Sock Decorations

[bubba]

Those are called flashes. Essentially they're colored ribbon for decoration attached to elastic garters to hold the hose up. The colors I like best are ones that pick up one of the colors in the kilt. As for the length, it should hang a couple inches or so below the turnover of the hose. I also made a pair of garters without flashes for those times I don't have appropriately colored flashes, they're just elastic straps with velcro on the ends.

[Blu (Ontario)]

You can buy everything you need to make flashes from the fabric section at Wal*Mart or other department store. Get a yard of the grosgrain fabric ribbon and a packet of 3/4" wide underwear elastic and you'll have enough for sevarl pair. They can be simple or fancy depending on personal preference. You can buy the commercially made ones for $10 or more. And your kiltmaker can make some from wool to match the kilt. I find that the black ribbon goes with just about any color or style of kilt.

Good luck

[Robin]

Flashes are nice! You can buy them or make them yourself.

There also tartan flashes to match your kilt (sometimes you get them with your kilt, sometimes you must order them seperatly)

About kilt socks (they're called hoses...don't ask me why)...the pure white hoses are for pipers, the off white/cream/arran hoses are worn when dressed up. All other colours (oatmeal/stone, lovat and navy blue, lovat and bottle green, charcoal etc.) are for more casual occasions.

[Andrew Breecher]

About kilt socks (they're called hoses...don't ask me why)

Indo-European *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal"
Proto-Germanic *khusan "covering"
Old Norse: hosa
Middle High German: hose "covering for the leg" (pronounced "hosa")
German: Hose "trousers" (i.e. Lederhosen)
English c.1100 hosa "covering for the leg"

Hosiery is first recorded in 1790, from Middle English hosier "hose-maker" (1403).

Andrew.