THCD Photo Examples

[CMcG]

<snip>
P.S. Sorry for hijacking your really excellent thread, David.

Yes, *ahem* I believe this was supposed to involve photographs illustrating examples of THCD (see thread title). I'm all for the discussion and debate, but we need pics to support the words, rabble!

[beloitpiper]

Does this one count? There's a beard in this photo!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

MoR, I think you missed the point of my question, but I probably didn't phrase it very well. I'm already in the convinced column regarding ghillie brogues not being worn with formal attire. I'm wondering why the variety seen today are dismissed as appropriate shoes by some for daywear since they are in fact country shoes of a sort.

Ken, I rather think you summed it up when you pointed out that most gentlemen (Scots at least) already have a pair of shoes suitable for wear with the kilt. There is a secondary consideration as well; "country clothes" are best worn in their natural habitat: the country, and are viewed by many as out of place in an urban environment. For the sake of argument I think we can all agree that Highland games are a country sort of event, and that they are, probably, the natural habitat of the ghillie brogue (or any other stout "country" shoe). However, once one leaves the country environment of the games, the ghillie brogues become as out of place as a tweed suit and brown shoes in the dining room of Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair.

Likewise I am sure that others (both here and abroad) tend to view them as more-or-less marching band regalia and, like the white socks associated with the hired kilt trade, eschew them for that reason.

Personally I don't like them, other than for a day at the games, because they are so damned clunky. In my book dress shoes shouldn't weigh a ton, and shouldn't have a half inch of sole protruding around the edge of the shoe. I'm sure that if someone offered ghillie brogues that were elegant (rather than being designed for marching in a parade on pavement) and had some style to them, I-- and a host of others-- would probably be a lot less critical.

[madmacs]

Hmmm... mine dont have half an inch of sole... i know pics... it's late... tomorrow maybe

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Ken, I rather think you summed it up when you pointed out that most gentlemen (Scots at least) already have a pair of shoes suitable for wear with the kilt. There is a secondary consideration as well; "country clothes" are best worn in their natural habitat: the country, and are viewed by many as out of place in an urban environment. For the sake of argument I think we can all agree that Highland games are a country sort of event, and that they are, probably, the natural habitat of the ghillie brogue (or any other stout "country" shoe). However, once one leaves the country environment of the games, the ghillie brogues become as out of place as a tweed suit and brown shoes in the dining room of Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair.

Likewise I am sure that others (both here and abroad) tend to view them as more-or-less marching band regalia and, like the white socks associated with the hired kilt trade, eschew them for that reason.

Personally I don't like them, other than for a day at the games, because they are so damned clunky. In my book dress shoes shouldn't weigh a ton, and shouldn't have a half inch of sole protruding around the edge of the shoe. I'm sure that if someone offered ghillie brogues that were elegant (rather than being designed for marching in a parade on pavement) and had some style to them, I-- and a host of others-- would probably be a lot less critical.

I'm not a huge ghillie brogue fan myself, but I do own a pair, which have a leather dress sole on them.

Ghillies are these days commonly available with a rubber sole, sometimes called a "walking" sole or a "marching" sole. These were created specifically for pipe bands in mind who would be wearing them often marching on wet grass in an open field.

Here are mine with the leather soles...

[creagdhubh]

Loake makes a fantastic pair of highly polished, black leather ghillie brogues, F (average to narrow) fitting, with goodyear welted leather soles. Of course, all of my day brogues I wear with my Highland attire are from Loake, and I stand behind the unsurpassed quality. Loake will go so far as to provide a complete re-sole service once you reach that point with your shoes. The ghillies offered by Loake are quite smart and do not look anything like the other more 'clunky' ghilles one sees today - I do not like those either Scott! I plan to order a pair from Loake, insert red laces and affix a pair of silver buckles to the toes, and wear them for Highland evening attire - just like P/M John Burgess, or my good friend, P/M Gordon Walker.

www.loake.co.uk

Slainte,

[saxandpipes]

Loake makes a fantastic pair of highly polished, black leather ghillie brogues, F (average to narrow) fitting, with goodyear welted leather soles. Of course, all of my day brogues I wear with my Highland attire are from Loake, and I stand behind the unsurpassed quality. Loake will go so far as to provide a complete re-sole service once you reach that point with your shoes. The ghillies offered by Loake are quite smart and do not look anything like the other more 'clunky' ghilles one sees today - I do not like those either Scott! I plan to order a pair from Loake, insert red laces and affix a pair of silver buckles to the toes, and wear them for Highland evening attire - just like P/M John Burgess, or my good friend, P/M Gordon Walker.

www.loake.co.uk

Slainte,

I posted this question elsewhere, but I don't have a reply yet, and it may be useful here too:

Where and how does one attach the buckles- (also, where can they be purchased)?

Cheers,

Michael

and here's a picture of the man himself... (Note how he shines above the rest ever so slightly). (Of course that is to say nothing about their piping abilities!)

[creagdhubh]

I posted this question elsewhere, but I don't have a reply yet, and it may be useful here too:

Where and how does one attach the buckles- (also, where can they be purchased)?

Cheers,

Michael

and here's a picture of the man himself... (Note how he shines above the rest ever so slightly). (Of course that is to say nothing about their piping abilities!)

Aye Michael,

That is a great photo of Gordy, along with quite the high caliber of professional pipers that surround him! I think his attire 'shines' a wee bit more than the others is simply because of his choice to wear the Regulation doublet, he always wears a pocket watch with chain, obviously his unique buckle brogues, and also the fact that he wears tartan in the weathered colouring (both kilt and hose), which is much more subtle in comparison to his piping colleagues - in my opinion, a superb effect with the polished look and ornate finery of Highland evening attire!

I purchased silver buckles with embossed thistles whilst I was in Edinburgh at Hugh Macpherson's shop in Haymarket. At the time, I purchased 3 pairs, as I knew I would use one pair to replace the plain, chrome buckles on the first pair of my patent leather buckle brogues. I currently have 2 pairs of these ornate buckles that require a home, therefore, I plan to order the Loake ghillies as soon as possible, change the laces to red, and affix the thistle embossed buckles. the buckles came with black, patent leather 'tongues' that have small holes punched in them so the entire ensemble may be affixed to a normal pair of dress lace-ups - I don't do that, and never much cared for that look. I will cut the leather 'tongue' and only leave the strip of black, patent leather that is within the center of the buckles. Then, I will simply use a strong, adhesive to adhere the buckles to the mid-toe area of the brogues - that is the only way I know how to complete this process, as these style of brogues sold with the buckles already attached. are extremely rare to find off-the-peg. I contacted my friend Gordon Walker via e-mail and asked him where he had purchased his, and his reply was simply that they are around 40 years old and have basically been passed around in his family. He also mentioned that the MOD never issued such a style of brogue for mess dress or pipers, they are a civilian creation based off of the regimental buckle brogue...a 'hybrid' of the standard ghillie and the buckle brogue, so to speak.

On the buckle brogues, it is obvious that there is a 'button' snap closure that allows one to remove the entire buckle and replace with another if so desired, this is not the case on the Loake ghillies, obviously, as they do not originally come with buckles. I am a stickler for detail (thanks to my Marine Corps days), and will test different types of adhesives first, and do a practice run with an old pair of leather oxfords that I don't care about, and an old set of plain chrome brogue buckles I have. Once I begin this process, I will be sure to post photos of eage stage. I plan to order the shoes in mid-June from Loake.

My current patent leather buckle brogues with the replaced, thistle embossed silver buckles, purchased at Hugh Macpherson's, Edinburgh.


The Loake Ghillie Brogues as they come from Loake.


Cheers,

[lukeyrobertson]

Really like the pictures, guys. Good lookin' non-clunky brogues. Some day I'll be brave enough to post a picture!

[MacLowlife]

1) I don't have a picture.

2) I don't have any Ghillie Brogues,

3) I don't like black shoes.

I agree with MoR about brown in town, except for those of us who have our own reasons to eschew suavity, as it were- professorial types and various others who might as well exploit what we have to live with anyway. But I tend to think of the kilt as being countrywear, mostly. Edinburgh and Glasgow are cities of some size- around a half million each- but the Highlands aren't exactly Urban. And, while I know that plenty of people like black shoes for daywear, I suspect this goes back in part to uniform shoes. What I do not understand is why there aren't more BROWN ghillie brogues.

HERE is a pair of shoes that I would wear in a skinny minute, kilted or not, except for 678 small reasons, none of them being color, sole thickness, or even that tongue...


http://www.paulstuart.com/product_in...SUBPRODCATID=0

I'd wear them directly from the turnip truck to Claridges, with a gleam in my eye and a straw in my hair.