A new House of Edgar collection

[OC Richard]

Traditional garters were striped, not tartan. Here's a are a couple of 18th century pairs.

I'm a bit bleary-eyed as I got up at 3am to watch the Live Stream of the World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green.

Nevertheless as always I'm watching what the bands are wearing. Trends include:

-Tweed instead of Barathea. A decade ago every top band would be wearing black Barathea with silver buttons. This year only three of the 14 Grade One bands were, the rest in tweed (mid-grey, dark grey, deep blue, and one in black).

-The death of black kilt hose. Since the 1970s it's gone cream > pure white > black > any dark colour except black. This year two of the 14 bands might have been wearing black, but it's hard to know because except in direct sunlight some of the "charcoal" hose can't be told from black.

-Striped garter flashes. From being unknown in the past (except for certain military bands) this year 5 of the 14 bands are wearing striped flashes. Three of these were the red striped Scots Guards pattern.

-Visible knees. For some reason band people are wearing their kilts higher these days, even the drummers! If I'd not seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3p9ofFuBE

What didn't become a trend was the return to Balmoral bonnets. The 78th Fraser Highlanders last year wore them, the first band to do so since the 1970s.

I thought they might be cutting-edge trend-setters. No. This year they remained the only band doing so, except for the Oman pipe band, who has always worn them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKEA...&start_radio=1