fly plaid and military uniform

[Geoff Withnell]

Generally at a wedding only the groom wears a plaid. That being the case, you would probably be best advised to forgo the fly plaid.

Medals: the conventions are the same for civilian attire, Highland or otherwise. If the wedding is taking place before 6PM then full-size medals are worn; after 6PM miniatures are worn. If wearing full-size medals at the wedding it is not necessary to change to miniatures later in the evening. With Highland attire the placement of medals follows the British custom with the medals pinned to the lapel approximately 1 1/2 inches below the notch. Chas' medals are spot on, and exactly how yours should be worn with civilian Highland attire.

I agree that normally only the groom wears a fly plaid. I must respectfully disagree with your blanket statement on the placement of medals. USMC regulations clearly state that medals or miniature medals on civilian attire should be worn in the same location (or as close as practical) they would be worn on the uniform. So on almost any PC, or other formal jacket, just above the breast pocket, not on the lapel.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I agree that normally only the groom wears a fly plaid. I must respectfully disagree with your blanket statement on the placement of medals. USMC regulations clearly state that medals or miniature medals on civilian attire should be worn in the same location (or as close as practical) they would be worn on the uniform. So on almost any PC, or other formal jacket, just above the breast pocket, not on the lapel.

Unless, of course, your branch of service has different regulations...

Geoff, I suppose that the reason I made a more or less blanket statement concerning the placement of medals on Highland attire is because the question was about civilian Highland attire, and how medals, etc., are worn with that uniquely Scottish mode of dress. Another consideration is that the regulations concerning the wearing of medals are not the same for all branches of the military in the United States, with the Marine Corps perhaps following different regulations than say the Air Force.

I know that a lot of guys stick to their service regs, which is fine-- but one must remember that when the service regs, as applied to civilian attire, were promulgated, they were intended to reflect the wearing of medals on ordinary attire, not kilt jackets.

The reasons that Highland attire places the medals on the lapel, just below the notch, are numerous, but here are three more or less salient points to consider:

1) Because the kilt jacket is significantly shorter than an ordinary jacket, placing the medals higher on the chest creates a more balanced look;

2) By placing the medals higher, the jacket (which is worn open) has less of a tendency to flop around or sag on the left side;

3) By placing the medals higher, one is less apt to have them become snagged in the gown of one's dancing partner (you only have to become entangled in a lady's gown once to understand just how important this is ).

I suppose that the other reason for following traditional standards of Highland attire is because that's how it's done (and how it has been done for as long as civilians have worn medals on kilt jackets) in Scotland.

Speaking personally, I have never worn Highland attire to any military event, including the annual Army Ball here in Washington DC. Since I can no longer squeeze into my mess dress I wear ordinary black tie with my medals placed in accordance with current Army regs, so I do understand where you are coming from. However, outside of a strictly military setting, I feel that it is appropriate to follow Scottish customs, even in the United States, when wearing medals with Highland attire.