Men
don't wear skirts. Wrong! In Scotland they do- at least sometimes.
This tradition has already persisted for hundreds of years and as it
seems it will still continue to form part of Scottish culture for
many decades to come. But how come that in Scotland these tartan
patterned garments are so fashionable? In this post I will shed light
on the historical background of the kilt, its significance and how it
still forms an essential part of Scottish culture nowadays.
The
history of the kilt stretches back to at least the end of the 16th
century. At its first appearance it was actually a full length cloth
(great kilt) that was a utility, plaid garment and was only worn by
the Highlanders.
But the kilt was more than just a covering. It
allowed those who wore it to move much more freely, so it was very
useful in hunting and in war for example. When the nights became
cold, this garment was easily removed and spread out to create a
blanket to keep the person who owned it warm. However, over the
centuries the upper half of the kilt was dropped and the walking kilt
(small kilt) as we know it nowadays only developed in the late 17th
or early 18th century.
By
the way, the word kilt
originates from the Scots
word kilt
meaning “to tuck up the clothes around the body”.
The
kilt grew in popularity after being chosen by Highland regiments
serving with the British Army and it quickly became sought after by
people from the South as the British aristocracy considered all
things Scottish a fashion statement.
So
we already got to know a little bit more about the origins of this
Scottish emblem. But of course whenever we think of kilts we almost
automatically associate them with the typical tartan pattern.
Although todays' Scottish Kilts are always made from tartan fabric,
it was only in the late 1800's that the Clans of Scotland (kinship
groups)began to adopt their own unique tartan design as a symbol.
This is how wearing your 'clan tartan' became a matter of pride.
And
then there is of course still the age-old question of what is worn
under a Scotsmans' kilt? Well, usually nothing..Historically
Scottish Highlanders wore a tunic under their kilts, and nothing
else. Nowadays it's up to everybody to decide what to wear beneath a
kilt but it seems that most choose to follow the traditional route.
Today
the kilt is usually not worn at a daily basis but nevertheless it is
still an intrinsic part of Scottish culture and traditions and is
still worn at special occasions including weddings, and at
traditional Scottish dances. And it is also,
more and more, used as a symbol of Scottishness, for instance by fans
attending Scotland football / rugby matches.
Everybody
has at least heard of the word kilt before but I think only few
people have some knowledge about the history of the kilt
tradition..so I hope you enjoyed reading this post and learned
something new at the same time! :)
If
you follow this link you can read a short article about a
kilt-fashion show:
But even though I just tried to give you some understanding about the origins of the kilt you can also take a look at this video where a comedian provides a different, but hilarious viewpoint about why the Scots wear kilts ;)
alerei
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