Which Hat or Nae Hat?

**48HofC** · 21st July 17, 05:29 AM

When David Sterling created the SAS the original beret colour proposed was in fact white. Because they originated in Egypt and desert warfare was first and foremost, the sand colour was adopted out of pure logic. At one point some squadrons wore the maroon ones once the desert campaign ended, but tan was the proper one that won out in the end.

**MacKenzie** · 21st July 17, 06:20 AM

I can't fathom how someone could see a green Balmoral and identify it as a military "green beret".

**ctbuchanan** · 21st July 17, 06:57 AM

plantbadge.jpg

This is the Oak/Acorn badge I spoke off.

**FossilHunter** · 21st July 17, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by MacKenzie

I can't fathom how someone could see a green Balmoral and identify it as a military "green beret".

Yes. This is what I was getting at. There seem to be a number of colors that are traditionally appropriate for balmorals that are also used in military berets. Pale blue (lovat blue), tan (fawn), shades of green, and even black.

How likely is it that anyone will think that someone in a dark green balmoral (with toorie and clan badge) is claiming to be a green beret? How far are we expected to go to avoid being accused of "playing soldier?"

I think benning boy has it right that without insignia, it is really just a hat.

**FossilHunter** · 21st July 17, 07:59 AM

As for the balmoral previously posted in "special forces green." That just sounds like marketing to me. I think the hats on that site come from Pakistan and are not directly associated with any military; Scottish, American, or otherwise.

**Taskr** · 21st July 17, 08:05 AM

Military caps and hats have mostly been adopted from civilian headwear of various era. I would think that as long as the wearer is not trying to make any usually civilian head covering "look military" there should not be a problem.

**ctbuchanan** · 21st July 17, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by MacKenzie

I can't fathom how someone could see a green Balmoral and identify it as a military "green beret".

The green balmoral I wear
balmoral_green.jpg

And the Special Forces Beret - I agree with all that it would be a stretch to confuse the two.

green-beret.jpg

**Sparky McFizzlenuts** · 21st July 17, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by ctbuchanan

The green balmoral I wear
balmoral_green.jpg

And the Special Forces Beret - I agree with all that it would be a stretch to confuse the two.

green-beret.jpg

I am not a member of the SF regiment, however I am an honorary member of the Special Forces Association and have had some pretty significant contact with them here in the states, both the regiment and with JFKSWCS via my work with some Special Forces veterans and Montagnard tribesmen. I can say, with pretty fair confidence, that the average SF guy or vet isn't going to give anyone wearing a forest green balmoral with (or without) a kilt a second look. You toss a flash and crest on a green military beret and pull the stolen valor crap - while wearing a kilt, you will be eating the beret, kilt and sporran rather quickly should any of them find you :-)

**OC Richard** · 22nd July 17, 05:00 AM

Keep in mind that Balmorals are not berets.

A recurring thing in this thread is wanting to compare/conflate the two.

They have nothing to do with one another, they stem from different traditions and so forth.

In civilian Highland Dress, the dark green used on bonnets, jackets, and hose is usually called Bottle Green and has no military connexions or connotations, so you can put all those worries out of your mind.

In civilian Highland Dress the beige used on bonnets is called "fawn" (as pointed out above) and likewise has no military connexions or connotations.

Highland military No1 Dress doublets are an extremely dark green, nearly black, called Archer Green.

Highland military bonnets worn with No1 Dress are an extremely dark blue, those worn in combat and in several other forms of dress are the colour called "khaki" in the UK which corresponds to "olive drab" in the USA. (The military shirt colour called "khaki" in the USA is called "stone" in the UK.)

Just to get all that UK/USA colour nomenclature clear.

Anyhow yes if you're in civilian Highland Day Dress any of the traditional civilian bonnet colours is fine and none of them have any military connexions or connotations whatsoever. They're purely civilian colour choices.

Commonly seen are fawn, Lovat green, Lovat blue, St Andrews blue (all somewhat pale colours) and deeper colours such as royal blue, bottle green, claret, navy blue, and black.

Some modern gents at a Scottish Highland Games (the Argyllshire Gathering) showing a range of bonnet colours

The Scottish military Tam O Shanter or TOS in khaki (US olive drab) is made of woven yardage cut and sewn to shape, unlike traditional Balmoral bonnets which are knit and shaped.

**FossilHunter** · 22nd July 17, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Keep in mind that Balmorals are not berets.

A recurring thing in this thread is wanting to compare/conflate the two.

They have nothing to do with one another, they stem from different traditions and so forth.

In civilian Highland Dress, the dark green used on bonnets, jackets, and hose is usually called Bottle Green and has no military connexions or connotations, so you can put all those worries out of your mind.

In civilian Highland Dress the beige used on bonnets is called "fawn" (as pointed out above) and likewise has no military connexions or connotations.

Highland military No1 Dress doublets are an extremely dark green, nearly black, called Archer Green.

Highland military bonnets worn with No1 Dress are an extremely dark blue, those worn in combat and in several other forms of dress are the colour called "khaki" in the UK which corresponds to "olive drab" in the USA. (The military shirt colour called "khaki" in the USA is called "stone" in the UK.)

Just to get all that UK/USA colour nomenclature clear.

Anyhow yes if you're in civilian Highland Day Dress any of the traditional civilian bonnet colours is fine and none of them have any military connexions or connotations whatsoever. They're purely civilian colour choices.

Commonly seen are fawn, Lovat green, Lovat blue, St Andrews blue (all somewhat pale colours) and deeper colours such as royal blue, bottle green, claret, navy blue, and black.

Some modern gents at a Scottish Highland Games (the Argyllshire Gathering) showing a range of bonnet colours

The Scottish military Tam O Shanter or TOS in khaki (US olive drab) is made of woven yardage cut and sewn to shape, unlike traditional Balmoral bonnets which are knit and shaped.

To be fair, someone shared a link to a balmoral bonnet marketed as "special forces green" and another poster suggested that it may be inappropriate to wear a "significant coloured bonnet" to an event where there would be numerous military veterans.

I don't think anyone made the claim that berets and balmorals were the same. It was simply pointed out that if one cannot wear a bonnet in dark green because a military unit wears hats in that color, than you will quickly run out of available color options since military berets of almost every color used in balmoral bonnets exist.

I do however agree with your position that a balmoral in any color, when worn with civilian clothes (an sans insignia) should be considered appropriate.