Tartan hose

[erskine]

How common are full tartan hose nowadays? They are standard for highland dancing but otherwise its usually plain color, including the dreaded cream hose or coloured for a more casual look.

[figheadair]

How common are full tartan hose nowadays? They are standard for highland dancing but otherwise its usually plain color, including the dreaded cream hose or coloured for a more casual look.

In simple terms, tartan hose have gone out of fashion and are less often seen today. When they are worn, they are generally reserved for evening wear; even then, plain or diced hose are more often seen. The reason is two-fold: firstly, the cost is prohibitive for many which is why plain hose are the norm. Secondly, the move, particularly in N. America by people to have more than one kilt and thus, the potential need for more than one set of tartan hose.

I’ve worn a kilt for 50 years and never owned a pair of tartan hose, preferring diced hose instead which have greater utility. Even rarer are Gairloch style hose although they have seen a small resurgence recently.

[Troglodyte]

Stricktly speaking, only tartan or diced hose are correct with the kilt.

However, during the 19th century when Highland dress enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, men looked for more cost effective options, and borrowed heavily from essentially English country sports attire.

Shooting hose, designed to be worn with breeks or plus-fours were found to serve very well, and were readily available in a wide range of colours and styles. This is essentially what we see today, and no-one seems to mind as they are cheep to buy, fairly hard-wearing and look good with the kilt.

Solid colour hose with the kilt are really day-wear, but most men only wear the kilt for smart occasions, so this kind of hose sees duty in the evening too, or at weddings, church services, ceremonies, etc. But the tartan (Argyle) or diced hose take the kilt outfit to a whole new level, without necessarily being more formal.

If tartan/diced hose cost the same as solid colour kilt socks, I feel sure that more, if not most, men would wear them regularly, but the price is what puts them out of many men's justifiable reach.

If you wear the kilt for mainly dressy or formal events, tartan hose are a good investment, as the amount of wear they will get is likely to make them last a lifetime. They will never receive complaints, whereas solid colours are often viewed through eyes that look on solid colours as a cop-out.

But nothing is as bad as white socks.

[figheadair]

Stricktly speaking, only tartan or diced hose are correct with the kilt.

However, during the 19th century when Highland dress enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, men looked for more cost effective options, and borrowed heavily from essentially English country sports attire.

Shooting hose, designed to be worn with breeks or plus-fours were found to serve very well, and were readily available in a wide range of colours and styles. This is essentially what we see today, and no-one seems to mind as they are cheep to buy, fairly hard-wearing and look good with the kilt.

Solid colour hose with the kilt are really day-wear, but most men only wear the kilt for smart occasions, so this kind of hose sees duty in the evening too, or at weddings, church services, ceremonies, etc. But the tartan (Argyle) or diced hose take the kilt outfit to a whole new level, without necessarily being more formal.

If tartan/diced hose cost the same as solid colour kilt socks, I feel sure that more, if not most, men would wear them regularly, but the price is what puts them out of many men's justifiable reach.

If you wear the kilt for mainly dressy or formal events, tartan hose are a good investment, as the amount of wear they will get is likely to make them last a lifetime. They will never receive complaints, whereas solid colours are often viewed through eyes that look on solid colours as a cop-out.

But nothing is as bad as white socks.

Whilst I broadly agree with you, especially on white hose, I would take issue with the statement that Stricktly speaking, only tartan or diced hose are correct with the kilt. That was true at the time that the modern kilt was developing but in terms of what we would consider traditional/modern Highland Dress, plain hose have been worn since at least the 1880's.

[Touchstone]

Even rarer are Gairloch style hose although they have seen a small resurgence recently.

Had to refresh myself on what Gairlock style hose look like, and the first image that came up on Google Images was ... McMurdo.

[Troglodyte]

Whilst I broadly agree with you, especially on white hose, I would take issue with the statement that Stricktly speaking, only tartan or diced hose are correct with the kilt. That was true at the time that the modern kilt was developing but in terms of what we would consider traditional/modern Highland Dress, plain hose have been worn since at least the 1880's.

That's just what I meant.

I remember being told when quite young that only tartan or diced hose were correct with the kilt, but that others are acceptable and will do. For the most part, they are perfectly acceptable to me, and do very well most of the time.

However, Tartan and diced hose are parculiarly Highland, whereas the other kinds we regularly see are 'borrowed' from other sources.

That is not to say that they are wrong, or should not be worn, just that plain knitted are not really Highland in their origin, but that tartan hose is.

But as the plain knitted sort have been worn for so long with the kilt, it begs the question how long has a practice got to be followed for it to become an accepted tradition.

[figheadair]

But as the plain knitted sort have been worn for so long with the kilt, it begs the question how long has a practice got to be followed for it to become an accepted tradition.

In the case of white hose - until hell freezes over!

[figheadair]

Had to refresh myself on what Gairlock style hose look like, and the first image that came up on Google Images was ... McMurdo.

Here are mine.
20220512 - Innerpeffray.jpg

[McMurdo]

Had to refresh myself on what Gairlock style hose look like, and the first image that came up on Google Images was ... McMurdo.

Funny thing is I've just got the one pair. As for Diced hose I have Black and Red and Red and White. I prefer my Argyll hose for Black or White tie with the Scottish Wildcat tartan, as the designer I thought it was a worthy expense. I agree the price can be prohibitive however, once you have a pair that were made for you, there is nothing like it.

Diced


Argyll


Gairloch

[Pleater]

I assume it is due to the reduction in the number of people knitting at home which has meant that hose are a purchased item for the most part.
Both my grandmothers were great makers of things and although one was no longer able to knit and so spent her days crocheting there was still a great deal of her work and knowledge around - but they were born in the reign of Queen Victoria. Hose are not difficult to make, but they are fiddly and time consuming, though it is rather satisfying to knit them on slender needles and see the pattern emerging with each round completed.

It is possible to use a knitting machine to speed up the work, knitting the legs flat and then joining them in such a way that it looks like purl stitches were used to create the centre back.

Anne the Pleater