Matching tartan flashes?

[Jock Scot]

I personally like flashes, both of the plain colours and matching tartan variety. They can be used to match or contrast with your kilt, or jacket, or shirt, or tie, or pocket handkerchief. While Steve's assessment of their origin is undoubtedly correct, you can be sure that your tartan flashes will not unduly clash. I think it quite probable that scraps of tartan, likely matching one's kilt were regularly used to hold one's socks up.
If you like 'em, wear 'em. The keepers of the THCD rule book here have no police. Develop your own style, and that can include defying the XMarks THCD rule book.

Slainte

There is no rule book with THCD that I am aware of. There are things to consider for sure, but the whole essence of THCD is individual choice within a fairly deep knowledge of Highland attire matched to the occasion it is worn.

Just saying.

[Tenmiles]

Thank you!
A deep knowledge is something I'm still a long way towards developing, and I do recognize that there is leeway for individual style; but as is said in the form of archery I practice, one should master the art before thinking one knows enough to set the rules aside.

[Liam]

There is no rule book with THCD that I am aware of. There are things to consider for sure, but the whole essence of THCD is individual choice within a fairly deep knowledge of Highland attire matched to the occasion it is worn.

Just saying.

My rule book comment was written with my tongue firmly in my cheek.....

[Jock Scot]

My rule book comment was written with my tongue firmly in my cheek.....

It never hurts to be clear on these matters though. It would be a real shame if people reading the posts seeking advice, were to get the wrong end of the stick, would it not?

[Liam]

It never hurts to be clear on these matters though. It would be a real shame if people reading the posts seeking advice, were to get the wrong end of the stick, would it not?

Ok, then to clarify, there is no such thing as a THCD rule book, and there never has been. THCD is a concept developed here to convey norms of dress for various occasions. Within these norms there is considerable flexibility to allow for personalization which would include the wearing of tartan flashes, for example. The comment earlier in this post to the effect "that it isn't done" is simply trying to make something black and white, which would be the military approach where indeed rules are in place to make things "uniform"' hence the name. All this being said, as a civilian you are free to adopt norms, or not, and indeed forge your own fashion path, where ever it may take you.
In simpler terms, if you like it, wear it!
Cheers

[Tenmiles]

Thank you Liam and Jock,
I believe I have come to understand as much, particularly after reading the thread on THCD here.

As for grasping the wrong end of the stick, well, it could be argued that's the story of my life, but surely that's another conversation altogether!

[Jock Scot]

Actually Tenmiles, it is not really you or Liam that my comments were aimed at. My targets, two, are those coming along in the future reading this thread, as they most certainly will, and it is they that might grasp the wrong end of the stick, and experience tells me that it is a devil's own job getting them to let go of the wrong end of the stick, never mind getting them to grasp the right end!

Without, I hope, being a boring old buffer, I have been around this website for more than a wee while now and know full well that some cleaver and studious types have a habit of quoting a past post to make their point based on what was written in times past and often out of context. Even now there are still, those that have been involved on the sidelines of the long, numerous and sometimes tedious THCD discussions, that STILL think that THCD has rules.

[Liam]

Actually Tenmiles, it not really you or Liam that my comments were aimed at. My targets, two, are those coming along in the future reading this thread, as they most certainly will, and it is they that might grasp the wrong end of the stick, and experience tells me that it is a devil's own job getting them to let go of the wrong end of the stick, never mind getting them to grasp the right end!

Without, I hope, being a boring old buffer, I have been around this website for more than a wee while now and know full well that some cleaver and studious types have a habit of quoting a past post to make their point based on what was written in times past and often out of context. Even now there are still, those that have been involved on the sidelines of the long, numerous and sometimes tedious THCD discussions, that STILL think that THCD has rules.

And all along I thought you were just using your stick, and hopefully the right end to "stir the pot". And since this thread is not about sticks, or pots, but flashes, I'll sign off.
Cheers to you Jock and Tenmiles....

[Taskr]

I do have tartan flashes of my kilt's material. I don't wear them much at all, but won't throw them out. Have used them when the occasion seems right. I am gathering up a collection of colours, though, having seen on this forum and as worn by others how that little bit can be appealing to the overall look of the outfit. Not unlike and pocket hanky in some ways, I suppose.

[OC Richard]

For somebody interested in the origins and traditions of things, like me, it's not only a matter of tartan flashes looking untraditional, it's the idea of making flashes out of woven yardage, then cutting them to size and hemming and stitching them.

For flashes have always been made, even up to today, of special cloth tape woven for the purpose to the correct width.

Traditionally this cloth tape is woven with a zigzag/herringbone pattern, of worsted wool. The tape is usually plain but is sometimes striped.

Here are modern flashes made of the traditional stuff; note that it is not hemmed but specially woven for this purpose to the correct width



Originally you would wrap a length of that tape round your leg and tie a knot, like this



Striped flashes, something that does make an appearance in The Highlanders Of Scotland, survive in the army, in the red ones worn by pipers of The Scots Guards and green ones worn by pipers of The Highlanders; again, they are made of worsted tape woven for the purpose to the correct width



In any case, though I can't remember ever seeing such, flashes made from woven tartan ribbon, made to the correct width, would not look untraditional to me.

Tartan flashes made from the kilt fabric strikes me as a way for kiltmakers to use up their leftover bits (you have a large number of those every time you make a kilt, when you cut out the pleats). Rather than throw all those bits away, the kiltmakers started making flashes out of them, the bits being too small for anything else.

As an aside, the same thing has happened with drone ribbons. These were always made from actual ribbon, silk, woven to the correct width. Nowadays one sees drone "ribbons" cut and hemmed and sewn from tartan yardage. These look both untraditional and ungainly to me.

Here is a Pipe Major of The Black Watch showing the traditional silk drone ribbons; note the scale of the tartan is suited to the width of the ribbon, and much smaller than the kilt and plaid