Top 9 Secrets of Kilts
Come towards the modern collection of traditional kilts and say Goodbye to your old
style kilts.Modern Kilts are designed and tailored keeping in view the 21st-century
trends, styles, and fashion. These highly fashionable kilts for men can make you
distinctive from others in any particular ceremony, parties or events. In this a man look
like a kilt man..
1. Kilts have deep cultural and historical roots in Scotland. They’re a time-honored
symbol of patriotism and they are carefully stored between wearings.
2. The word ‘kilt’ is a derivation of the ancient Norse word, kjilt, meaning ‘pleated,’ and it
refers to clothing that is tucked up and around the body. The Norse were all over
Scotland, generally uninvited, and it’s a fine irony that the word for kilt is of their
derivation.
3. The first mention of kilts is in 1538. They were worn as full-length garments by
Gaelic-speaking Scots Highlander men. The knee-length kilt that we see today didn’t
come around until the early 18th century.
4. The first kilts were white, brown, green or black. Clanspeople used plants, mosses,
and berries to dye the wool. As time went on, they developed plaids for specific clans,
the colors most likely based on which natural dyes were nearby. These plaids became
known as tartan cloth.
5. The belted plaid became popular for Highland men during the 17th (By 1822, they
were mostly worn for ceremonial events.) This ‘great kilt’ emerged as a sign of
affluence. In Gaelic, it was called, breacan-an-feileadh or tartan wrap. There was also
a woman’s version that came into style during this time. Called an arisaid, it was worn
down to the ankles, and made from white tartan cloth with a wide-spaced pattern.
6. In the late 17th century, the small kilt or phillabeg was first worn. This is the bottom
half of the kilt, gathered into folds, belted at the waist, and falling just above the knee. A
separate piece of cloth was worn over the shoulder for protection and warmth.
7. King George II, trying to repress Highland culture, imposed the Dress Act of 1746. It
became illegal for the Highland regiments to wear garments resembling any form of
Highland dress, including the tartan kilt. King George’s opponents wanted to replace
him using Jacobite armies. In a panic, he thought to use the act’s provisions to ban the
kilt from Highland armies. In this way, he could see who was supporting the Jacobite
position and eliminate them. His ban had the opposite effect. People without Jacobite
leanings wore them as a romantic fashion statement. Others wore kilts to protest
general English oppression. The ban was lifted in 1782. Thirty-six years was a long time
for a useless ban to be in effect.
8. After the ban, the kilt became an enduring symbol of Scottish identity, and tartan
patterns represented particular clans, families, and regions. Today there are 3,500
specific tartan family plaids. The garment takes 20 – 25 hours to make, they are mostly
handmade, and the tartan pattern must remain unbroken. They have 29 pleats and use
about 8 yards of fabric.
9. A proper kilt is usually accompanied by a sporran, a small bag worn around the waist
and over the kilt. It’s the Gaelic word for purse; A kilt pin holds the two pieces together
at the front; and the Sgian dubh (skee-an doo) is a small dagger that sits in the sock.