Hose - Question

[OC Richard]

I've often seen hose with ample cuffs and I like the way they look, though the ordinary traditional thing is fairly narrow cuffs, which can be seen on diced and tartan hose (which have a specific cuff width built in).

What I don't like is for the cuffs to look any narrower than that width, like these, which look a bit skimpy to me



This is what looks best to my eye; first a soldier



and now some vintage civilians





Flashes don't have anything to do with cuff length IMHO, for example the civilian gents above aren't wearing any. With my Cheviot hose the flashes are nearly covered, just a bit showing, which is fine with me.

Here's the cuff width usually built into diced hose

[BadenochWolf]

I've often seen hose with ample cuffs and I like the way they look, though the ordinary traditional thing is fairly narrow cuffs, which can be seen on diced and tartan hose (which have a specific cuff width built in).

What I don't like is for the cuffs to look any narrower than that width, like these, which look a bit skimpy to me



<SNIP>

Here's the cuff width usually built into diced hose

Hope you won't mind my saying so, but the gent in the first picture seems to have about the same width of hose turned over as the two pipers (major?). It appears to be a rather Procrustean regulation of unnecessary precision. But then, without them, how else would Sergeants Major have any work to do? *ducks*

(EDIT: I wasn't paying attention to anything but the bandsmans' calves in that picture -Lord, I hope that phrase is never read out of context- and therefore missed the fact that one is obviously a drum major. Many apologies to the pipers and drummers in our midst.)

[MacCathmhaoil]

I tend to wear hose made by House of Cheviot or bespoke hose, all of which have a substantial fold over. I really don't like the look of the narrower hose tops personally. I've never seen hose that are back folded for a third layer and I've worn all variety over the last 50 years from military issue to off the rack and bespoke! Out of interest may I ask the brand name?

[Mathew MacKillop]

I tend to wear hose made by House of Cheviot or bespoke hose, all of which have a substantial fold over. I really don't like the look of the narrower hose tops personally. I've never seen hose that are back folded for a third layer and I've worn all variety over the last 50 years from military issue to off the rack and bespoke! Out of interest may I ask the brand name?

I have a pair of basic black kilt hose from Stillwater Kits. If I do not fold them back up again (to make 3 total layers), only about 1 inch of flashes stick out the bottom, and the cuffs are about 6 inches long, so those definitely need that 2nd fold...unless the person wearing them has very long lower legs compared to normal size feet, I suppose.

Best,

Mathew

Edit: please forgive the missing "n" from Brand in the title; wireless keyboard + distance and furniture in the way leads to typos, I am discovering.

[Dughlas mor]

I think we are talking about what are commonly known as Piper`s hose. The double fold gives a thicker looking cuff, and perhaps a bit more adjustability on various leg lengths. They are indeed very popular with pipe bands, they are widely available in various colors, mostly synthetic material, and go for 20.00 to 30.00 bucks a pair. I have a pair, and I think they are a good value.

http://www.jhiggins.net/footwear/?sort=featured&page=2

[MacCathmhaoil]

Pipers hose, not ever had any. Clears that up, thanks!

[GrainReaper]

I am a towering 5'8" so most hose are long on me, I like a thick chunky hose top so I turn the hose down at my garter tie or flashes, about halfway to where I want the top to sit I fold up, then down again, similar to the triple fold of piper hose. This is my solution to long kilt hose, lately I've been saving to buy a selection of Lewis hose in all the flavors as I hear they are a better fit for my short legs.

[OC Richard]

I think we are talking about what are commonly known as Piper`s hose. The double fold gives a thicker looking cuff, and perhaps a bit more adjustability on various leg lengths.

You have a huge latitude with those things! If unfolded they go way up your thigh.

The idea, I think was 1) to have the ability to get exactly the same 'look' with bandsmen of various heights and 2) the extra thickness was considered stylish amongst the Pipe Band people.

#1 is great in theory, but what you end up with is loads of bandsmen who don't know how to wear their "Pipers Socks" properly leading to wild variation within the same band.

[OC Richard]

but the gent in the first picture seems to have about the same width of hose turned over as the (Drum Major and Pipe Major).

Yes I noticed that too! But it in fact seems to be rare: the military diced hose have that rather narrow turnover cuff that's dictated by the width of the dicing, while on the other hand I've seen hundreds of photos of military men wearing their wartime khaki hose, and their No2 Dress Lovat hose, and in most cases the turnover cuff is rather wider, more like the "old school" standard seen in the several other pics I gave above.

In other words at least in the old days there didn't seem to be any notion of making the turnover cuffs on the selfcoloured hose the same width as the turnover cuffs on the diced hose, in the army.

For example





This photo is very cool, you can see that there's no prescribed width of the turnover cuff- yet their Glengarries are all at the same angle!