There are so many fly plaids for sale these days that selecting the best fly plaid can be rather challenging. It is important to strike a balance between the quality of the of the product, and the amount of money it will cost.
What is a Fly Plaid?
A Fly Plaid is an excellent addition to the look of any kilt. The modern day Fly Plaid that we see today originally came from the Great Plaid (Féileadh Mòr) that was predominantly worn in the Scottish Highlands. This Great Plaid was worn in the 16th century and measured an incredible 9 yards in length. As you can imagine, this is too large for modern day use. Around 50% of this Great Plaid was pleated, and it was worn comfortably around the waist. The upper portion of the Great Plaid was worn over the shoulder (normally the left shoulder). It could be used as a sort of cloak and hood during rainy weather, so it was a multi-functional piece of clothing for many during that time.
The modern Fly Plaid takes inspiration from the Great Plaid. It was introduced in the 18th century, after there was a change in the way the kilt was worn from the Great Kilt to the Modern Kilt. It could be said that the Fly Plaid was a replacement for the part of the Great Kilt that was worn over the wearers upper body.
It is important for the modern Fly Plaid to have the same tartan as the kilt tartan, so make sure it is matching. You may also want it to be manufactured from the same material as the kilt that you have so that the colors and sett of the design match. We would recommend that you wear the Plaid with kilt jackets that have epaulets, and the plaid is typically held in place using a Fly Plaid Brooch.
How to Fold a Fly Plaid?
When you first handle this product, you may be wondering how to actually wear it! Well, we’re here to help.
First off, take one corner and fold the two outer corners inward. Next, you will then turn the material over and pass the end you are holding through the epaulette. Neatly tug it down to the level of the breast, and attach it to your person using a Fly Plaid Brooch. If you are worried about your kilt jacket becoming damaged by using a brooch, it is possible to attach the Plaid with a couple of neatly positioned safety pins. If you are wearing a “day plaid”, the way to wear this is to take the day plaid, and fold it carefully lengthwise until it is approximately 12″ wide. Once this has been done, you can then wear it over your shoulder. It’s really that simple! To prevent the day plaid from falling off your shoulder, you may wish to attach the day plaid to your kilt jacket using safety pins.
Make sure you check out other accessories for your kilt such as sporrans and the trusty Sgian Dubh.
