Ghillie brogues - why the dislike and resentment..?

[OC Richard]

Setting aside for a moment the fact that, at least in iconography, we can't trace Ghillie Brogues further back than the Allen Brothers and Robert Jones, let's just look at how often they're seen at one event, Oban.

Here are six images, the exact dates of some of them not known to me.

We're going from around 1930 up to fairly recently.

Note than in the interwar years Ghillies are fairly common, but began falling from favour in the post-WWII era.

Also notice how the fawn and oatmeal hose of the interwar years have given way to the Lovats in the 1950s which have been recently joined by darker and stronger colours.

Despite these details, the overall gestalt is that Traditional Highland Dress hasn't changed much over the last century.

[Jock Scot]

Setting aside for a moment the fact that, at least in iconography, we can't trace Ghillie Brogues further back than the Allen Brothers and Robert Jones, let's just look at how often they're seen at one event, Oban.

Here are six images, the exact dates of some of them not known to me.

We're going from around 1930 up to fairly recently.

Note than in the interwar years Ghillies are fairly common, but began falling from favour in the post-WWII era.

Also notice how the fawn and oatmeal hose of the interwar years have given way to the Lovats in the 1950s which have been recently joined by darker and stronger colours.

Despite these details, the overall gestalt is that Traditional Highland Dress hasn't changed much over the last century.

I think that you have the picture time line about right there OCR, perhaps the top left one might be a tad earlier, but not enough to matter. Going off topic a tad, it’s interesting and striking that the headwear is common in all the pictures. I see a “deer stalker” as an exception, in one of the pictures but generally the bonnet choice is a common choice for nearly all of those marching. These days I suspect the front rank of a similar march today would wear a bonnet and the following ranks, even in inclement weather would be mostly bare-headed.

[JPS]

I think that you have the picture time line about right there OCR, perhaps the top left one might be a tad earlier, but not enough to matter. Going off topic a tad, it’s interesting and striking that the headwear is common in all the pictures. I see a “deer stalker” as an exception, in one of the pictures but generally the bonnet choice is a common choice for nearly all of those marching. These days I suspect the front rank of a similar march today would wear a bonnet and the following ranks, even in inclement weather would be mostly bare-headed.

What's more, I'd wager that several of these are the exact same bonnets, photographed multiple times over many years. I recognize at least one of them, worn by the Duke of Argyll.

[OC Richard]

What's more, I'd wager that several of these are the exact same bonnets, photographed multiple times over many years. I recognize at least one of them, worn by the Duke of Argyll.

Right, it's the same event (Oban) and the same people can be traced from photo to photo in several cases.

There's quite a time leap from the 1930s to the 1950s to the 1990s and then more recent.

All told, nearly a century.

[OC Richard]

It’s interesting and striking that the headwear is common in all the pictures. I see a “deer stalker” as an exception in one of the pictures but generally the bonnet choice is a common choice for nearly all of those marching. These days I suspect the front rank of a similar march today would wear a bonnet and the following ranks, even in inclement weather would be mostly bare-headed.

About the bonnets, what I haven't posted are the photos from all those years of the crowd of competing solo pipers (as opposed to a Pipe Band) marching in, and those also exclusively show Balmoral bonnets up till around 1980 when a smattering of Glengarries start to appear.

Also the pipers, like the Stewards, are all in tweed jackets till one piper appears in a black Argyll around 1980.

It always strikes me as odd how few people in the piping community realise how recent the black Argyll + Glengarry + Ghillie kit is.

(I guess it shows how old I am, to regard the 1980s as 'recent'!)

[JPS]

About the bonnets, what I haven't posted are the photos from all those years of the crowd of competing solo pipers (as opposed to a Pipe Band) marching in, and those also exclusively show Balmoral bonnets up till around 1980 when a smattering of Glengarries start to appear.

Also the pipers, like the Stewards, are all in tweed jackets till one piper appears in a black Argyll around 1980.

It always strikes me as odd how few people in the piping community realise how recent the black Argyll + Glengarry + Ghillie kit is.

(I guess it shows how old I am, to regard the 1980s as 'recent'!)

Here's an old video of the Glenfinnan Piping Competition that illustrates this well. There's also a decent survey of footwear here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThNNSd3Xf5o

[Jock Scot]

Here's an old video of the Glenfinnan Piping Competition that illustrates this well. There's also a decent survey of footwear here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThNNSd3Xf5o

Just a wee observation having looked at the video clip, Glenfinnan is no more than 15 miles from where I stay(live)and from what I see on the film the choice for most kilted non musicians, is the plain black brogue. Even some pipers are wearing brogues too------ AND there was no one in the film that I know personally, so. Just why is it I am not surprised in the least, about the footwear choice?

[OC Richard]

from what I see on the film the choice for most kilted non musicians, is the plain black brogue.

Even some pipers are wearing brogues too.

How cool, at 00:24 a nice closeup of Fawn/Oatmeal hose. They used to be a standard colour but now are rare as hen's teeth.

Why the horrid trumpet soundtrack??

It's not surprising to see pipers in ordinary brogues. Then, as now, pipers competing in solo competitions generally make a point out of avoiding dressing in band kit (unless they're also competing with a band the same day). Part of that is seeing solo pipers wearing traditional-looking outfits including plain brogues and bonnets. Pipers almost universally hate being required to wear Ghillies, Glengarries, etc in their bands.

BTW Seumas MacNeill died in 1996 which helps frame the video.

Here are the promised photos of pipers at Oban 1950 to 1985.

Some pipers choose to wear Ghillies, and have since the 1860s, as shown in Victorian photos.

However it wasn't till the 1970s and 1980s that they became associated with Pipe Bands.

[Troglodyte]

How about this?

Nothing in the article most of us don't already know, but it's interesting to note it shows a ghillie brogue which it tells us is ...a modern Brogue exactly one hundred years old...

Yeah, so what, you say.

This cutting is in a museum archive bound volume of articles published in 1933..!