Hose - Question

[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]

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!

[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.