The Fly Plaid

[DyerStraits]

Hi Bill.

There are many occasions when Fly Plaids have been worn in a different pattern, but it is often considered to be odd. Best match is if you can get it at the same time you get your kilt, from the same bolt of material.

I've posed this question before and don't recall getting any response (perhaps it's too frightening to contemplate): how odd, if not incorrect, would it be to wear--as I've considered doing--a Royal Stewart kilt with a Dress Stewart fly plaid, or Black Stewart with Royal Stewart, etc., etc.?

[Famous Willie]

I've posed this question before and don't recall getting any response (perhaps it's too frightening to contemplate): how odd, if not incorrect, would it be to wear--as I've considered doing--a Royal Stewart kilt with a Dress Stewart fly plaid, or Black Stewart with Royal Stewart, etc., etc.?

I think the Fly Plaid adds to the Highland Dress, Not too sure if I'd wear it with my Utility Kilt, but the way the Lady in Fergus had her Window display with the Mannequin set up an Utility Kilt, and Prince Charlie Jacket, and the Fly Plaid was there. It did look catchy, but I don't think I'd wear it like that.

Now when I get my Tartan Kilt in 6-8 Weeks, I will be getting an Argyle Jacket and Vest in Future, and will wear it all together, Whether the Occasion is Formal or Not. Have Plans to wear the Fly Plaid as well. I think Church on Special Occasions it would work, as well as Christmas, It's be quite Catchy.

I'm a firm believer wear what you are comfortable with wearing with the Kilt, and do not judge others that wear things different. I look at the Person's Heart and not the Person...

Wear your Royal Stewart kilt with a Dress Stewart fly plaid, I'll be the First to say "Looks good"...

Cheers,

Bill

[Father Bill]

Watch out for mannequins in store displays - they're created to sell stuff, not to dress you well, appropriately, traditionally, correctly, or anything else.

Except for Steve's store. He's a dork about doing it well.

[Father Bill]

Now when I get my Tartan Kilt in 6-8 Weeks, I will be getting an Argyle Jacket and Vest in Future, and will wear it all together, Whether the Occasion is Formal or Not. Have Plans to wear the Fly Plaid as well. I think Church on Special Occasions it would work, as well as Christmas, It's be quite Catchy.

Umm... take another look at my Tweed jacket above. Believe it or not, THAT IS FORMAL - formal enough for a Royal wedding guest! The Argyle is a step above that. Were I starting again, I'd not bother with any other jacket.

If you wore a fly plaid to my church, I'd smile and tell you how nice you looked, and think silently to myself "Where on earth did he ever get the idea that was an appropriate way to dress for church? He looks like he's trying to convince me that he's a Scottish Laird hosting a formal dinner for royalty."

Now, having said all that, I do sometimes over-dresss - mostly to fit in with those around me who don't know that it's overkill, and yes, I own fly plaids matched to each of my kilts. My wife wears them as shawls because they look dumb.

Unless you're a Laird hosting a formal dinner for royalty.

This Sunday, I'll be kilted under my robes because I'm going to a party afterwards. I'll wear one or the other of my kilts, with a deathly plain sporran, bison coloured hose, and my tweed jacket.

No fly plaid.

Save yourself the money. Once you get to really be confident in what you know about it, you'll wonder why you spent the money.

Or give it to your wife with a nice pin as a shawl.

[Dollander]

I've posed this question before and don't recall getting any response (perhaps it's too frightening to contemplate): how odd, if not incorrect, would it be to wear--as I've considered doing--a Royal Stewart kilt with a Dress Stewart fly plaid, or Black Stewart with Royal Stewart, etc., etc.?

Well, the Atholl Highlanders wear modern kilts with weathered plaids. But they're still both in the Murray of Atholl tartan, and the plaids are literally weathered as they're nearly two centuries old.

In my own opinion there are a few instances where two different tartans can work, like wearing a jacket in a very subtle check that complements one's kilt. But for the most part I tend to think two completely different tartans...yes, even the same pattern on different colored backgrounds...will clash when part of the same outfit. Sure, there is a historical precedent for wearing multiple tartans, but if you're an 18-century reenactor, you wouldn't be wearing a fly plaid anyway. And I likewise am not a fan of tartan anything with a solid kilt, as it just looks weird to my eyes...but speaking as someone who is myself rather eclectic and atraditional when it comes to how I dress, if you like how it looks then that's really all that matters.

Back to the topic at hand: I'm planning to acquire a kilt in Murray of Tullibardine Muted next year which will be reserved as my dress kilt, and amidst contemplating whether I want to make it myself or have it made professionally (and if the former whether to attempt something traditional or just stick with the modern, medium-apron, RevK style that I tend to prefer), I'm also debating whether or not I want to buy some extra fabric to make myself a plaid. On one hand, there's the fact that I hardly ever attend truly formal events. But, there's still part of me that'd like to have one just in case, and I might as well get it at the same time as the kilt to insure it'll match.

And to complicate things even further, the fabric I plan to use is only available single-width. So, do I splice two pieces together to make a square, or make it rectangular (which I have seen done) but with same diagonal length? Or do I perhaps just make a smaller plaid? 'Cause like I said above, I'm not exactly bound by tradition. While I've yet to wear it out, I did create a makeshift plaid from a sash that matches one of my kilts (albeit lighter fabric and thus a smaller set) by cutting it in three pieces and sewing them together side-by-side. The result is a 25" x 30" piece that's just a few inches longer than my jacket when worn. Personally, I like the effect, like it makes the outfit a little fancier without being over the top. So I'm considering making a slightly larger 30" x 30" plaid, which will have a 42 1/2" diagonal that'll be halfway between the bottom of my jacket and the bottom of my kilt (I'm 5'8"). Maybe everyone will hate it, or maybe I'll be on the forefront of a new trend of a semi-formal plaid...

[ThistleDown]

Even lairds refrain from this bit of over-the-top costuming, Bill. I'd give the fly plaid a pass and go for quality, not quantity.

[OC Richard]

I am probably going to get a Fly Plaid... I know they are only worn on Special Occasions...

Fly plaids, as now made (a simple square of tartan pinned to the shoulder) are quite recent. They've only been around 20 years or so? Not sure. I'm pretty sure they weren't around when I started wearing Highland Dress.

With any of these recent things, in my opinion one can't really talk of right/wrong appropriate/inappropriate traditional/non-traditional, as one can do of traditional things.

should the Fly Plaid be cut out of the Same Fabric as the Kilt?

If one regards the modern Fly Plaid as an economy version of the traditional Belted Plaid, then yes, to have its original purpose it must match the kilt.

It all went like this: The original kilt was the Great Kilt, a huge piece of fabric wrapped around the waist, held round the waist by a belt, with one of the loose corners attached to the left shoulder with a ribbon (or later, a pin).

Around 1800 the army dropped the Great Kilt and began wearing the Little Kilt (the modern kilt, a sewn garment) for all occasions. For Full Dress occasions the army devised a garment the purpose of which was to simulate the appearance of the former Great Kilt. This new garment was the Belted Plaid, so called because it had a self-belt which wrapped around the waist. Just as with the Great Kilt, the loose end of the Belted Plaid was attached to the left shoulder with a ribbon (or later, a pin).

This garment, the Belted Plaid, has been in continuous use with both military and civilian Highland Dress from 1800 to today.

It's a complex and expensive garment. In recent times somebody decided to greatly simplify it by simply wear a square of tartan with no sewing or tailoring whatsoever, the modern Fly Plaid.

Here's the Belted Plaid as worn by Other Ranks in the army, tied round the waist and tied to the shoulder with a ribbon



This photo shows more clearly that it doesn't hang down loose, but is attached to a belt



Here's a Belted Plaid.

It's made of three pieces. The main body is a large piece of cloth, one end pleated and let into a cloth belt, the three other sides finished with purled fringe. The opposite end has a triangular piece of cloth, two sides with purled fringe, the third side pleated and attached to the main body. (This one appears to have a fourth piece, a patch of sorts to help secure the tab to the body.)

This is the sort used by army officers, and civilians, which has the fringed tab which is drawn through the left epaulette and pinned with a large brooch.



Here's this style as worn by an army officer.



And by a civilian

[Famous Willie]

Umm... take another look at my Tweed jacket above. Believe it or not, THAT IS FORMAL - formal enough for a Royal wedding guest! The Argyle is a step above that. Were I starting again, I'd not bother with any other jacket.

If you wore a fly plaid to my church, I'd smile and tell you how nice you looked, and think silently to myself "Where on earth did he ever get the idea that was an appropriate way to dress for church? He looks like he's trying to convince me that he's a Scottish Laird hosting a formal dinner for royalty."

Now, having said all that, I do sometimes over-dresss - mostly to fit in with those around me who don't know that it's overkill, and yes, I own fly plaids matched to each of my kilts. My wife wears them as shawls because they look dumb.

Unless you're a Laird hosting a formal dinner for royalty.

This Sunday, I'll be kilted under my robes because I'm going to a party afterwards. I'll wear one or the other of my kilts, with a deathly plain sporran, bison coloured hose, and my tweed jacket.

No fly plaid.

Save yourself the money. Once you get to really be confident in what you know about it, you'll wonder why you spent the money.

Or give it to your wife with a nice pin as a shawl.

Hi Father Bill.

I know I'd make quite the Entrance with Church if I walked in Dressed as if the Queen and Prince Philip were with me. On further thinking, if I walked in wearing a Fly Plaid, with my fast gait, it would be like Lucy Ricardo was wearing a fly plaid, Things not fastened down would be everywhere. I am only the Laird of my Wee Apartment and my Alexander is still the boss, he is a Ginger n' White Cat.

What would you suggest I get for a Jacket to wear, I am not the Tweed kind of fellow. I saw online Braemar Jackets, just wondering if they would be appropriate to wear? I was thinking of getting one of those Jacobite Waistcoats, I guess we would call them a vest here in The Dominion...

Today I am wearing my Utility Kilt with my Ghillie Shirt, White Kilt Hose with Black Flashes, and Leather Sporran. It was a bit cool at 0630 hrs when I left for work, so I put on my Black Hoodie. It actually looked nice, as everything was Black except my Kilt Hose, which is Off White.

I know some wouldn't approve of how I am wearing my kilt today, but with no disrespect to anyone here in the Forum, I believe one should do what they are comfortable with as how they wear the kilt. I also being a Non-Conformist, I sometimes do something that isn't the norm... I don't let people peg me, and out of the blue I will do something that isn't William at all.

Today in my travels I saw someone dressed as Elvis as he would have been in his 1970's Las Vegas era. I admired him for his courage to dress as this. Anyway my Seniors who I take to their day programmes loved the kilt. The ladies who work at the Day Programmes loved it even more. I tell you, "If you want to impress the ladies, wear a kilt"...

Thank you Father Bill.

Bill.

[Taskr]

Bill,

From your posts it appears you are open to discussion from other perspectives:

You have found a work uniform that clients are getting used to seeing. The shirt, hose, and such. This can be a good thing for business, an identifiable look that's just a bit different. Clients and prospective customers see 'different' and latch on to that - a provider of choice concept built on from visible image. (my nod of approval)

Whether or not any of us approve of what you wear is hardly an issue. You are your own person. Yet, I wonder if we fall into a specific look - the ghillie shirt and jacobite waistcoat, pondering a fly plaid - rather than exercising our own fashion and style. No disrespect, but I often chuckle at all the young non conformists dressing like the other non conformists to be a collective of clothing conforming non conformists. You threw on a hoodie and it looked good. Excellent! What else do you have that you often wear that would look just as good with your utility kilt as your regular pants? I read that you are accustomed to not doing the norm but you might be falling into a set and constrained look in your kilt that is not that unusual at all; which some might call costume but I prefer to call good marketing and sales by vendors. I recommend throwing open the closet and chest of drawers and get your style with your kilt. Took me a while to figure that out.

I don't think you're in an unusual spot as a kilt wearer. It is a bit different and we don't want to be pigeon-holed or uniformed in it - might be one of the reasons worn in the first place. Just sometimes in trying to differentiate, we end up looking like someone else's idea of different.

Anyway, thoughts for what they're worth.

On the jacket - there are lots of options, easily browsable with the vendors here, There are also good threads here on conversions of thrift-store found jackets tailored very nicely to go over the kilt. I did a some-sort-of-blend cloth green jacket that turned out well.

[Famous Willie]

Even lairds refrain from this bit of over-the-top costuming, Bill. I'd give the fly plaid a pass and go for quality, not quantity.

Thanks ThistleDown,

Advice well Taken, As I replied to Father Bill at Lunchtime, If I wore a Fly Plaid, I"d be like the Lucy Ricardo of the Highlands. With my faster Gait than some, I'd be taking things off tables and making quite the mess. Guess we will stick with the Serf Look. I look better Casual anyway.