Perhaps a little odd, but beautifully turned out

[OC Richard]

In general well turned-out, but I would have them pay more attention to their hose-tops worn with spats. The pattern stops at one point and the hose become marl, and they shouldn't be pulled up high enough for the marl portion to be seen.

Usually with hose-tops the end-point of the pattern is obvious and that's the point which should meet the top of the spats.

They should figure out which portion of the hose is the front centre-point and all have the same number of diamonds showing.

Here they are, in closeup, hosetops all ahoo



The other slightly odd-looking thing is the way they must wear their feather bonnets pushed back in order to have a portion of their forehead visible; it's an understandable accommodation, but nevertheless different than the way things were traditionally done in Scotland.

There's a longstanding peeve of mine about Full Dress bands having the drummers and Drum Major wear the piper's wide black leather crossbelt and waistbelt. These have been, since introduced into the army in the 1840s, for pipers only. The drummers and Drum Major should wear narrower white waistbelts, and the Drum Major (if he so chooses) a white sword belt with single sword belt plate.

[Just Hugh]

I was just wondering if they ordered their stuff from the crappy suppliers in Pakistan!

[Ron Abbott]

In general well turned-out, but I would have them pay more attention to their hose-tops worn with spats. The pattern stops at one point and the hose become marl, and they shouldn't be pulled up high enough for the marl portion to be seen.

Usually with hose-tops the end-point of the pattern is obvious and that's the point which should meet the top of the spats.

They should figure out which portion of the hose is the front centre-point and all have the same number of diamonds showing.

Here they are, in closeup, hosetops all ahoo



The other slightly odd-looking thing is the way they must wear their feather bonnets pushed back in order to have a portion of their forehead visible; it's an understandable accommodation, but nevertheless different than the way things were traditionally done in Scotland.

There's a longstanding peeve of mine about Full Dress bands having the drummers and Drum Major wear the piper's wide black leather crossbelt and waistbelt. These have been, since introduced into the army in the 1840s, for pipers only. The drummers and Drum Major should wear narrower white waistbelts, and the Drum Major (if he so chooses) a white sword belt with single sword belt plate.

My peeves are seeing spats being worn which are baggy and do not fit properly, and spats which are not ironed with a sharp crease down the middle.

Not sure about full clan hose but with diced hose tops a rule used to be that no matter how tall you were, there should only be three full 'diamonds' showing above the top of the front of the spats.

Although feather bonnets have commonly been worn straight on the head and covering most of the forehead for decades, it wasn't always the case. In the 1800s they were often worn at a jaunty angle. A somewhat similar situation to the wearing of glengarries. A case of fashions changing.

[Ron Abbott]

I was just wondering if they ordered their stuff from the crappy suppliers in Pakistan!

Not all 'highland related' goods coming our of Pakistan are crappy. I'll give you that most I've come across are, but not all. I had custom cap badges (for glengarries) made in Pakistan some years ago and they were very good quality and made of solid brass.

I also know some other people who have purchased highland/pipeband gear/accoutrements from Pakistan are were very happy at the quality/price.

From my own experience, glengarries bought from there have an awful tendency to start dripping black colour all down your face and clean shirt on a rainy day!!

I've also seen samples of a sporran and a waistbelt/buckle from a company in Canada before, samples that had originated in Pakistan and they were awful.

Clearly (bad) copies of ones made by Wm Scott & Sons, the sporran maker in Edinburgh.....but nothing like the same quality. I subsequently paied a bit more and received excellent service and quality items originating from Scotts. Hopefully did my bit to keep a genuine Scottish craftsman in business.

[Farmer Jones]

I was just wondering if they ordered their stuff from the crappy suppliers in Pakistan!

I very much doubt it. They are after all Hindu. They very likely had much of it made in India.