balmoral

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Just to weigh in on the dicing issue, I've never come across any resources that would indicate the wearing of dicing on the bonnet (or any particular color or style of dicing) was indicative of loyalties one way or another. I could be proven wrong, mind you, but I've just never come across anything that would suggest this except in a very modern context, and (as Todd has said) without any primary references being cited.

Regardless, today the decision to wear a bonnet with or without dicing is strictly a matter of taste.

M

[Panache]

The site touted by Todd happens to be the one put together by our own Matt Newsome.

...and it is a must read for anyone interested in kilts!

Cheers

Jamie

[Archangel]

And of course you all know that a chequered band around a Balmoral or Glengarry signifies allegiance to the British crown. Maybe want to get the scissors out.

Wouldn't all Highland/Scottish troops have to swear allegiance to the British crown (which, after all, is Scottish anyway, whoa, let's not go there)?

[Peter C.]

I always wear the balmoral with the ribbons tied in a neat little bow at the back as they do in the regiments. In fact, a regimental tam comes with a pseudo bow sewn on to the back. On my glengarrys (glengarries?), I let 'em fly--again, like the regiments. I figure they've been wearing 'em a long time, and what we wear is mostly a copy of the military style anyway. And there's something kind of cool and devil-may-care about those flying ribbons on the back of a glengarry that just doesn't look the same on a bonnet.

But whatever you do doesn't really matter. At the worst someone may think you're "out of style," but, for man wearing a kilt, I always figure I'm setting my own style anyway.

And I should offer the caveat that I am somewhat conservative in most things, so I am more likely to go along with conservative ways of doing things than some would. I am old, and I do not like change! Ha!

You said everything I was thinking of saying, so I will just second your statements Jim. Or---Good old Jim---as they say.

Peter

[GlassMan]

I've both a glengarry and a balmoral and wear one or the other depending on how I feel that day. However, I've always left the ribbons loose.

How exactly does one tie the ribbons? And does anyone have a pic of properly tied ribbons? If it looks nice I just might try it.

[CactusJack]

I just recently purchased my balmoral, got it through The Celtic Croft. I wear mine with the ribbons loose

[mcvarmit]

this topic seems to have a long shelf life.

semper fi

slick

[Graywolf]

My glengarry has loose ribbons, the balmoral has tied ribbons. Thompson's book explains how to tie them. After reading too my wife that the loose ribbons on a balmoral indicate availablility of the wearing for members of the opposite sex, (I think this was once again from Thompson's book - as folklore only) she rapidly tied the balmoral ribbons.

[MacWage]

Here is a pict of some I tied (back of my X Marks bonnet). Of course, I MADE the balmoral, so I was able to make ANY style I wanted without having to adapt anything or cut/retie anything.

Tip:
Tie a KNOT before you make the bow. If done right, it is easy to make a bow like the one I did.