today's Worlds dress

[OC Richard]

I was up at 2:45am Pacific time, cafe mocha in hand, to watch the first World Pipe Band Championships since 2019.

Today (Friday) was intended to be the Grade One Qualifier, however since the number of bands entered didn't exceed the number which were to be promoted to the Final tomorrow (14) today and tomorrow feature the same bands.

It was announced that a total of around 150 bands were competing this year, down from (as I recall) around 225 bands pre-Covid.

Some bespoke tartans made their Worlds Grade One debut today, I post photos of them here http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...45#post1400145

As usual competition breeds conformity, for example all of the Grade One bands pleated their kilts to the stripe, all were wearing waistcoats sans jackets, all wore Glengarries and ghillies, all but one wore white shirts, and all but three wore striped ties.

The change which has already taken place is that none wore white hose and only one wore black; the remainder were dark blue or dark grey.

Another change which appears practically complete is that only three bands wore the black Barathea/silver button waistcoat; in 2014 all but a couple bands wore them.

Most bands are wearing tweed waistcoats now, with imitation staghorn buttons, in deep blue or dark grey.

About the bagpipes, looks like every band except for Saint Lawrence O Toole is wearing dark blue covers, nearly all with silver trim, none with gold.

All of this is disappointing to me, as I had predicted bands moving towards brown tweeds and earth-toned tartans.

The punctuated equilibrium of the Pipe Band world is taking its own sweet time getting around to the punctuating part.