tattersall et al?

[macwilkin]

Love that photo!

And the story behind it is quite fascinating as well:

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/18/wo...ead-at-85.html

And for that matter, the same could be said of Lord Lovat!

T.

[Mike_Oettle]

That is a first-class obituary for Sir Fitzroy. I read his Eastern Approaches as a teenager (my dad had a copy), and I also have a fascinating book he wrote about Central Asia.
But the New York Times did get one thing wrong: In Britain (as in South Africa) one does not graduate from high school (in his case, Eton College). One only graduates at a university.
Regards,
Mike

[macwilkin]

That is a first-class obituary for Sir Fitzroy. I read his Eastern Approaches as a teenager (my dad had a copy), and I also have a fascinating book he wrote about Central Asia.
But the New York Times did get one thing wrong: In Britain (as in South Africa) one does not graduate from high school (in his case, Eton College). One only graduates at a university.
Regards,
Mike

Churchill reportedly asked Maclean if he parachuted into Jugoslavia in his kilt. :mrgreen:

T.

[Mike_Oettle]

Indeed. Forgot to mention the one about parachuting in a kilt.
And Churchill also made a memorable remark about Maclean’s parliamentary career.
The obit said he had resigned from the diplomatic service in 1939, but only joined the army in 1941. My recollection from Eastern Approaches was that he had been refused permission to resign his diplomatic commission (which he wanted to do in order to join the army), and the way he found of getting out was to stand as a Conservative candidate in a by-election.
The Foreign Office suddenly wanted nothing to do with him (having entered politics), and he campaigned on a platform of willingness to serve in uniform (MPs were exempt from military service).
Once elected, he joined up.
Churchill later remarked: “Here is the young man who used the Mother of Parliaments as a public convenience!”
Regards,
Mike

[macwilkin]

Indeed. Forgot to mention the one about parachuting in a kilt.
And Churchill also made a memorable remark about Maclean’s parliamentary career.
The obit said he had resigned from the diplomatic service in 1939, but only joined the army in 1941. My recollection from Eastern Approaches was that he had been refused permission to resign his diplomatic commission (which he wanted to do in order to join the army), and the way he found of getting out was to stand as a Conservative candidate in a by-election.
The Foreign Office suddenly wanted nothing to do with him (having entered politics), and he campaigned on a platform of willingness to serve in uniform (MPs were exempt from military service).
Once elected, he joined up.
Churchill later remarked: “Here is the young man who used the Mother of Parliaments as a public convenience!”
Regards,
Mike

In The Haggis: a little history, Clarissa Dickson Wright tells a story of Sir Fitzroy attending a Burns Supper in the Kremlin, complete with vodka, whisky and pipers from Scotland and Georgia.

T.

[CMcG]

CMcG.

I think you are beginning to see that there are a huge number of colour options and patterns for us traditionalists, whilst keeping within a certain style. <snip>

Shirts, as you are seeing, give you a large number of choices in patterns and colour. The trick is understanding that your kilt is the foundation to it all. So your shirt does not need to be overstated and yes, nearly all day shirts are based on white or very pale coloured background often pale green, or pale blue. The pattern over the white etc background, be it Gingham, tattershall, houndstooth or whatever is bolder but not loud. I think it was Maclowlife who pointed out that from ten yards an observer will not be able to identify the pattern of your shirt, he is so right! In the process you get two looks for the price of one! A distant look that looks rather vague and a close up look where the observer will see the details of the pattern. How is that for Scots frugal thinking?

Much of the same applies to the jacket colours and patterns too.

<snip>

A typical tattersall shirt, from a distance of about 8 yards.

Here's a photo taken at the Stone Mountain Highland Games last year. I'm on the left.


Just about everything I'm wearing has a pattern to it. Obviously the kilt (1), then the Argyle hose (2), the jacket and waistcoat (3), a tattersal shirt (4) (though the pattern doesn't really come across in the photo), and a heraldic themed neck tie (5).

One reason why this outfit "works" is that even though there are 5 different patterns, they all tone well together. None of them are "fighting" with each other. <snip>

Here's another example:

Here we have the tartan kilt (1), diced hose (2), windowpane pattern jacket & waistcoat (3), and tattersal shirt (4). (Once again, the pattern in the shirt doesn't really show in the photo).

The jacket & waistcoat have a very subtle pattern which in this case comes near to the same colors as in the tartan I'm wearing. <snip>

The different patterns in this outfit work great because they all draw from the same small color pallette. I have a lot of patterns, but just a few colors. That's one way to go. But (as you can see from my first outfit above), it's not strictly necessary.

I'll end with one final photo, showing what I would consider a more "country" look which combines a lot of patterns.

<snip>

Oh, and one thing that is definitive from the above photo -- chicks dig the patterns! :-)

After a brief but fascinating interlude on the late Sir Fitzroy Maclean, it's back to our regularly scheduled topic. Many thanks to Jock Scot and M.A.C. Newsome for their photos and explanations, which I liberally sampled and highlighted to put this thread back on track.

Apparently I should have posted this in the "Traditional Highland Dress" section, as all the replies seem to deal with THCD daywear. Many modern kilts tend to be solid coloured and perhaps the subtleties of tattersall etc are lost on them... the Argyll pattern perhaps being an exception, which I think looks smashing on a sweater/jumper worn with a solid coloured kilt.

I'm gathering that, first and foremost, one's tartan kilt should remain the focus. From there, a variety of pattern sizes helps them to get along with each other as does a somewhat limited palette of colours. Also, subdued patterns are more likely to go with the a strong one i.e. tattersall shirt with tartan kilt. I really like how one gets a two-for-one (near vs. far) look, as Jock and Matt's photos so admirably show.

First on my list is to find a shirt with one of these patterns. Being on a student budget, Brooks Brothers is out of the question but I'm pretty good at finding things second hand or on clearance sales.

I'll take Jock's advice and skip the Argyll or diced hose for now. And I'm not a member or alumnus of any association, group, or school with a tie...

Fear not that I'm agonizing over this. My regular wardrobe is set up so I don't have to think much about outfits; everything goes together. I'm trying to put together my kilt kit the same way

[MacLowlife]

CMcG, Outside of the UK, few people know that the blue and red bar stripe, aka Block stripe, is the symbol of the prestigious Guards. Most people just think of it as the red and blue stripe. I suspect, until further abilities come your way, that you could wear it or a variant of it ( green and black?) with a clear conscience. Check them out at Jos A Bank, where everything is on sale eventually. Lands End calls it "wide stripe" and offers it in several tartan-friendly combinations at about $35. As for the shirts, Lands End frequently has tattersall shirts at the Overstocks ( i.e., clearance) site, often in the range of $15-$25. L.L. Bean also sells them still cheaper than Brooks, probably around $35.

One thing I believe we can agree upon is that old and familiar is more Scots than new and shiny, so if you can buy "vintage" items on the cheap, you are being authentic.

[macwilkin]

CMcG, Outside of the UK, few people know that the blue and red bar stripe, aka Block stripe, is the symbol of the prestigious Guards. Most people just think of it as the red and blue stripe. I suspect, until further abilities come your way, that you could wear it or a variant of it ( green and black?) with a clear conscience. Check them out at Jos A Bank, where everything is on sale eventually. Lands End calls it "wide stripe" and offers it in several tartan-friendly combinations at about $35. As for the shirts, Lands End frequently has tattersall shirts at the Overstocks ( i.e., clearance) site, often in the range of $15-$25. L.L. Bean also sells them still cheaper than Brooks, probably around $35.

One thing I believe we can agree upon is that old and familiar is more Scots than new and shiny, so if you can buy "vintage" items on the cheap, you are being authentic.

All three are excellent recommendations, MacL!

T.

[Jack Daw]

I wear tattersall and small-check gingham shirts with my kilt and tweed jackets. They are an easy find at any store (like Orvis) that sells Barbour brand shirts. But, I DO like button-down collars for such. (For shirts worn with business suits - no.)

[creagdhubh]

One thing I believe we can agree upon is that old and familiar is more Scots than new and shiny, so if you can buy "vintage" items on the cheap, you are being authentic.

That's a rather subjective statement to make, mate.

Yours aye,