Flashes of another tartan

[TheOfficialBren]

I wear plain dark green garter ties usually. Sometimes I like to add a red flash to them but usually just the plain ties by themselves.

[BCAC]

In a word, no.

It's just not done, old chap (and doesn't look good, either).

[MAJMike]

For what it's worth, I wear MacLaren flashes with my MacLaren kilt to Boy Scout and Wood Badge activities. The hose are dark forest green. Prefer a match rather than a mix.

[OC Richard]

Perhaps the most cost-effective way to have a variety of flash colours is to buy one of these garter sets made for Shooting Socks



Here's the Ebay listing, handy for Americans who don't have places nearby which sell this sort of thing

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shooting-Ela...item5895bb8bef

Here's the old-fashioned style which need to be tied

[OC Richard]

But those are the knit sort. I'm not sure if the knit ones have a long tradition, or if they were borrowed from the shooting/hunting scene.

The traditional kilt-hose flashes were made of specially-woven worsted wool tape, woven to the correct width, with a herringbone pattern. In the old days these were tied around the leg, nowadays they have elastic garters. Here they are; you can see the distinctive tape they're made from.



Making flashes by cutting them out from cloth yardage (in other words, not specifically woven to the correct width) be they plain or tartan is a rather recent idea.

It almost goes without saying that the idea of matching the flashes to the tartan of the kilt is a recent thing.

[MacLowlife]

I know that it is generally not good to mix tartans, for a number of reason - some traditional, some dogmatic, some aesthetic. But I'm wondering if it would be alright in a small and somewhat subtle way.

I'll be wearing the Jones modern tartan, but I was considering making flashes from a sample of MacPhail Red modern. The intent is to acknowledge and honor my ancestry. I'd welcome thoughts and opinions from The Rabble.

For reference:

Attachment 14302

you don't mention whether you are a Jones or a MacPhail, or both. If you are a Jones, descended from MacPhails, you are still a Jones. If you are a MacPhail, you must have some other reason to be wearing Jones.
I keep coming back to/ tripping over this idea of "honoring" ancestors with our clothes. Get a ring bearing the McPhail arms or crest. Wear your grandfather MacPhail's watch or belt buckle. Stir your coffee with his silver spoons. Wear what you want, but don't blame your ancestors.

This sounds hard and nasty. I don't mean it that way. I just mean that there are better ways to accomplish what you seem to want to do. Sometimes people will have the idea of what to do first and the "reason" for doing it later. That may or may not be you. If you have a little piece of MacPhail tartan fabric, think of some way to incorporate it into your non-kilt wearing- a pocket square, a small button or lapel pin, a key fob, cufflinks. Watchband?

As several people have already pointed out, you can do what you want. As we used to say in high school, it's a freee country. But I expect you have noticed the two objections: many people dislike tartan flashes period and most people who think about it disapprove of wearing tartans from different clans. Most of those same people squirm a little when asked about OWNING kilts in tartans from two clans, as they don't "get" the whole multiple clan tartan idea. They know and observe tradition: one man- one kilt.

Of course, there are some who do own multiple clan tartan kilts, but have inherited and absorbed the received etiquette of not mixing. It is ironic, but true that they have accepted the one rule and ignored the other. So goes life in the modern Kilt-o-Verse.

Whatever you wear, may it look good on you and may you wear it a long long time.

[Riverkilt]

Hellya! I like the idea. Progress is out on the edge of the envelope. Maybe a kilt in district tartan for your family with a flash for your paternal clan on one leg and a flash for you maternal clan on the other leg...THREE tartans....sort of a form of tartan heraldry...telling the tale on your turn out.

[OC Richard]

Here are tartan flashes along with a few other of my peeves (belt peeking from under waistcoat, white hose with evening dress, buckle-less shoes for evening dress, ruche tie; with the sgian in the wrong sock for good measure)

[Father Bill]

It's kind of like wearing a supplementary nametag with a different name on it.

[BCAC]

Here are tartan flashes along with a few other of my peeves (belt peeking from under waistcoat, white hose with evening dress, buckle-less shoes for evening dress, ruche tie; with the sgian in the wrong sock for good measure)

Richard, the sgian's not necessarily in the wrong sock. He is probably left handed.