INTERNATIONAL TARTANS

THE KlLT

The kilt worn today is the 'little kilt' -in Gaelic 'feileadh bheag'. This garment had long box pleats that were stitched while the neat tight pleats of today's kilt are the result of military influences in the 19^th Century. This little kilt was adapted from a much longer piece of cloth -the 'feiledh mor' or belted plaid -which was wrapped round the upper body and held together by a belt at the waist and pinned in position.

This shortening to the modern kilt is said to have taken place around 1725. How it came about is a mystery. One story suggests that a Glengarry furnace-master from England felt the long plaid was a hazard and should be cut down. It may however simply evolved as the use of jackets, jerkins and tunics became more common-place.

Although the word 'kilt' has now come to be the universally accepted term for the colorful skirt apparel that constitutes Scotland's national dress, its origins are not clear- cut. It may come from Scandinavia which had strong links with Scotland from the time of the Norse invaders, and where there is a Danish word -'kilte' -which means a garment with pleats, folds or skirts. Equally it may originate from the Irish word for a screen -'ceifte'. In Scotland the word as a noun was originally associated with a garment of pleats skirts or folds, and as a verb to lift or shape a garment into skirt form.

Centuries ago the dress of Scots men and women evolved along different lines, and the kilt is traditionally considered to be a masculine garment. Although women wear pleated tartan skirts, these are not generally kilts, which are thought to be unsuitable for the female anatomy.

Trews or 'truis' are another traditional way of wearing tartan. These were originally a form of trousers covering both legs and feet, particularly suitable for wearing on horseback. Tartan trousers are still worn by many Scottish regiments although trews, which, like the kilt, extend above the waist and are supported by braces, tend to be reserved for ceremonial occasions.

copyright ^©2004-2007 David McGill Edinburgh all rights reserved

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