John D. Burgess

[Jack Daw]

His pipe music is my favorite to listen to, and I'm less likely to sound let alone dress like him.

[Tobus]

Please bear with me, for I have a very dumb newbie question.

I've read in several sources that in any semi-formal or formal attire, tartan should not be worn above the belt, with the exception of a fly-plaid. Yet everyone here seems to think the picture is entirely appropriate.

Am I just misinformed on this point? Or are there other exceptions I'm not aware of? I'm very very confused...

(I do like his look, though. He's got style, I'll give him that!)

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

Please bear with me, for I have a very dumb newbie question.

I've read in several sources that in any semi-formal or formal attire, tartan should not be worn above the belt, with the exception of a fly-plaid. Yet everyone here seems to think the picture is entirely appropriate.

Am I just misinformed on this point? Or are there other exceptions I'm not aware of? I'm very very confused...

(I do like his look, though. He's got style, I'll give him that!)

I say there's nothing wrong with tartan above the waist. Waistcoats are mighty fine. Fly plaids are like capes on a superhero: they seemed to go slightly out of fashion when Spider-man arrived on the scene. Those novelty ties are something else entirely.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Please bear with me, for I have a very dumb newbie question.

I've read in several sources that in any semi-formal or formal attire, tartan should not be worn above the belt, with the exception of a fly-plaid. Yet everyone here seems to think the picture is entirely appropriate.

Am I just misinformed on this point? Or are there other exceptions I'm not aware of? I'm very very confused...

(I do like his look, though. He's got style, I'll give him that!)

The "no tartan above the waist" mantra refers to tartan neckties not being worn with the kilt. As can be seen by the way Burgess is dressed as long as you are not mixing tartans of different clans, wearing an all tartan ensemble is totally A-OK!

[Jack Daw]

i say there's nothing wrong with tartan above the waist. Waistcoats are mighty fine. Fly plaids are like capes on a superhero: They seemed to go slightly out of fashion when spider-man arrived on the scene. Those novelty ties are something else entirely.

rotflol!

[JSFMACLJR]

I have to confess, all this talk about the late Mr. Burgess' splendid wardrobe puts me in mind of the fictional character of Mrs. Urquhart-Unwin, a pretentious American visitor to Scotland that Compton Mackenzie pokes fun at in h humorous novel "Hunting the Fairies":

"The dining-room at Kilwhillie was not such a stately affair as the great dining-room in Glenbogle Castle, but when the guests were gathered round the big mahagony table installed there by Kilwhillie's grandfather, Mrs. Urquhart-Unwin found the scene completely satisfying to her prevision of Highland life. She looked soulfully at her host in his doublet of mulberry velvet buttoned up to the neck with silver dogs. She looked soulfully at the Chieftain of Ben Nevis entirely in tartan buttoned up to the neck with eagles' heads of silver. She looked soulfully at Neill Mackillop's rifle-green dinner doublet and black tie. She looked soulfully at the black dinner doublet of Dr. Macgregor above the red and black chequers of his clan's tartan. She looked soulfully at Angus MacQuat in the full dress of a piper slowly marching round the table to the strains of "Over the sea to Skye". She even looked soulfully at white-haired Mr. Fletcer and sandy-haired Mr. Mackenzie in trim, sober clerical attire. She was grateful that the piping made speech for the while impossible because, as she said to Kilwhillie after the piper had retired for a while to give himself and the assembled company a rest, her heart was too full for words. "I can hardly believe I'm any longer in this old world of ours at all,
" she leaned across the table to tell Mrs. MacDonald. "We all enjoy these occassions," said the Lady of Ben Nevis. "Even I who am English love them just as much as my husband."
"Oh, are you English, Mrs. MacDonald? the visitor from over the Atlantic asked sympathetically. "Haven't you any Highland blood at all?"
"None," Mrs. MacDonald boomed without a sign of a crack in her bell-like tones. "Oh well, we can'tall be Highland, can we?" Mrs. Urquhart-Unwin sighed."

Ben Nevis and Kilwhillie are always well dressed, except when Ben Nevis visits London!

[Andrew M. Stewart]

I just read the other day that he won the Gold Medal at Inverness at the age of 16. Yikes!

He won two gold medals that year, Oban AND Inverness! At 16!

I should also add that Mr. Burgess was a true highland gentleman if ever there was one and all of you that are criticizing him should only wish that you had as much style as this man.
Rest in peace John.

[OC Richard]

I've read in several sources that in any semi-formal or formal attire, tartan should not be worn above the belt, with the exception of a fly-plaid. Yet everyone here seems to think the picture is entirely appropriate.

Actually, it was quite common in the 18th century to wear tartan jackets and waistcoats, and what's more, the tartans wouldn't usually match, so you would have a kilt, jacket, and waistcoat of three slightly different tartans.

The fad for self-coloured/solid-colored jackets and waistcoats may have begun, or at least was popularised, by the military.

So to anyone used to seeing old portraits of men in Highland dress, a tartan waistcoat and/or jacket looks fine.

About Mr Burgess, they say "a fine bird deserves fine feathers".

Now your statement about "no tartan above the waist" might be a reference to tartan neckties, which never look "right" with a kilt in my eyes.

By the way, there's a current top-notch piper who also has quite a flair for the dramatic in his attire: Pipe Major Gordon Walker.

Now, he's not nearly as flamboyant as Burgess, but he is always impeccably turned out and he will often have little touches which set him apart from the crowd. Here he is, with other leading pipers, turned out for a formal event. Note that he's the only one not wearing a Prince Charlie. Also note his fine antique sporran cantle, and the red laces and shoe buckles on his ghillies (both seen in Burgess) :

[Andrew M. Stewart]

Yes Gordon Walker has impeccable style in both his dress as well as his piping. He's got swagger when he plays.