How important are flashes ?

[Tasty Rabbit]

Are flashes an absolute necessity when wearing a kilt ?

[Downunder Kilt]

I find that if you are wearing kilt hose, the garters that they are attached to are mighty useful in keeping them up when walking and standing around all day. Also tends to keep the sgian dubh where you want it. If you are a wearer in the THCD style then they are part of your kit. There are no absolute rules and no kilt police.

[TheOfficialBren]

Plus one here. I usually wear my hose up and with garter self-ties rather than flashes.

On rare occasions, I do the Duncan MacKay thing... Hose scrunched or shorter hiking socks scrunched down. No garter ties, no flashes.

The best advice that I have gleaned is this:

Wear confidence. It's the best accessory.

[McMurdo]

When I wore the kilt daily, I tended to leave the flashes or garter ties off if I didn't feel like it, I also didn't wear a sgian dubh unless I was going somewhere special. My thinking was and still is that this is not a uniform it's clothing.

[mookien]

Are flashes an absolute necessity when wearing a kilt ?

Absolutely not.

[Alan H]

Wear confidence. It's the best accessory.

Spot-on, brother!

[OC Richard]

Flashes are one of the things that's changed over the years.

In the standardised 'traditional civilian Highland Dress' which has come down to us from the early 20th century, flashes usually worn.

In the 19th century not so much. In The Highlanders of Scotland (portraits painted in the 1860s) 55 men are wearing kilts and the area where flashes would be seen are visible.

Of those 55 only 15 are wearing flashes. All are red: 10 solid/plain red, the others with edging or stripes.

In the Army at that time flashes were always worn, scarlet, and worn fairly long, often around halfway to the ground.

I always wear flashes because I need to, to keep the hose in place. I suppose I could wear plain elastic garters but why not have that little flash of colour?

[Couper]

Score card:

Kilts = 8
Sporran = 1
Kilt Belt = 1
Kilt Pins = 2
Flashes = 0

YMMV

[John_Carrick]

I wear them because I like them (although not so much on hot summer days), but many don't. I often like to wear the matching tartan, but a solid colour is better regarded in Scotland and can be more tasteful.

[Mikilt]

I prefer garter ties, but I still wear flashes. I like them for accentuating a color in my kilt. But by no means are they necessary. Wear the kilt. Everything else is details.