Front apron design/layout

[egreen_1979]

Hello! I’m having a kilt made (Lamont tartan), and wondering what sort of layout do you all prefer for the front apron. The tartan is black watch based but with a white dominant stripe in the green section of the tartan. Do you prefer the dominant stripe/strong element down the center of the apron like a +? Or do you prefer the “weak-element” section of the tartan centered, so the dominant stripe looks like an H?

[Steve Ashton]

It's a visual thing. Most people's eye prefers symmetry.

Here is a Black Watch Tartan apron as an example.

This looks Off somehow -
Even if you can't put your finger on what is off.



While to many people this looks OK -

[egreen_1979]

Steve, thank you for the input and a revelation. The black watch example you provided pointed out a detail I had overlooked! The Lamont tartan is basically the same but with a white stripe in the (weathered in this tartan) green section. But this isn’t the pivot point! The pivot point on this tartan is one of the double black stripes. Ok, well that solves my own personal dilemma. However, when looking at pics of regiments that use the black watch or Gordon tartan, the dominant stripe is centered on the front apron, even though that stripe is not the pivot point. But the McKenzie tartan is usually shown with the red stripe centered, which I believe is a pivot point.

[OC Richard]

regiments that use the Gordon tartan, the dominant stripe is centered on the front apron, even though that stripe is not the pivot point...

Yes I think it makes more sense to base the judgement on what looks "right" when the kilt is worn, rather than the place a weaver considers the pivot point, if indeed the two are in difference places.

I should point out that in the (former) Gordon Highlanders the officers' and other ranks' kilts varied as to where the yellow line was placed, one had the yellow line centred, the other had the mid-point between two yellow lines centred.

You can imagine the yellow line being white to see how Lamont would look with both styles.

Here, a private and a corporal with the yellow line centred.



Here, officers with the mid-point between two yellow lines centred.

Note the elderly veteran in the lovely check tweed jacket had served as an officer: both his kilt and his cap-badge denote this.

[OC Richard]

BTW Lamont was a military tartan worn by the 74th Foot, here in 1845.

It looks like the piper (the pipers were the only kilted members of the regiment) has a white line centred on the front apron.



BTW in the early 19th century the names "Lamont" and "Forbes" were used interchangeably for the same tartan, which would be woven with or without black "guards" to the white line at the weaver's discretion. Now this small detail is anachronistically used to distinguish between Lamont and Forbes. (cf. Wilsons 1819 Key Pattern Book, with notes by Peter MacDonald.)

[super8mm]

Hello! I’m having a kilt made (Lamont tartan), and wondering what sort of layout do you all prefer for the front apron. The tartan is black watch based but with a white dominant stripe in the green section of the tartan. Do you prefer the dominant stripe/strong element down the center of the apron like a +? Or do you prefer the “weak-element” section of the tartan centered, so the dominant stripe looks like an H?

If you go over to Lamont Society of North America on FB and scroll through you will see several of us with our kilts on.