Next - A belted fly plaid with fringe. - MacGregor Tartan / 1920s/40s

[LaidlawBell]

Greetings once again.

The next piece I would like to share is what I believe to be a belted fly plaid. Correct me if I'm wrong. Also forgive me if I have this upside down / wrong way around. Looking at it I may have the belt turned the wrong way - Pleats should be visible?

Now I'm not too familiar with the history of this piece but from what I've read I understand " A "belted plaid" is belted around the waist with a "poof" of tartan hanging in front of the shoulder. Worn exclusively by officers in full dress and sometimes Levee dress". Taken from The Fly Plaid Archive at - http://forums.bobdunsire.com/forums/.../t-149170.html

Further reading includes - "The 'belted plaid' with the fringed edges and front 'fall', held around the waste by a narrow (usually tartan) cloth belt and at the left shoulder by the epaulette and plaid brooch was (and in many cases still is) worn with Full Dress by Sergeants and Warrant Officers, both in the Rifle Companys; in the Pipes and Drums/Brass Band, and in the 78th/2nd Seaforth/Seaforth Highlanders of Canada by all Drummers regardless of rank; and by officers.

There have been times when Regimental Custom has decreed that Pipers should wear the 'belted plaid' with Full Dress - most usually when pipers were engaged in Highland dancing as it is less cumbersome than tucking the end oif the big plaid into your belt.

I refer you to Colonel Murray's excellent 'The Music of the Scottish Regiments' (I'd give you the page # but one of my students has my copy!) which shows the pipers of the 79th wearing belted plaids cut to look like the old 'belted plaid' of yore.

This style of plaid is far more comfortable when playing the pipes - let's be honest, Colonel Lauderdale Maule's invention (piper's full dress) looks gorgeous when properly cared for and worn by someone tall and fit, but it is the least practical order of dress possible for a musician."


- Would this suggest that this piece may have be regimental? I do have a scarf with a name attached along with a number. Now I wonder if this could link with a former regiment. Forgive me for my ignorance. I'm still very much in the deep end when it comes to kilt attire. I should really upload all images into one thread - Including the kilt (To follow). I was hoping with your help I could get each piece documented one by one.

Note - The statement highlighted above are not my own words. Should anyone care to comment further with regards to the 'belted fly plaid, I would love to hear from you. As any info is good info in my eyes.

Item in question is show below. Note - Paris / Solide buckle and small metal hook.

DSC08823.jpgDSC08827.jpgDSC08828.jpgDSC08830.jpgDSC08833.jpgDSC08837.jpgDSC08839.jpgDSC08844.jpgDSC08845.jpg

[LaidlawBell]

The hook - DSC08851.jpg

[RectaPete]

As far as I know, belted plaids are usually regimental and sometimes used to this day, but I can't think of any British regiment that wore McGregor. So from my admitted inexperience I'd say it's civilian pipe band.

[LaidlawBell]

As far as I know, belted plaids are usually regimental and sometimes used to this day, but I can't think of any British regiment that wore McGregor. So from my admitted inexperience I'd say it's civilian pipe band.

Thank you for your comments. I think you may be correct in stating it may be a civilian type / pipe band. I would say it was tailored for a slim gentleman / larger boys. Chest of jacket approx 36. Waist of kilt - 33-30" - Drawers - 29".

Would the size of the sporran give us an indication as to whether it was made for man or boy -

Sporran -
Length 25 cm
Width 16.5cm
Depth 1cm

Total length including goat hair 45 cm

Chain length 28cm x 2

I will follow up with the kilt / scarf etc as soon as I can. Perhaps we can pin point exactly where this has come from.

All the best. Gillan

[MacRobert's Reply]

A six and a half inch wide sporran is an adult size Gillian. Adult cantles can be as narrow as 5 inches but are more commonly about 6.

[LaidlawBell]

A six and a half inch wide sporran is an adult size Gillian. Adult cantles can be as narrow as 5 inches but are more commonly about 6.

Thank you.

- It's Gillan rather than Gillian.

[OC Richard]

Those were called "belted plaids" in the 19th century and well into the middle of the 20th century.

In the military they were worn by officers from around 1800 up to now. (Other Ranks had a simpler plaid, without fringe or tab that goes through the epaulette, the subject of another ongoing thread.)

In the 19th century civilians tended to wrap a full plaid around the body, but in the early 20th century when Highland Evening Dress became more sleek these belted plaids became the standard plaid for Evening Dress.

The drummers in civilian pipe bands would often wear these too, leading to the modern misnomer "drummer's plaid". (In the military drummers wore the Other Ranks pattern.)

So your plaid there was probably worn by 1) an army officer 2) a civilian in Evening Dress or 3) a drummer in a civilian pipe band.

Isn't that MacGregor tartan? That's the tartan of The Essex Scottish (Essex and Kent), a Canadian regiment.

I can't find a photo of the old Full Dress being worn. Their current uniform doesn't seem to use the plaid