Interesting trend I've noticed forming around plaids

[creagdhubh]

I have been wearing one for years. I too like the look better than the simple fly plaid.

I agree, and I tend not to wear the plaid for evening attire, however, I do sometimes wear a "blanket" or "Laird's" plaid for day attire-typically at the annual, summer Clan Macpherson gathering in Badenoch.

[OC Richard]

These were called "belted plaids" in the old days and in the military they were worn in full dress not only by drummers but by all officers and sergeants of the Highland Regiments throughout the 19th century, up to when Full Dress was abolished in 1914.

Here are two officers, one in Full Dress, one in Levee Dress, both wearing belted plaids:



Here's the belted plaid in 1852:



They were also quite commonly worn in civilian dress throughout the 19th century right up until now.

Here are pipers wearing belted plaids:






And here's a civilian wearing a belted plaid in the 1860's:



They show up in the vintage Highland Dress catalogues I have, for civilian Evening Dress, for example in this Lawrie catalogue from the 1930's



and this old Henderson catalogue:


These are called "belted plaids" in all the vintage catalogues I have.

The term "belted plaid" was fine at that time because nobody wore the 18th century belted plaid/great kilts anymore, and in fact they were an attempt at continuing the look of the old great kilt. Nowadays calling them "belted plaids" might be confusing because so many people are wearing 18th century belted plaids/great kilts.

As far as I can tell "fly plaids" are rather recent and are essentially an economy or budget version of the belted plaid. They don't appear in my vintage catalogues spanning the 1920s through the 1950s. The interesting thing is that I've heard the belted plaids worn by Highland sergeants in the later 19th century up until 1914 called "fly plaids" but I don't know if that was just a different name for their belted plaids, or if these were actual "fly plaids" in the current sense, a belted plaid lacking the belt.

[creagdhubh]

Thanks Richard! I especially love the image of the Macpherson clansman in one of your catalogues! He looks quite smart in the breacan glas!

Yours aye,