough for the Royals, it should be good enough for me.

[Chas]

Are my eyes deceiving me, or is Chas wearing loafers in the picture? I figure if it's good enough for the Royals, it should be good enough for me.

I think you will find that they are a single buckle dancing slipper. A 100% indoor shoe - so yes a kind of loafer, but more up-market with a very soft sole.

Regards

Chas

[OC Richard]

What would make a "fly plaid" in a different tartan from the kilt look odd is that the very purpose was to simulate the appearance of the "great kilt" or "belted plaid"; here's the original garment all in one piece



and when they seperated the kilt into the "little kilt" the army devised a garment called the "belted plaid", worn in Full Dress, to simulate the old great kilt. These "belted plaids" as they have always been called are a rather heavy, complex, and expensive garment, made of three seperate pieces of tartan, and fringed all round with rolled fringe



The modern "fly plaid" is simply a square of tartan with plain fringe and is, more or less, a cheap copy of the traditional "belted plaid".

Anyhow it is seen sometimes, the wearing of full plaids/long plaid in a contrasting tartan, because the long plaid isn't simulating anything. Look close (not at the DM, at the pipers)


and one often sees the odd plaids or semi-cloaks or whatever in USA "Irish" pipe bands of a different fabric than the kilt, but of course these costumes are a c1900 creation

[mookien]

... I'm a minister and am decended of the clan Ferguson and was considering a kilt in the clan tartan and a Clergy fly plaid.

There's no law against it, but I wouldn't do it, and would not recommend it, but who knows? You might start a whole new fashion trend.

[Chas]

I once saw a man wear a regimental weight kilt (18-22g). He also wore a fly plaid that was only 11-13g. It was also in the faded/muted colours. So although the threadcount was exactly the same the set size was different and it looked different because of the colours. Although it was the same tartan and in all other respects he was very well turned out - the whole look was just wrong and jarring.

That was with the same tartan. I cannot think that wearing two different tartans would improve the look.

Regards

Chas