Personal Preference with Bonnets

[rebelrouser]

[

(1) - Balmoral or Glengarry? Balmoral

(2) - Tartan, diced or plain? Diced
(2a) - What colour? Navy
(2b) - What dicing colour? Navy
(2c) - What tartan?
(2d) - What toorie colour? Navy

Personally, myself, I own two Balmorals and two Glengarries. One of each is plain black. One of each kind is black with red/white/black dicing. Love them both. Personally I love the idea of tartan Balmorals and Glengarries, but dislike the current ones they sell. I wish they would start making the tartan bonnets without the sewing line that can be clearly seen round the top of the Balmorals and I've seen some Glengarries with a sewing line round the top.[/QUOTE]

[Holcombe Thomas]

Cold(er) weather: Balmoral, a very dark navy, with a red toorie.

Warm weather: A Tilley or, sometimes, a Panama hat, either of which keep the sun off my head, face, and neck better than the Balmoral.

Holcombe

[Profane James]

I only get to wear my ‘Scottish’ head cover during the cooler months in my parts - my ears and neck need shade for those other times.
For those cooler months, I have a few hand made tams from Gloria Holmes that diverge from the traditional kit, larger circumference, no toorie; historical look most likely.
I am, admittedly, comfortable with it probably due to awesome late 80’s/early 90’s American fashion styles.

[PatrickHughes123]

Cold(er) weather: Balmoral, a very dark navy, with a red toorie.

Excellent, loving it. You have great taste.

[kingandrew]

I like Balmorals and Tams. I have a maroon Balmoral with maroon and white dicing and a matching toorie. I also have a black Balmoral with red toorie and red, black, and white dicing.

Although Peter will not approve, I do have a Tam in the same tartan as my kilt, although I generally only wear it when the weather is too hot for the Balmorals. For running races in my Sport Kilt, I made a lightweight Tam using a terrycloth sweatband and some tartan-printed cotton cloth. It is definitely a costume item, but it does a good job protecting my head on race days.

In warm, sunny weather, I often sport a pith helmet with my kilt. I own a Tilley and many straw hats, but generally don't wear them kilted.

In my kilt bag, I also have a Royal Stewart Glengarry which my aunt bought when she visited Scotland in the late 1950s. Which makes it authentic tourist wear, although of a higher quality than you might find at tat shops today. However, it is too small for my head, so it is just a keepsake.

Andrew

[Tobus]

As a civilian, the only Scottish-style headwear I think looks appropriate for me is a Balmoral. I have three of them: a fawn-coloured one from glengarryhats.com, a Lovat green one from Robert Mackie, and a blue one (I would call it royal blue) with blue/white dicing and a grey toorie that was hand-knitted by a member here.

I just can't bring myself to wear a Glengarry. I come from a US Air Force family; my grandfather was a Colonel, and my father was a Lt. Col. I spent too much time on military bases seeing them wear their garrison caps or flight caps for me to ever see that shape of hat as a civilian style. When I see a Glengarry with a clan badge on the side, it reminds me of the hats worn by military veterans where they decorate them with patches and mini-medals. I'm not saying a Glengarry isn't a valid choice as Scottish civilian headwear, but my personal upbringing makes me shy away from that shape of hat since I associate it with a military style hat. And even if I didn't, it's just not a very practical choice of headwear in terms of warmth in the cold, shade in the summer, or protection from rain.

There are only a couple of months out of the year where the weather in Texas accommodates authentic Scottish-style headwear. It's just too hot and sunny to put wool on your head. A Tilley hat seems to be the most practical choice in the warm months.

[Good Egg]

I had tweed and hodden grey copies of my military TOS made, which are my normal kilted headress. For more formal occasions I'll wear a plain blue black Glen Garry. I'd like to get a shallower one as I find the current style of deep hats disagreeable.

If its sunny and I nned protection then I'll wear a Tilly and if its raining a leather hat. I was given a kangaroo leather one years ago and its still going strong.

[Arnot]

For more formal occasions I'll wear a plain blue black Glen Garry. I'd like to get a shallower one as I find the current style of deep hats disagreeable.

Robert Mackie could probably do this for you. They have done things like this before and are easy to work with.

[Father Bill]

If its sunny and I nned protection then I'll wear a Tilly and if its raining a leather hat. I was given a kangaroo leather one years ago and its still going strong.

The Tilley also works great in the rain if it's had a thorough application of Scotchgard. (Ironic name in this context.) It's my go-to option.

[PatrickHughes123]

[

(1) - Balmoral or Glengarry? Balmoral

(2) - Tartan, diced or plain? Diced
(2a) - What colour? Navy
(2b) - What dicing colour? Navy
(2c) - What tartan?
(2d) - What toorie colour? Navy

Personally, myself, I own two Balmorals and two Glengarries. One of each is plain black. One of each kind is black with red/white/black dicing. Love them both. Personally I love the idea of tartan Balmorals and Glengarries, but dislike the current ones they sell. I wish they would start making the tartan bonnets without the sewing line that can be clearly seen round the top of the Balmorals and I've seen some Glengarries with a sewing line round the top.

[/QUOTE]

Did you mean to say something else? You just quoted me.