macvicaruniforms

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Nick MacVicar proudly presents his new wardrobe addition for 2023: the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland piper uniform. This is a very traditional uniform, with an unusual 5-tassel hair sporran and feather bonnet with the typical Black Watch red plume. Other unique features are the crossbelt with regimental insignia, the plaid brooch with the symbol of St.Andrew and the square cut spats. Interesting fact: the pipers of the Black Watch do not wear the Black Watch tartan, but the famous red Royal Stewart tartan. The only regiment whose pipers do wear the Black Watch tartan are the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Obviously, Nick owns that uniform too. Scroll down to see it

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The Royal Regiment of Scotland piper uniform. Lots of red, gold and green, which makes it the perfect outfit for the holidays. A nice detail of this uniform are the perfectly matched kilt, plaid and bagpipe ribbons. The insignia on Nick’s right arm are, from bottom to top, the rank of Major and the role of piper. The Lion Rampant on a Saltire is the recurrent symbol of the Royal Regiment which is displayed on the sporran, cap badge as well as both cross- and waist belt.

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Nick is a fervent reenactor of the Jacobite era. With the rise in popularity of TV series such as Outlander, his 18th-century outfits are in high demand at period-themed weddings-

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Scottish pipers always wear that extra bit to set them apart from the regular kilted man. Since facepaint had already been patented by Braveheart, it was unanimously decided that furry hats, huge belts and shiny knives and badges would have to do the trick.

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A kilt is nothing without matching socks. Nick has a few, so nae worries there. From simple plain socks all the way to exclusively hand-knitted tartan kilt hose

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The MacKenzie tartan uniform is a reproduction of the early 20th century uniform of the Seaforth Highlanders, a regiment that no longer exists. It features a so-called fly plaid and an unusual horsehair sporran with inverted colours. Being a MacKenzie on his mother’s side and his great-grandfather having served in the same regiment makes this a very special outfit for Nick.

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My new Saint Patrick’s Day launch: the Irish piper uniform, with the famous saffron kilt, green caubeen and lots of harps all over.

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New in 2020: the super-elegant, all-black piper uniform.

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Nick likes Scottish outfits. Sporrans included.

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The Isle of Skye summer uniform. Or simply put: that brown one. Nick hails from Skye and this was his very first kilt back in the early 90s

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The Black Watch summer uniform. Or simply put: that green one

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The Hamilton Tartan summer uniform. Or simply put: that grey one

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The Italian Tartan summer uniform. Or simply put: that blue one

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The Royal Stewart summer uniform. Or simply put: that red one

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Royal Stewart tartan, full piper’s dress, with the nice big hat we call feather bonnet, the hairiest sporran in the universe, a shiny long dirk and lots of other glittery attire. This is the uniform of the Royal Scots Guards and was the outfit Nick wore when he played at Rod Stewart’s wedding in Santa Margherita. The Royal Stewart tartan summer uniform on the other hand , is ideal for poor pipers who need to do their job under the blistering July sun around Naples… Yes, it looks very much the same, but this one is a cotton jacket. And it still has all the glittering gear.

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The Hamilton Grey tartan is one of the most popular tartans of the moment, together with similar tartans such as Grey Spirit and Highland Granite. Its black and grey tones make it perfect for formal occasions from weddings to funerals. Nick matches this exceptional tartan with a charcoal tweed Prince Charlie jacket and vest and elegant black fur sporran, or a grey piper’s tunic with a black horsehair sporran.

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The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders uniform. Black Watch Tartan, and generally dark colours with a dash of fiery red (remember Nick is a pipe major, hence the sash). All the soberness and elegance of the Highlands in one single outfit. Then there is the Black Watch summer uniform, which is very similar but with a stylish green cotton jacket (pipers call it a doublet) in use since Queen Victoria used to send her beloved Highlanders to such tropical dream destinations like The Sudan and India. Finally, the second choice summer uniform, also called "b*st*rd hot day dress", for the August temperatures in the South of Italy which match those of the Sub-Sahara. Just google some pics of the WW2 piper outfit in Northern Africa: that's the one.