pipe band uniform change.

[Jack Daw]

I'm inclined to agree with OC Richard in regard to the hose, but I think the striped ties are a good idea and shouldn't ruffle the cocked feathers of the adjudicators as long as they are conservative.

[The Barry]

I'm inclined to agree with OC Richard in regard to the hose, but I think the striped ties are a good idea and shouldn't ruffle the cocked feathers of the adjudicators as long as ther are conservative.

This is why I love this forum!

I'm inclined to do the exact opposite, NOT to agree with OC Richard.

No offense is intended of course, but with the diversity of what the "big boys" are wearing these days, it's a perfect opportunity to "strike out on your own", so to speak.

Go ahead, look professional, but cultivate your own look. I for one (as a past member of a band and a recent and future applauder at competitions) would love, love to see a band that isn't trying to look (and sound) like the grade one band in the area.

Be your own band!

[Jack Daw]

This is why I love this forum!

I'm inclined to do the exact opposite, NOT to agree with OC Richard.

No offense is intended of course, but with the diversity of what the "big boys" are wearing these days, it's a perfect opportunity to "strike out on your own", so to speak.

Go ahead, look professional, but cultivate your own look. I for one (as a past member of a band and a recent and future applauder at competitions) would love, love to see a band that isn't trying to look (and sound) like the grade one band in the area.

Be your own band!

You must be a drummer.

[OC Richard]

BTW those hose you went with look great!

Just like some of "the big boys" as it happens...



Bands are scrambling to go to any hose colour BUT white nowadays.

The vast majority are going with black or navy, but some bands are going with Ancient Blue, Lovat Blue, Lovat Green, Bottle Green, Grey, etc.

SFU by the way, when they've come down here, have travelled with two sets of hose, one the blue seen above, the other navy as I recall.

[OC Richard]

with the diversity of what the "big boys" are wearing these days, it's a perfect opportunity to "strike out on your own", so to speak.

Well let's look at the data about the diversity of the world's top bands.

NOTE: Edited after I got the 2010 Worlds Grade One Finals DVDs, which were clearer than the live streaming. The Qualifiers were noted from the live streaming.

The 2010 Grade One, Qualifiers and Finals taken together, looked like this:

There were 23 kilted bands (Bagad Cap Caval do not wear Highland Dress).

The hose: black or dark navy 12, white 7, mid grey 2, charcoal 1, ancient blue 1.

(Even on DVD it's often impossible to distinguish between black and the extremely dark navy blue seen on Glengarries, waistcoats, hose, and bagcovers. Most bands have a mix of black and navy Glens, many not aware that Glens come in those two colours.)

What about waistcoats? 21 of the 24 bands were wearing black or extremely dark blue waistcoats. 1 band deep royal blue, one band charcoal. Auckland & District, alone, did not wear waistcoats but wore fully badged military shirts. NONE of the bands wore jackets.

All the bands wore black or navy bagcovers save 1 deep royal blue, 1 bottle green (Auckland), 1 burgundy (SLOT).

Every kilted band wore black or navy Glengarries.

Of the 14 bands in the finals, only 2 had their kilts pleated to the sett. (I wasn't playing attention to pleating in the Qualifiers.)

Of the 23 kilted bands, six wore grey seal sporrans, all the rest being black leather. 10 of the black leather were the same style, the typical modern pipe band sporran (a black hunting sporran with a chrome evening dress cantle stuck on).

Not much diversity to my eye!