Bamoral tails (or no balmoral)?

[pdcorlis]

I have a deep navy blue Balmoral and wear it whenever the temperatures are cool enough. As for tails - I like em untied.

[Macman]

I leave mine untied too; just habit, I guess, since I'm married .

[Joe Gondek]

I'm no expert But:

In Thompson's Book "So your'e going to wear the kilt"
this book is sort of the unofficial guide to Kilt wearing in the U.S.

Thompson states that they should be tied up in a bow and the ends trimmed short. He futher says that to leave them long and trailing behind your head
makes you look like a school girl.

But He is gone now and things may have changed
thats why Hamish needs to write a new book or at least make a video

[McClef]

I just found a new explanation on the tails on

http://www.myclan.com/clanship/tartan/wearing.php

"One observance of bonnet-wearing which is military in origin is that Lowlanders allow the ribbons behind their bonnets to fall, while Highlanders tie them in a knot."

[bikercelt1]

I tie my Balmoral ribbons in a square knot first and then tie the remaining ribbon in a bow. I tried to figure out how to keep the bow "Horizontal" but I couldn't do it until I tied the square knot first. The Bow kept slipping and comming undone but now it rarely ever comes undone. I don't know why this matters since the bow is primarily decorative but it's what works for me.

I tie the Balmoral ribbons but I leave the Caubeen ribbons loose on the theory that it's a military cap. I don't actually know if this is correct form or not (anybody know?) but whenever I wear the Caubeen somebody will want to "correct" me about leaving the ribbons loose.

Jamie

[macwilkin]

I tie my Balmoral ribbons in a square knot first and then tie the remaining ribbon in a bow. I tried to figure out how to keep the bow "Horizontal" but I couldn't do it until I tied the square knot first. The Bow kept slipping and comming undone but now it rarely ever comes undone. I don't know why this matters since the bow is primarily decorative but it's what works for me.

I tie the Balmoral ribbons but I leave the Caubeen ribbons loose on the theory that it's a military cap. I don't actually know if this is correct form or not (anybody know?) but whenever I wear the Caubeen somebody will want to "correct" me about leaving the ribbons loose.

Jamie

All of the Irish regiments who wear the caubeen I have seen do NOT tie up the ribbons.

T.

[pdcorlis]

I just found a new explanation on the tails...
"One observance of bonnet-wearing which is military in origin is that Lowlanders allow the ribbons behind their bonnets to fall, while Highlanders tie them in a knot."

Funny, I've lost the link to the site - but I've read the exact opposit of this; lowlanders = bow, highlanders = loose ribbons. Go figure...

[McClef]

Funny, I've lost the link to the site - but I've read the exact opposit of this; lowlanders = bow, highlanders = loose ribbons. Go figure...

Oh the delights of the internet - it presents more than one side!

[bikercelt1]

All of the Irish regiments who wear the caubeen I have seen do NOT tie up the ribbons.

T.

Thanks Todd, I should have known you'd have the answer close to hand.

Jamie

[A Hay]

I have two Balmorals. The first is a lovat green and I tied the tails in a bow. The second I got from glengarryhats was supposed to be khaki, but it really is a darker brown. I cut the tails off this one.

I like wearing the Balmoral with other civilian clothes in cooler weather, but the tails seem to me to be a nuisance when hanging down and not particularly "manly" when tied in a bow in back with regular civilian clothes. With a kilt, tied bows are OK for me.

I may be somewhat influenced by all the Army soldiers wearing their black berets here on Post. What they have to go through to get their berets looking right would be another thread in itself.

My next Balmoral will be tan. I want something to go with traditional light tan khaki pants.

Some of the pics in the link below show my Lovat Green Balmoral.

Regards,

Tom