mixing modes of TCHD

[OC Richard]

I see this from time to time, especially with pipers!

Mixing bits of kit from different modes of traditional civilian Highland Dress.

This is Pipe Major Willie Cochrane, and for sure he knows what kit goes together and what kit doesn't. There are loads of photos of him in Full Dress with feather bonnet, doublet, horsehair sporran, tartan hosetops, and spats and loads of photos of him in ordinary bonnet, Argyll jacket, "Day" sporran and hose.

But for some unknown reason he went half-and-half for piping in the haggis! Full Dress from the waist up, ordinary "day" dress from the waist down.



Here's the opposite thing, an entire band! Traditional civilian "day" dress from the waist up (tweed Argyll jackets) but Full Dress from the waist down



For those that aren't familiar with what traditionally "goes together" here are two gents in traditional Day Dress (flanking the military man, a Black Watch officer)




and here's a civilian pipe band wearing the civilian version of military Full Dress

[Jock Scot]

I think that we need to be very careful here, as generally speaking traditional civilian kilt attire is not the same as civilian pipe band attire. However, there is nothing wrong with me, for example, in my THCD(Traditional Highland Civilian Dress) picking up a set of pipes and playing a tune or two-----apart from, in reality, I cannot play them! But I hope you take my point.

I think we almost need to ignore the pipes when looking at the pictures(I stick a match box, coin, or something of the correct size over the pipes in a picture ) and then look at the kilt attire before making our minds up which attire tradition the piper is following. When doing this, most in my experience, follow the civilian band attire tradition and are not strictly THCD.

Does this "hair splitting" really matter? Well no, not in the real world. BUT is does on a kilt website such as this, where those who are interested are struggling to understand the finer points of traditional kilt attire. It does help hugely in future discussions if we are all reading from the same page.

[revdpatience]

May I just say that along the way, and to some degree unrelated to your specific theme in this post, this is a great example of a helpful photo regarding THCD.

Tweed jacket (note that the cuff style may differ), shirt and tie, kilt (worn closer to the top of the knee) with brown day sporran and simple kilt pin, self-colored hose (even tartan flashes) and black brogues. Bonnet? Sure, but not necessary.

It's this unaffected simplicity that I aspire to. These men are not wearing a special "outfit" for a special occasion; they're just wearing clothes.

I find your posts unfailingly helpful. Many thanks!

For those that aren't familiar with what traditionally "goes together" here are two gents in traditional Day Dress (flanking the military man, a Black Watch officer)

[Padraicog]

I see this from time to time, especially with pipers!



For those that aren't familiar with what traditionally "goes together" here are two gents in traditional Day Dress (flanking the military man, a Black Watch officer)

"Two gents" is a little understated for two of the most significant pipers of the 20th Century. On the left is Wee Donald (Pipe Major Donald MacLeod MBE) and the right Capt John Maclellan MBE

[Tomo]

Apparently this is from Luss Highland Ball 1928 - looks like a bit of mix and match going on, even back then...

[Blaidd]

Here's the opposite thing, an entire band! Traditional civilian "day" dress from the waist up (tweed Argyll jackets) but Full Dress from the waist down

The second picture is quite 'the norm' for military bands (pipes or otherwise) when rehearsing. Saving the 'best' jacket for the actual event, while still becoming familiar with the weight etc of the rest.

[OC Richard]

"Two gents" is a little understated for two of the most significant pipers of the 20th Century. On the left is Wee Donald (Pipe Major Donald MacLeod MBE) and the right Capt John Maclellan MBE

Yes indeed!

The thing that inspired me to take up the pipes was my father's copy of John MacLellan's Folkways solo piping album (a big thin black piece of plastic that spins around and somehow sound comes out).

I listened to it over and over, every note burned into my young memory.

And having no pipers around to teach me, I learned from "the Green Book" and Donald MacLeod's set of instructional albums (more rotating plastic!)

So both men's playing guided me from the get-go.