The so-called drummer's plaids, worn by Highland military drummers and officers (and originally by other ranks) from c1800, and also long popular for civilian Evening Dress, are indeed fringed all round but also have a fold at the bottom, as they go up to a cloth belt at the waist. They were usually called Belted Plaids (but not to be confused with the ancient Great Kilt of the same name) but were also called fly plaids or Evening plaids.
They're a fairly heavy and complex garment and quite different in character from modern "fly plaids" which are merely a rectangle of cloth.
These traditional belted/drummers/officers/evening/fly plaids could be mistaken for a modern simple "fly plaid" when partially seen in a photograph, I suppose. In person the difference is clear.
I think you're right Richard (as was Sandy). It's been more than a decade (thankfully) since I've had to put on a #1 dress as a pipe band drummer. I didn't remember the plaid hanging as loosely as in those photos. Here you can see the drummer's plaid in action:
Last edited by SlackerDrummer; 1st March 11 at 03:00 PM.
Kenneth Mansfield
NON OBLIVISCAR My tartan quilt: Austin, Campbell, Hamilton, MacBean, MacFarlane, MacLean, MacRae, Robertson, Sinclair (and counting)
Originally Posted by OC Richard
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