| Racine Kiltie Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps' Uniforms. Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved. The contents of this page, written or photos, cannot be used without written permission from webmaster@racinekiltiealumni.org. |
| The history of the various uniforms that the Kilties, Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps have worn throughout the years: The Kilties first uniform in 1936 consisted of a white shirt, an imported sporran and tam, and a tie, tartan and kilt of Royal Stewart plaid, a royal blue and black plaid interwoven on a field of striking red. The boys and parents supplied their own white shirt and tam and the Kiwanis Club donated the funds out of their treasury to complete the uniforms. The uniforms were made by a local dressmaker who was assisted in the taking of measurements and other tasks by the mothers. Dress rehearsal in preparation for the Kilties first public appearance in the July Fourth parade in Racine was held on Thursday, July 2, 1936. Needing new uniforms for the 1949 season the Kiltie Parents’ Club made an intensive study of the numerous plaids, and having come to a careful decision, decided upon the McLeod tartan for their new uniforms. Its yellow background, in combination with black plaid and a narrow red stripe interwoven throughout the tartan, creates a plaid that sets it apart from most of the less spectacular tartans. The plaid is gay and bright. Several Kiltie mothers worked many days and nights making the new McLeod plaid kilts and plaids, or tartans, that are worn over the shoulder and diagonally across the breast and back. The green battle jacket, new in 1948, still was worn with the new McLeod plaid uniforms. The Kilties held a "dress rehearsal" in their new uniforms on May 25, 1949, at the YMCA which was open to parents and friends. The first appearance in the new uniforms was at the Milwaukee Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 31, 1949. In 1951 the Kilties replaced their green uniform jackets with new red ones. The new red jackets were worn for the first time at the Centennial International YMCA Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, from June 21- 24. During the convention the Kilties gave several concerts. In October of 1957 it was announced that new uniforms will be made for the Kilties. Starting March 5th, 1958, the Kilties began fitting the boys for their new uniforms. The Kilties appeared for the first time in their new uniforms of Anderson plaid kilts and tartans at the Boys of 76’s July 3rd, 1958, drum and bugle corps contest in Racine’s Horlick Athletic Field. The Anderson plaid is a multi- colored plaid interwoven into a field of powder blue, with powder blue the predominant color. New jackets were also made of powder blue to match the plaid. Because of complaints that the blue jackets with the blue Anderson plaid kilts and tartans were too drab on the competition field, especially at night, the Kilties still used their old uniforms of yellow and black McLeod plaid kilts and tartans with the red jackets in many competitions in 1958 and 1959. The new blue Anderson plaid kilts and tartans with matching blue jackets were used mainly in daytime parades for 1958 and 1959. For 1960 and 1961 the Kilties wore their Anderson plaid uniforms with the matching blue jackets exclusively. In 1962, faced with a membership growing in both numbers and size, there wern’t enough of the blue Anderson plaid uniforms to go around, so the color guard switched back to the old yellow and black McLeod kilts and tartans with red jackets. In 1963, for the same reasons, the drum line switched to the old red jackets but still kept their Anderson plaid kilts and tartans. These uniform combinations created a very colorful appearance for the Kilties and these uniform combinations remained the same thru the 1973 season. The Kilties hit the field in new uniforms too in 1974. The whole corps was now in new yellow and black McLeod plaid kilts and tartans and were wearing their old blue and red jackets which had been dyed black. The Kilties in 1978 retained their familiar yellow and black McLeod plaid kilts and tartans, but changed from the black jackets to new yellow jackets which coordinated with the McLeod plaid. The jackets, costing $7,000, also featured black chest braiding, black epaulets, black gauntlet cuffs and each having a black crossbelt. The jackets also had red highlighting. This was the last uniform that the Kilties wore. These uniforms were worn until the Kilties folded after the 1982 Drum Corps season. |
| This photo (Above) taken in 1946 of Kiltie Jim Christiansen shows him proudly wearing the original Kiltie uniform. He is not wearing a sporran because he's a drummer. This uniform was worn by the Kilties from their first public appearance in Racine's 1936 Fourth of July parade until 1949. |
| Above: The King brothers, Lance, Gary and Bruce (Left to Right) model the new Anderson plaid uniforms in August of 1958. Below: Also an August of 1958 photo in which Bruce and Gary King model the old McLeod plaid uniforms with red battle jackets that were worn by the Kilties from 1951 - 1959. |
| ABOVE: Early 1950's Post Card showing the Kilties in their red battle jackets with McLeod plaid kilts, the uniform which they wore from 1951 through 1959 |
| TOP AND BOTTOM: The Kilties on parade wearing tan shirts without tartans (plaids) in their McLeod kilts in Edgerton, WI, on June 17, 1956. |
| ABOVE: The Kilties are shown in the left photo sometime around 1959 marching the parade in Cedarburg, WI with all members wearing matching corps T-shirts instead of their battle jackets and tartans. |
| The above two photos were taken at the 1964 World Open and show the colorful uniform combinations that the Kilties wore from 1963 - 1973. |
| Above: 1982 photo of the Kilts in their McLeod kilts with the drummers wearing black battle jackets and the rest of the corps wearing the yellow battle jackets that the Kilts first wore in 1978. In 1978 the color guard wore red battle jackets with the McLeod kilt. |
| Above: 1975 Kilties' Color Guard is shown here wearing black battle jackets with McLeod kilts. The whole corps was outfitted in these uniforms from 1974 through 1977. |