A possible dancing myth?

[Arlen]

Now that Diane and I are married she's made it quite obvious it's time she had a sash in a Donald tartan.
Now, I've been looking around to find one that will go with her dance group's demo outfits as well as her lovely complexion etc, and I came across this website.

It makes the following claim on how sashes should be worn by ladies partaking in a wee bit of SCD.

The correct method of wearing Ladies Sashes

These three versions have the approval of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, one time Lord Lyon King of Arms. They also appear in Frank Adams book, "The Clans Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands", and in "Tartans and Highland Dress" by MacKinnon of Dunakin.

1. The sash is worn over the right shoulder, across the breast and secured by a brooch on the right shoulder. This style is worn by clanswomen, women of the clan surname and septs by birth or marriage.
2. The sash is worn over the left shoulder, across the right breast and secured with a brooch on the left shoulder. This style is worn by Lady Chiefs, chieftainesses, the wives of clan chiefs and chieftains, and the wives of colonels of Highland regiments.
3. The sash is worn over the right shoulder and tied in a bow, or secured with a pin, at the waist on the left. This style is worn by ladies who have married out of their clan but who still wish to use their original clan tartan.

Doreen Robinson got in touch to say that "members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society have been granted permission by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, *Cough* Elizabeth I of Scotland *Cough* to wear their sashes on the left shoulder. This is an honour bestowed upon the Society because she is Patron".

Now I have to be honest, I've heard various 'rules' for how the sashes should be worn and mostly ignored them.
Just the mere mention of 'Former Lord Lyon' here makes my bump of trouble itch.


Is there anyone on here who can prove any of these absurd rules?
Is this just the kilt police extending their business into the SCD department?

[gilmore]

I would think it would be best to wear the sash(es) as appropriate, that is, correctly. Why not? One has to wear them in some manner and it might as well be in the way that it is done traditionally, unless there is an overriding reason not to.

However, if the other women with whom your wife dances all wear them incorrectly to such a degree that she would stick out like a sore thumb if she didn't, she might want to go along with the way her fellows wear them.

[Monkey@Arms]

Matt has written on this subject here.

Best regards,

Jake

[BoldHighlander]

Now that Diane and I are married she's made it quite obvious it's time she had a sash in a Donald tartan.
Now, I've been looking around to find one that will go with her dance group's demo outfits as well as her lovely complexion etc, and I came across this website.

It makes the following claim on how sashes should be worn by ladies partaking in a wee bit of SCD.

The correct method of wearing Ladies Sashes

These three versions have the approval of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, one time Lord Lyon King of Arms. They also appear in Frank Adams book, "The Clans Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands", and in "Tartans and Highland Dress" by MacKinnon of Dunakin.

1. The sash is worn over the right shoulder, across the breast and secured by a brooch on the right shoulder. This style is worn by clanswomen, women of the clan surname and septs by birth or marriage.
2. The sash is worn over the left shoulder, across the right breast and secured with a brooch on the left shoulder. This style is worn by Lady Chiefs, chieftainesses, the wives of clan chiefs and chieftains, and the wives of colonels of Highland regiments.
3. The sash is worn over the right shoulder and tied in a bow, or secured with a pin, at the waist on the left. This style is worn by ladies who have married out of their clan but who still wish to use their original clan tartan.

Doreen Robinson got in touch to say that "members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society have been granted permission by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, *Cough* Elizabeth I of Scotland *Cough* to wear their sashes on the left shoulder. This is an honour bestowed upon the Society because she is Patron".

Now I have to be honest, I've heard various 'rules' for how the sashes should be worn and mostly ignored them.
Just the mere mention of 'Former Lord Lyon' here makes my bump of trouble itch.


Is there anyone on here who can prove any of these absurd rules?
Is this just the kilt police extending their business into the SCD department?

Hi Arlen,

I can neither prove nor disprove this story. I have read this same version from other sources as well.
However they all could be telling the same "legend". As often happens if a legend is told often enough it becomes the "truth".

Having said that I have a friend who is quite active in the local Scottish Country Dance troupe, and I know they wear their sashes upon the left shoulder. I am told this is the "correct" manner so the sash does not get in the way.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Now that Diane and I are married she's made it quite obvious it's time she had a sash in a Donald tartan.

[I]The correct method of wearing Ladies Sashes

These three versions have the approval of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, one time Lord Lyon King of Arms. They also appear in Frank Adams book, "The Clans Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands", and in "Tartans and Highland Dress" by MacKinnon of Dunakin.

1. The sash is worn over the right shoulder, across the breast and secured by a brooch on the right shoulder. This style is worn by clanswomen, women of the clan surname and septs by birth or marriage.
2. The sash is worn over the left shoulder, across the right breast and secured with a brooch on the left shoulder. This style is worn by Lady Chiefs, chieftainesses, the wives of clan chiefs and chieftains, and the wives of colonels of Highland regiments.
3. The sash is worn over the right shoulder and tied in a bow, or secured with a pin, at the waist on the left. This style is worn by ladies who have married out of their clan but who still wish to use their original clan tartan.

Like you said in the quote above "The correct method of wearing Ladies Sashes."

The answer is #1. Even though she is a member of the RSCDS, she would only wear her sash on the left shoulder when participating in one of their events. The rest of the time she should respect social convention.

You mentioned Frank Adams "Clans Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands"; you may not be aware of the fact that the book was considered seriously flawed and was revised by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney while he was the Lord Lyon, King of Arms. Sir Tam was careful to record many of the social customs (including ladies wearing sashes) as a guide for those who didn't know the rules so they wouldn't be embarrassed in public.

[Arlen]

Diane's been dancing for quite a few years now, and she's always worn the sash on the right but I see a fair amount of ladies wearing it on the left sometimes, too.

I'm mostly just interested in where these rules and conventions came from.
I hear so many rules bandied about for kilts which have no real basis in fact or custom and I wondered if this were something similar.

Matt's article helped. (I should have checked his articles first, huh?) And it made it pretty clear that this, with many other kilt and tartan things, just seems to have been rules that someone says they got from somewhere else and it's turned into 'the done thing.'
That's just find with me, custom forms from usage, after all.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

My article dealing with this subject has already been linked to, and I encourage those interested to read it; but here is the pertinant quote:

One of the first references to be found on women wearing the sash is from The Kilt: A Manual of Scottish National Dress, written by Loudon M. Douglas in 1914. He writes, “It is desirable that ladies who wish to encourage the Scottish National Dress should wear sashes of tartan, with evening dress. These should be preferably worn over the left shoulder and fixed by a circular brooch. Other applications of the tartan in connection with ladies’ costume must be left very largely to personal taste.”


And I think it should be left at that. When women ask me whether someone might criticize them for wearing their sash the wrong way, I always ask what boar would dare tell a lady how she ought to dress!

[Kiltman]

My article dealing with this subject has already been linked to, and I encourage those interested to read it; but here is the pertinant quote:

Spot on, Matt. Always good advise from you, thanks.

[Bob C]

[QUOTE=M. A. C. Newsome;487756]When women ask me whether someone might criticize them for wearing their sash the wrong way, I always ask what boar would dare tell a lady how she ought to dress! [QUOTE]


Or boor, for that matter.

[gilmore]

Yes, most boars I have come across have little to say about sashes.