Quote Originally Posted by jsrnephdoc View Post

I have both a Glengarry and a Balmoral bonnet. Both are black, both have red tassels, and both are diced.

Does the dicing affect their appropriateness for wear by a civilian?
First, I don't think "tassel" is what you mean, rather "tourie" (the little pom-pom).

Second, I'm wondering if they're black, or blue. They're difficult to tell apart unless you have a blue one and a black one side-by-side outdoors in direct sunlight.

I just ask because I see dozens of blue ones for each black one, black didn't ever seem to be very popular.

The military ones are always blue, and civilian ones usually are too.

About dicing, to my eye the Mackie bonnets in Fawn, Lovat Blue or Lovat Green, etc look equally tasteful and civilian whether plain or diced, while the dark blue ones look tastefully civilian if plain, but look a bit over-the-top if diced, due to having red/white/black dicing.

This is because the dark blue bonnets with red/white/black dicing look like army hats.

(The black ones have two-colour black & white dicing and are worn by Police Pipe Bands.)

About Glengarries, they've not been popular with civilian Highland Dress in over a century.