I think you're right Richard (as was Sandy). It's been more than a decade (thankfully) since I've had to put on a #1 dress as a pipe band drummer. I didn't remember the plaid hanging as loosely as in those photos. Here you can see the drummer's plaid in action:
Great video! I attended a piping and drumming school here in Ontario a couple of years ago. Reid Maxwell gave a talk on drumming and talked quite a bit on how Alex Duthart changed the drumming world with his drum salute.
The ways that plaids are listed and described in vintage Highland Dress catalogues may help clarify:
RG Lawrie LTD Glasgow (1930s)
EVENING DRESS
H 420 Belted Plaid, fine weight tartan, fringed and pleated, with shoulder tongue.
Paisleys LTD Glasgow (1930s)
Paisleys Highland Dress Costume for Gentlemen
Tartan Belted Plaid
William Anderson & Sons LTD (1930s)
PLAID. The belted Plaid may be worn at any evening dress functions. It can easily be discarded when dancing. The Plaid is held in position at the shoulder by a silk cord or other means, fastened to the shoulder strap button and secured with a shoulder brooch.
We illustrate two styles of Plaids, namely, the Long and the Belted.
The Belted Plaid has become the universal favourite for evening wear, being less cumbersome and more easily manipulated that the Long Plaid.
Long Plaids are very much in evidence at Levees and Weddings, and a fair sprinkling of them may be seen at any of the Highland Games.
William Anderson & Sons LTD (1950s)
9. Long Plaid fringed ends
10. Belted Plaid saxony tartan, fringed all round
As we can see, "belted plaid" was the universal term for this item (a rectangle of tartan, fringed all round with rolled fringe, pleated at one end and "let" into a matching tartan cloth belt, with a "tongue" of matching tartan, also fringed, which is put through the jacket's epaulette). Unfortunately we today use this term to also refer to the feilidh mor, creating confusion.
As we can see, there was no such thing as the simple modern "fly plaid" listed or sold or mentioned at that time.
I think we're all getting tangled up on terminology, because different things are sometimes called by the same name and visa versa.
So here are some desciptions of different items followed by the various names used...
1) a huge rectangle of tartan that's held round the waist by a belt. This is variously called breacan an fheilidh, feileadh mor, feile-mor, great kilt, or belted plaid.
2) a smaller rectangle of tartan, roped fringe all around, with a narrow cloth belt that goes round the waist and a tab of tartan at the other end which goes through the epaulette and is pinned to the shoulder with a brooch. This was adopted by the Scottish regiments around 1800 when the modern "little kilt" replaced the feile-mor. Its purpose was to simulate the appearance of the feile-mor.
Though originally worn by all ranks, it later became a mark of Officer's dress.
It's long been popular for civilian Evening Dress. In pipe bands it was worn by drummers.
It's variously called a belted plaid, evening plaid, drummer's plaid, and fly plaid.
It's called the "belted plaid" in my several vintage Highland Dress catalogues from the 1930s and 40s.
3) a small rectangle of tartan, fringed all around but otherwise plain, pinned with a brooch at the shoulder and hanging free at the bottom. Called a fly plaid. As far as I know this is a recent development, devised to create some of the look of the belted/evening/drummers plaid at less expense.
In any case all those vintage photos would be showing #2 above, the Officer's/belted/drummers/evening plaid.
Back to the topic of Day Plaids or Laird's Plaids, nowadays there's a clear distinction between them (being simply a retangle of cloth thrown over the shoulder or wrapped around the shoulders) and a so-called "piper's plaid" which has long fringe on both ends and has sewn-in pleats. (I say so-called because they were also worn by certain Sergeants and Officers in the Highland regiments, and not only by pipers.)
But in the "old days" the pleats weren't sewn in and therefore a "piper's plaid" and a "laird's plaid" might be the same thing, the only difference being in how it was worn and whether or not a brooch fastened it. This is seen in the 1860s The Highlanders of Scotland, where many plaids fall somewhere between what we would call a Laird's Plaid and what we would call a Piper's Plaid.
I am proud to say that I was in that performance. It was 1985 I believe, and it was the annual Stone Mountain Tatoo. British Caledonia P&D were brought in since they were filming it to air on National TV. I was 14 and remember this fanfare vividly, as well as Alex D. What a time for a 14 year old!
Sandy, are you referring to the kind of plaid that Matt reconstructed from Erskine? Separate, but attached to a belt? this photo rather looks like one of those to me.
Are we just getting horribly confused by overloading the term "belted plaid" (which in my memory usually means the breacan an feileadh). I begin to see Matt's wisdom in naming the other one "half-belted plaid!"
How is Matt's plaid different from a drummers plaid?? I'm not trying to be critical, just honest curiosity.
The next question is how does one wear badges or medals with a plaid?
Army pipers wear their medals pinned to that portion of the plaid that crosses over the chest. Civilian bandsmen would also follow this practice. It should also be noted that bandsmen, in their band uniform, always wear full-size medals even in the evening.
Civilians in Highland attire would wear their medals on the left lapel of their jacket, approximately one inch below the notch in the lapel. The tongue of the plaid, which passes through the shoulder strap and is secured by the plaid brooch, may partially obscure the medals. If wearing a jacket that lacks lapels, such as a Montrose, the medals would be worn approximately two inches to the left of the center of the jacket, and approximately one hand's width (about 3.5-4-inches) below the collar of the jacket.
Note that I've said approximately as exact placement will depend on the stature of the individual as well as the number of medals worn, and how they are displayed. It is the custom in US military forces to wear multiple rows of medals, whereas in Her Majesty's forces all medals are worn in a single row. If one is going to wear Highland attire then following the British custom of the wearing of medals with civilian clothing makes the most sense.
Civilians wear medals (never ribbons) on Highland attire only when attending an event where the wearing of medals has been specifically requested by the host of the event. Full-size medals are only worn during the day; after 6PM only miniature medals are worn, and then only if attending an event in formal attire.
Those who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States can obtain both full-size and miniature medals from"Medals of America" www.usmedals.com .
Last edited by MacMillan of Rathdown; 12th May 11 at 09:22 PM.
Originally Posted by SlackerDrummer
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