The blue bonnet was a type of soft woollen hat that for several hundred years was the customary working wear of Scottish labourers and farmers. Although a particularly broad and flat form was associated with the Scottish Lowlands , where it was sometimes called the scone cap , the bonnet was also worn in parts of Northern England and became widely adopted in the Highlands .
36-428: In later years it came to be associated with Highland dress , and in the 19th century gave rise to other headgear such as the more elaborate Balmoral bonnet , the tam o' shanter , and (with the addition of a wire cage) the military feather bonnet . The characteristic blue bonnet was knitted in one piece from a thick wool, dyed with woad , and felted to produce a water resistant finish. Strings were often sewn around
72-551: A folk-costume option at events requiring morning dress . As such, for formal day-wear use it generally consists of: Men: The traditional white-tie version of Highland dress consists of: Men: The semi-formal version of Highland dress consists of: Men: Traditionally, black-tie Highland dress comprises: Men: In 1618, a poet from London, John Taylor , described the costume of Scottish aristocrats, lairds , and their followers and servants, dressed for hunting at Braemar . In August and September, all classes dressed in
108-462: A pom or cheerleading pom , is derived from the French word pompon , which refers to a small decorative ball made of fabric or feathers. It also means an "ornamental round tuft" and originally refers to its use on a hat, or an "ornamental tuft; tuft-like flower head." Cheerleading innovator Lawrence Herkimer received a patent for the pom-pom and his original patent application, for which he called
144-486: A "gude blue bonnet", though the more modern "tam" may be made of a wide range of materials. Like the English Monmouth cap , the true knitted blue bonnet is still made in small quantities for historical and military re-enactment groups. In Scotland the term "bonnet-laird", or "bannet-laird", was sometimes used to refer to a yeoman , who themselves farmed land of which they owned the freehold . The name combined
180-561: A colour-coordinated blouse and vest. A tartan earasaid , sash or tonnag (smaller shawl) may also be worn, usually pinned with a brooch , sometimes with a clan badge or other family or cultural motif. [REDACTED] = Day (before 6 p.m.) [REDACTED] = Evening (after 6 p.m.) = Bow tie colour [REDACTED] = Ladies [REDACTED] = Gentlemen In the modern era, Scottish Highland dress can be worn casually, or worn as formal wear to white tie and black tie occasions, especially at ceilidhs and weddings. Just as
216-453: A common accessory of men's Highland dress, such as the mattucashlass and the dirk . However, due to the UK's knife laws, small sgian-dubhs and sword shape kilt pins are more commonly seen today. For men's and women's shoes, dance ghillies are thin, foldable turnshoes , now used mostly for indoor wear and Scottish dancing . The sole and uppers cut from one piece of leather, wrapped around
252-462: A result of the garment's mention by fashionable Border Scots such as Walter Scott , James Hogg and Henry Scott Riddell and their wearing of it in public. Together with Robert Burns , they can be seen wearing a maud in portraits, etchings and statues. Toorie A pom-pom – also spelled pom-pon , pompom or pompon – is a decorative ball or tuft of fibrous material. The term may refer to large tufts used by cheerleaders , or
288-418: A small, tighter ball attached to the top of a hat, also known as a bobble or toorie . Pom-poms may come in many colours, sizes, and varieties and are made from a wide array of materials, including wool , cotton , paper , plastic , thread , glitter and occasionally feathers . Pom-poms are shaken by cheerleaders , pom or dance teams , and sports fans during spectator sports . Pom-pom , also called
324-460: A white wig, blue bonnet, and large white cockade. The association was reinforced by later nostalgic Jacobite songs, such as "Blue Bonnets Over the Border", set down (and possibly written) by Sir Walter Scott , who himself affected to wear a bonnet in later life, dressing very much like "an old Border baron", according to James Hogg . The blue bonnet remained everyday wear for Lowland farmers until
360-452: Is a self-assumed role of guardians of Scottish 'ethnicity'." He contrasts this mode of regulated Highland dress with the kilt's contemporary "renaissance as a style item ... even a post-modern trend in kilt-wear instigated with the 1970s and 1980s punk styles ; we see the kilt worn with chunky socks, boots, white T-shirt and black jacket". Regardless of formality level, the basis of all modern men's and women's Highland dress starts with
396-459: Is given up". An 1825 dictionary described the bonnet as "formerly worn by the more antiquated peasantry". By the middle of the century the characteristic broad, flat Lowlander's bonnet, usually worn with clothing of homespun hodden grey and perhaps a woollen, black and white checkered maud , was said to have disappeared or survived only in the "degenerate form of a small round Kilmarnock bonnet worn pretty generally by ploughmen, carters and boys of
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#1732790886141432-577: Is often characterised by tartan ( plaid in North America). Specific designs of shirt, jacket, bodice and headwear may also be worn. On rare occasions with clan badges and other devices indicating family and heritage. Men's Highland dress typically includes a kilt or trews . Although this may consist of clan tartan, it is more usual for tartans to be chosen for aesthetic reasons. A tartan full plaid , fly plaid , or short belted plaid may also be worn but usually only at very formal events or by
468-457: Is perceived as permissible in Highland dress", Scottish historian Hugh Cheape writes (2012) that "uniform styles and conformity in dress conventions have emerged since the late nineteenth century and have been encoded in books and tailors' patterns; strict observance is expected and in some circles has become a touchstone of Scottishness. The perpetuation of such views, relatively recently formed,
504-477: The Western Islands , the earasaid with its brooches and buckles . "The ancient dress wore by the women, and which is yet wore by some of the vulgar, called arisad , is a white plaid , having a few small stripes of black, blue and red; it reached from the neck to the heels, and was tied before on the breast with a buckle of silver or brass, according to the quality of the person. I have seen some of
540-668: The tartan , either as a kilt , trews , arisaid , sash , or tonnag . Tartans in Scotland are registered at the Scottish Register of Tartans in Edinburgh, a non-ministerial department and are usually aligned to a clan or branch of a clan; however, tartans can also be registered exclusively for an individual or institution, and many "district" or "national" patterns also exist that have no associations to particular families or organisations. Historically, weaponry formed
576-647: The velvet caps popular amongst the upper classes of the time. Dyed with blue or grey vegetable dyes , they became popular with the peasantry and by the end of the 16th century—as noted by Fynes Moryson —the bonnet had been adopted nearly universally by men throughout the Lowlands, although it did not become widely worn in the Highlands until the following century. By 1700, Martin Martin described Highlanders as mainly wearing thick woollen bonnets of blue or grey. It
612-478: The English, except both men and women also used a plaid as a cloak . The Lowland women wrapped their plaids over their heads as hoods , whereas Lowland and Border men wore a checkered maud (plaid) wrapped about their upper body. The maud, woven in a pattern known variously as Border tartan , Falkirk tartan, Shepherd's check, Shepherd's plaid and Galashiels grey, became the identifying feature of Border dress as
648-468: The Scottish title of laird , the holder of an established estate, with the blue bonnet of the typical Scottish farmer. Walter Scott gave a slightly differing definition of the term, stating that it signified "a petty proprietor", or member of the low-ranking gentry, who adopted "the dress, along with the habits, of a yeoman". Owing to the flower's resemblance to the cap, the wildflower Succisa pratensis
684-785: The black tie dress code has increased in use in England for formal events which historically may have called for white tie, so too is the black tie version of Highland dress increasingly common. The codification of "proper" Highland dress for formal and semi-formal wear took place during the Victorian era, and these styles have changed little since then (e.g. the Prince Charlie, Sheriffmuir, and regulation jackets have an antique appearance, being based on Victorian military doublets of Highland regiments ). In observing "constraints imposed by supposed rules and regulations governing ... what
720-401: The end of the 18th century, but its use was gradually discontinued under the influence of fashion and increasingly industrialised clothing manufacture. A minister of a lowland parish of Angus , noting the increase in the use of imported cloth and clothing in his lifetime, wrote "in 1760 there were only two hats in the parish: in 1790 few bonnets are worn; the bonnet-maker trade in the next parish
756-649: The following century. Despite its earlier association with the Covenanters, adorned with a white cockade the blue bonnet was also adopted as an emblem of Jacobitism . Its political symbolism became overt: one night in December 1748, over two years after the failure of the 1745 Jacobite rising , someone scaled the Edinburgh Parliament House and dressed the lion in the Scottish royal arms in
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#1732790886141792-404: The foot from the bottom, laced at the top, and seamed at the heel and toe. Ghillie brogues are thick-soled welted-rand shoes. In both, the laces are wrapped around and tied firmly above the wearer's ankles so that the shoes do not get pulled off in the mud. The shoes lack tongues so the wearer's feet can dry more quickly in the typically damp Scottish weather. Highland dress may also be worn as
828-419: The former of an hundred marks value; it was broad as any ordinary pewter plate, the whole curiously engraven with various animals etc. There was a lesser buckle which was wore in the middle of the larger, and above two ounces weight; it had in the centre a large piece of crystal , or some finer stone, and this was set all around with several finer stones of a lesser size. The plaid being pleated all round,
864-467: The groom at a wedding. There are a number of accessories, which may include but are not limited to: a belt, sporran , sgian-dubh , knee-socks with a cuff known as kilt hose, garters , kilt pins and clan badges. Women's Highland dress is also based on the clan tartan, either that of her birth clan or, if married, that of her spouse's clan if she so chooses. Traditionally, women and girls do not wear kilts but may wear ankle-length tartan skirts , along with
900-608: The humbler ranks". Reflecting the Victorian fascination with (and militarisation of) Highland dress, the smaller Kilmarnock or Balmoral bonnet, further elaborated with ribbons, a diced border, and a toorie , was incorporated into British military uniform during the 19th century. The informal version of the Balmoral, also adorned with a toorie, is often known as the Tam o' shanter, after a Robert Burns poem whose central character wears
936-525: The inner edge, allowing a close fit around the brow, whilst the top was worn pulled into a broad circle. The typical Lowland man's bonnet was large and worn flat, overhanging at the front and back and sometimes ornamented with a small tuft or red worsted "cherry", while in the Highlands the fashion was for a smaller, plain bonnet, sometimes peaked at the front. The bonnet's construction made it an extremely practical piece of clothing in Scotland's damp, cool climate. The flat shape formed an effective brim against
972-521: The invention pom-pon , mentioned that they were made out of crepe paper or other similar material. Since then pom-poms have been made of plastic but mylar (also called BoPET ) has become increasingly popular in recent years. Cheerleading pom-poms come in a variety of shapes, styles, colors, color combinations, and sizes. The most common size, the six-inch (150 mm) works most age groups or performance type. This size can be used for dance teams, pom squads, cheerleaders, and majorettes, easily making it
1008-685: The most versatile strand length on the market. The second most common size, the five-inch (130 mm), is adequate for any age group or performance type, but the marginally shorter strands provide the necessary flash while acting more as an accent to the uniform. Pom-poms are also waved by sports fans, primarily at college and high school sports events in the United States. These inexpensive, light-weight faux pom-poms, or rooter poms, typically come in team colors, are sometimes given away or sold to spectators at such events. In reference to Scottish Highland dress and Scottish military uniforms,
1044-450: The right arm. Beneath the plaid they wore a waistcoat or a shirt to the same length as the drape of the plaid. These were " belted plaids ." Their stockings were made of the same stuff as the plaid and their shoes were called "brocks" ( brogues ). Bonnets were blue or "sad" coloured. Morer noted that the fineness of the fabric varied according to the wealth and status of the man. Scottish Lowlanders and Borderers were dressed much like
1080-421: The same fashion by custom, as if equals. This included tartan stockings and jerkins , with garters of twisted straw , and a finer plaid mantle round their shoulders. They had knotted handkerchiefs at their necks and wore blue caps . Taylor said the tartan was "warm stuff of diverse colours." Near the end of the seventeenth century, Martin Martin gave a description of traditional women's clothing in
1116-565: The small pom-pom on the crown of such hats as the Balmoral , the Glengarry , and the Tam o' Shanter is called a "toorie." The toorie is generally made of yarn and is traditionally red on both Balmorals and Glengarries (although specific units have used other colours). It has evolved into the smaller pom-pom found on older-style golf caps and the button atop baseball caps . The word toorie
Blue bonnet - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-482: The weather, could be pulled down ("scrugged") in various directions for additional cover, pulled over the ears for warmth, or folded and put in a pocket. It could also be removed and used as a pocket or bag in its own right. The felted wool helped protect the wearer against rain, and could be easily wrung dry. A substantial hand-knitting industry is believed to have developed in Scotland by the late 15th century. Bonnetmakers produced broad, flat knitted caps in imitation of
1188-465: Was a fine kerchief of linen strait (tight) about the head, hanging down the back taper-wise; a large lock of hair hangs down their cheeks above their breast, the lower end tied with a knot of ribbands ." According to the English military chaplain Thomas Morer in 1689, Highland men wore plaids about seven or eight yards (6.4 to 7.3 m) long, which covered from the neck to the knees except
1224-414: Was often called the "blue bonnet" in Scotland. By extension the name was also applied to the garden flower Centaurea montana . The blue tit was also called the "blue bonnet" or "blue bannet" in parts of Scotland, with the equivalent name "blue cap" being used in northern England. Highland dress Highland dress is the traditional, regional dress of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland . It
1260-488: Was the bonnet's blue colour, as well as, perhaps, its Lowland and peasant origins, that influenced its adoption as a badge of the Covenanters , who used blue to distinguish themselves from their Royalist opponents and their red cockades and ribbons. During the 18th century the bonnet was, to outsiders, the most readily identifiable Scottish piece of clothing in the popular imagination. Tartan would occupy this role in
1296-486: Was tied with a belt below the breast; the belt was of leather, and several pieces of silver intermixed with the leather like a chain . The lower end of the belt has a piece of plate about eight inches long, and three in breadth, curiously engraven; the end of which was adorned with fine stones, or pieces of red coral . They wore sleeves of scarlet cloth, closed at the end as men's vests , with gold lace round them, having plate buttons with fine stones. The head dress
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