Flashes

[A Robertson]

Dear Rabble,
I will attend a 'white tie' (UK - very posh) event mid December.
I will wear my Robertson red kilt and fly plaid, buckle brogues Robertson red (very epensive) hose, Sheriffmuir jacket and waistcoat (vest), jabot etc, etc,.

My problem is - which colour flashes (garters/suspenders) should I wear? - Red, Blue, Green? Same goes for the stone on my (fake/safety) sgian dubh.
I would normally wear red - but they don't show up so good with my hose.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many Thanks.

[Jock Scot]

You know, flashes are not really there to blow out one's eyes, or anyone else's, they are just there to add a subtle "flash" of colour whilst holding up your hose. Any colour you like is fine, although best avoid tartan ones.

As an aside, i would leave the fly plaid behind if I were you. For two reasons.
1. You will be over egging your outfit and look rather like a film extra in Brigadoon.
2. You will find it a damn nuisance.

[OC Richard]

For sure there's a different visual dynamic with tartan hose v self-coloured hose.

With Highland Dress you have a certain number of places where you have an opportunity to set up nice colour-pair juxtapositions:

kilt v jacket/waistcoat
kilt v hose
hose v flashes
necktie v shirt

and with tartan hose a couple of those places disappear, pretty much.

Now the kilt and hose are the same.

Also with tartan hose you don't get the nice juxtaposition of flashes upon self-coloured hose, say red flashes on green hose, blue flashes on claret hose or what have you. If the hose are red and green tartan, either colour of flashes will get lost in the visual mix.

As Jock says don't worry about it. I'd wear any ordinary colour, for example I could equally wear red, green, or blue flashes with my Drummond Of Perth Muted hose:



This photo also shows the traditional Army scarlet flashes which they wear with any hose they wear: tartan, diced, self-coloured Lovat, khaki, or beige.

Of course every rule-of-thumb in the Army seems to have one glaring exception, and with flashes here it is:



Which goes to show that with tartan hose you could pick some colour which isn't present in the tartan and make the flashes really show. I wouldn't go that way myself.

As an aside, yesterday at a Highland Games two of the Drum Majors were wearing pink flashes (cancer awareness).

[Grizzled Ian]

OC Richard, I would guess that the chap with the yellow flashes may be the pipe major of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

[Tarheel]

You didn't mention the style sporran you'll wear. Could it be you will forgo the sporran? Nothing wrong with that option.

The reason I ask, you could get flashes that coordinate with the sporran. If you choose a white horse hair formal sporran, get white flashes (and show very little of them below the cuff). This is just one example, but worth consideration.

Concerning the fly plaid; if there are others attending that will be donning the same (and it's confirmed) wear your own. But as Jock stated, it is too cumbersome (at times) to be worth the trouble.

Please post a photo of your final ensemble. Members like to have comparisons (even mimic) good combinations.