Balmoral Hat

[AndrewSinclairYoung]

Thanks for all the updates and photos.

What do you all think about wearing a Balmoral without a clan pin? Is that weird - should it always have a pin?

[Jock Scot]

Thanks for all the updates and photos.

What do you all think about wearing a Balmoral without a clan pin? Is that weird - should it always have a pin?

I would not trouble about it , if I were you.

[Tobus]

What do you all think about wearing a Balmoral without a clan pin? Is that weird - should it always have a pin?

A clan badge isn't necessary, although the cockade can tend to look naked without something on it. Its purpose (on modern style bonnets, anyway) is pretty much to act as a backboard for a badge. If you don't want to wear a pin, you could put something else there instead, even if it's just a plant badge stuffed into the cockade, or any sort of decoration you like. Or, you could remove the cockade entirely if you don't need it. It's probably more common to see a Balmoral without a cockade than to see one with an empty cockade.

[jock gray]

As a Follicle deprived person, as soon as the weather turns cold or windy then the Tilly, comes off and on goes the Balmoral. (Kilt or No Kilt)

[Jock Scot]

OCR.

Regarding the picture of the group of the Scottish Society, Edinburgh,(post 4 in this thread) I wonder if the picture was indeed taken in the evening? Remember Scottish daylight hours continue well into the evening in June. In the month of June and early parts of July, daylight here is for about 20 hours a day. Even then its never actually dark, more of a twilight.

On reflection there does not appear to be any leaves on the tree branches, evergreen Ivy is present on the tree trunk though, so maybe the picture was taken during the day and in winter/early spring? Anyway, I tend to imagine that it was one of those posed pictures that were fashionable at the time that may not actually reflect any dress trend accurately at all.

Sorry, but forming an opinion on a picture without knowing the circumstance can lead one to make false assumtions which is far from helpful on occasion.

Just saying.

[OC Richard]

Very good point Jock!

Which I should have considered! I've been in Scottish daylight at, what, 10pm, 11pm in the Summer?

It was my Latitudinal bias to equate daylight and daytime.

In any case I think I see at least one gent clutching a bonnet in his hand.

About forming an opinion based on a photo, that's what historians have to do, use the evidence they have.

I doubt that anyone still living was there when that photo was taken, nor are there likely to be letters or diaries recording the event becoming public record, so all we have is the image itself.

Thus we have no choice but allow that photo to tell its own tale (a group of men in Evening Dress outdoors in daylight, as you point out the exact hour cannot be known).

[Jock Scot]

Very good point Jock!

Which I should have considered! I've been in Scottish daylight at, what, 10pm in the Summer? Something like that.

In any case I think I see at least one gent clutching a bonnet in his hand.

I think sunset at that time of year would be about 2200. I have fished much later than that in good light right through to sunrise. A wonderful experience---------as long as the midgies stay away and its not raining!

[kingandrew]

I tend to wear a balmoral any time I'm outside kilted and the weather is cool enough. I have a lighter-weight tam I wear in warmer weather and a pith helmet for the hot summer sun.

My favorite balmoral is a maroon one with dicing, so that's the one I sport most often. With black tie, I wear a black balmoral, with a red toorie and dicing, but I of course remove it indoors.

Regarding the gents wearing evening dress in the daylight, it seems possible to me that they posed at that time to take advantage of the light for the photo. Early photography required more light and longer posing times, both of which might have made it harder to get a good shot at an actual evening event. So that's one more possibility to add to the mix.

Andrew