How to wear kilts - what you should know

Image via Wikipedia

So you want to look manly in traditional Scottish garb? Well, now that you’ve found that perfect kilt or tartan, you should learn how to wear it properly. Here are some tips:

• The pleated section of your kilt belongs in the rear, as it is primarily used to provide a nice bit of cushion for sitting on, and a kilt with pleats in the front is a telltale sign of someone who failed to put it on correctly.

• After laying the pleats in the back, pull the under apron from right to left, passing its strap through the hole, and buckle it. The top apron should be loose now, ready for you to wrap it over your right hip from left to right, buckle and line up the top edges together.

• Kilts are worn just under the rib cage and they are designed to hang to the top or middle of the knees, depending on where you want them. The straps allow for easy side-to-side adjustments, and again, remember that the double apron section should always be in front.

• Kilt accessories include the kilt pin, a weighted ornament fastened to a spot about 3″ from the bottom and 2″ to the left of your kilt’s right corner. The sporran, a traditional pouch intended to carry soldier’s rations, should hang about 6″ from the top of the kilt, right below the jacket edge, attached by chain straps through the rear belt loops. Kilt belts and buckles, not required with coats, fit through the rear belt loop as well.

Scottish Weddings – What Does The Groom Wear?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Prince Charlie Coatee And Vest
This is one of the most formal jackets in the highland-wear armoury. It consists of a jacket and vest (waistcoat) which are usually made from Barathea, a woollen cloth. The jacket is most commonly black but there are several other colours now on the market including purple, blue, mulberry and green. The jacket is cut to just below the “natural waist” at the front and has a flap at the back which extends down to around the top of the buttocks. The vest is also made of Barathea and is often cut with a lapel instead of a straight edge. The jacket and waistcoat are adorned with silver buttons with there being up to 20 buttons on the jacket and three on the vest. The jackets lapels are often made in a satin finish.

There are various theories where this garment came from but there is no doubt that Bonnie Prince Charlie would never have worn one. It would be prudent to believe there was some military background to it.

Winged Collared Shirt
With this formal wear it is traditional to wear a winged-collared shirt. Some people nowadays do wear an ordinary shirt but for the sake of looking better a winged collared shirt is better.

Bow-Tie
It is most common for a black bow-tie to be worn although it is becoming more common for the groom to wear a bow-tie made form the same tartan that his kilt is.

Plaid
There is sometimes a lot of confusion with this garment. The dictionary definitions give it as “fabric woven in a pattern or tartan design”. It is very commonly used in North America as another word for tartan. The definition of the garment is from the Gaelic word “plaide” meaning “blanket”. This is the piece of cloth that you can see hanging over the left shoulder in the picture on the right. In my opinion this is a must as it sets the groom apart from the rest of the male wedding party.

The plaid that you can see is called a fly plaid and generally hangs from around the chest area to just below the kilt. It is a piece of cloth that is generally around 12” x 55” (depending on kilt-maker). You can wear larger plaid (like I did), for instance the pipers plaid (like I did) but this is not recommended personally on a hot July day !!!

Plaid Brooch
This is the metal (usually pewter) brooch that attaches the plaid to the jacket. They come in many shapes and sizes from the very simple to the very ornate with gems, sometimes actual Cairngorms, in the centre.

Heather Button Hole
The groom often wears a heather button hole which is usually placed just to the side of the plaid brooch.

Kilt Belt & Buckle
Traditionally when wearing the Prince Charlie jacket and vest there is no belt and buckle worn as they really can’t be seen. The jacket and vest come lower than the natural waist and therefore cover the belt which is worn at the natural waist. The natural waist is best described as a line through the belly button.

In more modern times people are tending to wear a belt and buckle with the Prince Charlie. My personal opinion for this is so that the jacket and vest can be removed later in the proceedings after all the official ceremony is finished.

Sporran
This comes from the Gaelic word “sporran” meaning “purse”. There are several types of sporran, dress, semi-dress and day/leather sporran. In this case the groom would wear the most formal, that being dress. These are more widely varied than tartans themselves. They are made from an animal skin front (most commonly sealskin) which have ornamental tassels hanging from it. They have a metal top (cantle) designed to tie in with any belt worn. The sporran is hung around the natural waist by means of a metal chain and leather straps with the chain passing through the belt loops at the back of the kilt.

The Kilt
Arguably the most important garment of them all. The kilt is traditionally made of about 8 yards of tartan cloth that why they are so expensive. When you consider that there is only about two yards that actually wrap around you then there is about 6 yards of the cloth that is used fro the pleating at the back.
The kilt is worn around the “natural” waist. This is not where you would wear a pair of trousers (on top of the hips). This is around the belly button, about 2 to three inches higher up than normal trousers. It is worn about ¼” below the top of the knee.
A standard kilt from a good kilt-maker will have belt loops at the back, and come with three straps an buckles which are the means that it is put on. They also come in different weights of cloth. I would tend to choose the heavier ones as they are better wearing but for those in hotter climates the lighter weight may be better.
There are many kilts on the market today with some kilts, commonly known a casual kilts, made from much less cloth. These do not have the same amount or depth of pleats at the back so you do not get the “swing” that the traditional kilts get. There are many kilts that are now made in the Far East. I will keep my opinions to myself but the old adage stands firm. You get what you pay for beware!!
Remember also the tartan you wear may show your allegiances!!!!

Kilt Pin
This is a small pin that is worn on the bottom right of the kilt. It is usually worn about 2 to 3 inches in from the fringe and about 5 inches up from the bottom of the kilt.
There are a huge amount of designs available but my personal favourite is the ones in the shape of a sword (claymore) which was derived from the Gaelic word meaning “great sword”. These also have a clan crest on them.

Kilt Hose
These are the long socks that are worn up to the bottom of the knee. They again come in many designs from plain to very ornate. They are generally made from wool so beware when washing although there are now kilt hose that are made from wool blends that do not shrink.

Kilt Hose Flashes
These are the garters that hold up the kilt hose and are worn below the turn up of the sock. They have a piece of cloth sewn on them which protrude out of the turn up on the sock. This cloth can be of the same tartan as the kilt or they can be self coloured as long as they compliment the tartan of the kilt.

Sgian Dubh
The Scotmans’ dirk. This comes from the Gaelic “black knife” and is worn in the right sock. Again ornamentally they come in many many styles with jewelled tops, with stag antler handles and many more.
Please check the law of the country that you are wearing it in. In Scotland the carrying of knives for no lawful purpose is illegal but gives an exemption for “ceremonial” knives.

Ghillie Brogues
These are the shoes with the long laces. The laces are crossed once over the foot, intertwined three times in front of the leg and tied in a bow over the shin.

Undergarments
The answer to the age old question, “What’s under a Scotsman’s kilt?” Well I guess you’ll have to ask the next Scotsman you see wearing a kilt !!

Well that about does it for a highland formal wedding outfit. Don’t hesitate to contact the author if there is anything that he could help with.

At any rate have a wonderful day at your ceremony!!!

By: Sreve Dickson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Scottish Kilts from The Tartan Box

Scottish Weddings – What Does The Groom Wear?

Image via Wikipedia

Prince Charlie Coatee And Vest

This is one of the most formal jackets in the highland-wear armoury. It consists of a jacket and vest (waistcoat) which are usually made from Barathea, a woollen cloth. The jacket is most commonly black but there are several other colours now on the market including purple, blue, mulberry and green. The jacket is cut to just below the “natural waist” at the front and has a flap at the back which extends down to around the top of the buttocks. The vest is also made of Barathea and is often cut with a lapel instead of a straight edge. The jacket and waistcoat are adorned with silver buttons with there being up to 20 buttons on the jacket and three on the vest. The jackets lapels are often made in a satin finish.

There are various theories where this garment came from but there is no doubt that Bonnie Prince Charlie would never have worn one. It would be prudent to believe there was some military background to it.

Winged Collared Shirt
With this formal wear it is traditional to wear a winged-collared shirt. Some people nowadays do wear an ordinary shirt but for the sake of looking better a winged collared shirt is better.

Bow-Tie
It is most common for a black bow-tie to be worn although it is becoming more common for the groom to wear a bow-tie made form the same tartan that his kilt is.

Plaid
There is sometimes a lot of confusion with this garment. The dictionary definitions give it as “fabric woven in a pattern or tartan design”. It is very commonly used in North America as another word for tartan. The definition of the garment is from the Gaelic word “plaide” meaning “blanket”. This is the piece of cloth that you can see hanging over the left shoulder in the picture on the right. In my opinion this is a must as it sets the groom apart from the rest of the male wedding party.

The plaid that you can see is called a fly plaid and generally hangs from around the chest area to just below the kilt. It is a piece of cloth that is generally around 12” x 55” (depending on kilt-maker). You can wear larger plaid (like I did), for instance the pipers plaid (like I did) but this is not recommended personally on a hot July day !!!

Plaid Brooch
This is the metal (usually pewter) brooch that attaches the plaid to the jacket. They come in many shapes and sizes from the very simple to the very ornate with gems, sometimes actual Cairngorms, in the centre.

Heather Button Hole
The groom often wears a heather button hole which is usually placed just to the side of the plaid brooch.

Kilt Belt & Buckle
Traditionally when wearing the Prince Charlie jacket and vest there is no belt and buckle worn as they really can’t be seen. The jacket and vest come lower than the natural waist and therefore cover the belt which is worn at the natural waist. The natural waist is best described as a line through the belly button.

In more modern times people are tending to wear a belt and buckle with the Prince Charlie. My personal opinion for this is so that the jacket and vest can be removed later in the proceedings after all the official ceremony is finished.

Sporran
This comes from the Gaelic word “sporran” meaning “purse”. There are several types of sporran, dress, semi-dress and day/leather sporran. In this case the groom would wear the most formal, that being dress. These are more widely varied than tartans themselves. They are made from an animal skin front (most commonly sealskin) which have ornamental tassels hanging from it. They have a metal top (cantle) designed to tie in with any belt worn. The sporran is hung around the natural waist by means of a metal chain and leather straps with the chain passing through the belt loops at the back of the kilt.

The Kilt
Arguably the most important garment of them all. The kilt is traditionally made of about 8 yards of tartan cloth that why they are so expensive. When you consider that there is only about two yards that actually wrap around you then there is about 6 yards of the cloth that is used fro the pleating at the back.
The kilt is worn around the “natural” waist. This is not where you would wear a pair of trousers (on top of the hips). This is around the belly button, about 2 to three inches higher up than normal trousers. It is worn about ¼” below the top of the knee.
A standard kilt from a good kilt-maker will have belt loops at the back, and come with three straps an buckles which are the means that it is put on. They also come in different weights of cloth. I would tend to choose the heavier ones as they are better wearing but for those in hotter climates the lighter weight may be better.
There are many kilts on the market today with some kilts, commonly known a casual kilts, made from much less cloth. These do not have the same amount or depth of pleats at the back so you do not get the “swing” that the traditional kilts get. There are many kilts that are now made in the Far East. I will keep my opinions to myself but the old adage stands firm. You get what you pay for beware!!
Remember also the tartan you wear may show your allegiances!!!!

Kilt Pin
This is a small pin that is worn on the bottom right of the kilt. It is usually worn about 2 to 3 inches in from the fringe and about 5 inches up from the bottom of the kilt.
There are a huge amount of designs available but my personal favourite is the ones in the shape of a sword (claymore) which was derived from the Gaelic word meaning “great sword”. These also have a clan crest on them.

Kilt Hose
These are the long socks that are worn up to the bottom of the knee. They again come in many designs from plain to very ornate. They are generally made from wool so beware when washing although there are now kilt hose that are made from wool blends that do not shrink.

Kilt Hose Flashes
These are the garters that hold up the kilt hose and are worn below the turn up of the sock. They have a piece of cloth sewn on them which protrude out of the turn up on the sock. This cloth can be of the same tartan as the kilt or they can be self coloured as long as they compliment the tartan of the kilt.

Sgian Dubh
The Scotmans’ dirk. This comes from the Gaelic “black knife” and is worn in the right sock. Again ornamentally they come in many many styles with jewelled tops, with stag antler handles and many more.
Please check the law of the country that you are wearing it in. In Scotland the carrying of knives for no lawful purpose is illegal but gives an exemption for “ceremonial” knives.

Ghillie Brogues
These are the shoes with the long laces. The laces are crossed once over the foot, intertwined three times in front of the leg and tied in a bow over the shin.

Undergarments
The answer to the age old question, “What’s under a Scotsman’s kilt?” Well I guess you’ll have to ask the next Scotsman you see wearing a kilt !!

Well that about does it for a highland formal wedding outfit. Don’t hesitate to contact the author if there is anything that he could help with.

At any rate have a wonderful day at your ceremony!!!

By: Sreve Dickson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Scottish Kilts from The Tartan Box

How To Sew A Kilt - Short Introduction

Image via Wikipedia

Every real fun of Scottish culture should have at least one kilt in his collection. They are usually being bought in some good stores with that kind of garments. But what has a greater value to us than the stuff that we do by ourselves?

That's probably the most important reason to sew kilt not to buy it. It might be also a great hobby which takes quite a lot of time but gives satisfaction and a lot of joy. There are only 8 steps to do that and few things to have.

Things that you will surely need are (most of them obvious): time, needle, thread, straight pins, safety pins, tape measure, a large kilt pin, 2-3 leather straps and buckles, lots of tartan material and chalk. Optional but rather recommended to make work more pleasant and effective are: basting tape, sewing machine, lining material.

Before we start sewing we have to make a measurements. Important in this case are: waist, hips, and length. To obtain your waist measurement, simply wrap a tape measure around the narrowest part of your waist and note the measurement. Because of the amount of material that will thicken the top of the kilt, it is advised to add a few centimetres to the waist measurement to ensure that it won't become too tight.

While measuring hips, there is an opposite site – wrapping the tape measure around the widest part of your hips and seat and record the measurement. The hip measurement is the most essential of all Again, because the kilt pleats will make the material thicker, add a few centimetres to the measurement. As it comes to length kilts are traditionally worn to mid-kneecap length, but the more modern look is to have the kilt reach to just above the knee. An easy way to get a good kilt length is to kneel on the floor and measure from your waist to the floor. And you have your length!

As its only an introduction to sewing a kilt I must tell you that rest of activities you will need to do are: translating the numbers (it is the most complicated things to do, while you have to do a lot of math), cutting, forming the shape of the kilt, pleating, lining.

This article was to encourage sewing one or two scottish kilts - one for a friend. Cause when you do that it's just having a harris tweed jacket and ghillie brogues and you are ready to conquer the whole world! With faith in your heart, smile on your face and a self made kilt on your....

Examples of black kilt and tartan ones you can find at Highlandstore.com . Take a look what you can buy...or sew by yourself.

More about sewing kilts you can find at bbc.co.uk.

By: michal costaminnego

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Examples of black kilt and scottish kilts you can find at www.highlandstore.com. Take a look what you can buy...or sew by yourself.

Kilted Warriors

I've found some nice image - image of kilted warriors.

The kilt in other Celtic nations

Although not a traditional component of national dress outside Scotland, the kilt has become recently popular in the other Celtic nations as a sign of Celtic identity.[8] Kilts and tartans can therefore also be seen in Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Brittany, Galicia in Spain, the Minho region in the North of Portugal, as well as parts of England, particularly the North East. Nowadays with Welsh nationalism on the rise and a resurgence of Welsh national pride, the kilt (Welsh: Cilt)[citation needed]. Although they are generally seen these days in formal settings like weddings, there has been an increase in the number of people wearing their kilt to a rugby or football match, paired with a jersey rather than a formal jacket[citation needed].

The St David's Tartan or brithwe Dewi Sant is one of the most popular tartans in Wales, but individual family tartans are being produced, despite there being no evidence that the Welsh (or any other Celtic nation for that matter) traditionally used tartan to identify families. Williams, Jones, Thomas, Evans, and Davies are among the most popular tartans and common names in Wales. The Welsh National tartan was designed by D.M. Richards in 1967 to demonstrate Wales' connection with the greater Celtic world. Its colours (green, red, and white) are the colours of the Welsh national flag.

There are currently 12 Breton tartans officially recorded in the Scottish tartan registries. The Breton tartans are: Brittany National (Breton National), Brittany Walking, Lead it Of, and further 9 county tartans (Kerne, Leon, Tregor, Gwened, Dol, St Malo, Rennes, Nantes, St Brieuc)[9].

There are 2 Galician tartans recorded in the Scottish registries: Galicia and National Gallaecia. There is historical evidence of the use of tartan and kilt in Galicia up to the 18th century[10].

Design and construction part1

Fabrics

The typical kilt as seen at modern Highland games events is made of twill woven worsted wool. The twill weave used for kilts is a 2-2 type, meaning that each weft thread passes over and under two warp threads at a time. The result is a distinctive diagonal weave pattern in the fabric which is called the twill line. This kind of twill, when woven according to a given colour pattern, or sett (see below), is called tartan. In contrast, the Irish kilt traditionally was made from solid colour cloth, with saffron or green being the most widely used colours. Kilting fabric weights are given in ounces per yard and run from the very heavy regimental worsted of approximately 18–22 oz. down to a light worsted of about 10–11 oz. The most common weights for kilts are 13 oz. and 16 oz. The heavier weights are more appropriate for cooler weather, while the lighter weights would tend to be selected for warmer weather or for active use, such as Highland dancing. Some patterns are available in only a few weights.

A modern kilt for a typical adult uses about 6–8 yards of single-width (about 26–30 inches) or about 3–4 yards of double-width (about 54–60 inches) tartan fabric. Double width fabric is woven so that the pattern exactly matches on the selvage. The kilt is usually made without a hem because a hem would make the garment too bulky and cause it to hang incorrectly. The exact amount of fabric needed depends upon several factors including the size of the sett, the number of pleats put into the garment, and the size of the person. For a full kilt, 8 yards of fabric would be used regardless of size and the number of pleats and depth of pleat would be adjusted according to their size. For a very large waist, it may be necessary to use 9 yards of cloth.

history of the kilt

The history of the kilt stretches back to at least late 16th century Scotland. However, the nationalism of that tradition is relatively recent. It was only with the Romantic Revival of the early 19th century that the highland kilt was adopted by Lowlanders and the Scottish Diaspora as a symbol of national identity. People from other countries with Celtic connections, some Irish, Cornish, Welsh and Manx, have also adopted tartan kilts in recent times, although to a lesser degree.

The kilt first appeared as the great kilt, a full length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the shoulder, or brought up over head as a cloak. The small kilt or walking kilt (similar to the 'modern' kilt) did not develop until the late 17th or early 18th century, and is essentially the bottom half of the great kilt.

Forms of the Kilt

The name 'kilt' is applied to a range of garments:

* the traditional Scottish garment, either in its historical form, or in the modern adaptation now usual in Scotland (cf. History of the kilt), usually in a tartan pattern
* the Irish kilt, based on the Scottish garment but traditionally made in a single (solid) colour [1]
* variants of the Scottish kilt adopted in other Celtic nations, such as the Welsh cilt and the Cornish cilt
* other skirt-like garments designed for men, but more or less different in structure from the Scottish kilt, including "Contemporary kilts"
* certain types of pleated wrapover skirt worn as school uniform by girls.

According to the OED, the noun derives from a verb to kilt, originally meaning "to gird up; to tuck up (the skirts) round the body", itself of Scandinavian origin.

How to Wear a Kilt

'An Irishman goes to the local pub to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, like he does every day, and gets wasted out of his mind. He stumbles outside when the bartender tells him that he is had enough, but he can barely walk. So he leans up against a tree, where he passes out. A few minutes later, a couple of fine lassies go walking by. One says to the other one, "Do you think they wear anything under those kilts?" She admits that she does not know. So they go to check it out. She lifts up the kilt and sees him in all his glory. As they replace the kilt and get ready to walk away, an idea enters one of their heads. "Give me your blue hair ribbon," she says. Reluctantly, she hands it over. She goes back over to the Irishman, lifts up the kilt, and ties the ribbon to him. They walk away laughing.

A few hours later, the drunk gets up to take a piss. He stands up, walks over to the bushes, hikes up his kilt, looks down and sees the blue ribbon. He thinks for a minute and says, "To be perfectly honest, I do not know how you got away, and I do not know what you did, and I do not know who you did it to, but I am sure glad to see that you got first prize!".

The vast majority of Scotsmen still choose to wear nothing beneath their kilts, according to a survey out today. The survey of men north of the border revealed that 69 per cent of kilt-wearers prefer to "go commando".
Of the remainder, 14 per cent said they wore boxers and 10 per cent chose briefs - with 7 per cent admitting to falling into the rather ambiguous "other" category. One man admitted wearing a thong with a Batman motif. Researchers found that a large number of Scotsmen often made up their minds on the basis of how formal the occasion was. Many preferred to wear underwear for occasions such as weddings, while on less formal outings such as rugby matches they went without.

What about you? Do you where anything under your kilt? That is just your top secret but what to do with all those who want to get that information from you?

What do you usually answer to a curious ones when asked the most popular and 'favourite' question: What do you wear under your kilt? If you often have nothing to say or just to shy to replay maybe it is time to stand in front of the mirror and try some of those propositions of an intelligent responses:
How badly do you want to know?
How warm are your hands?
Me mother once told me a real lady would not ask. She was right, God bless 'er. My Scottish pride.
On a good day, lipstick.
Play your cards right and you can find out.
Tell me madam , would you go jogging without a bra? If so, where do you jog and when?

Sorry, I am a bit shy and not much good with words. Give me your hand...
Talcum powder.
So which one do you like the most? Remember to answer with full confidence and right dose of humor!

By: Caroline Anderson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

www.highlandstore.com