The Kilt, one of the best-known pieces of traditional Scottish clothing, isn’t something that should be worn lightly, especially if the kilt you’re wearing is of one the Scottish clans’ colors. In other words if you’re going to wear a traditional kilt, make sure that you have some official title that lets you wear it. Otherwise you may find yourself in an unpleasant situation of telling a group of angry men that you didn’t really mean to “steal” their clan colors. Yes, there are still people who take such things seriously.
Kinds of Kilts
There are two kinds of kilts - a great kilt (draped, not sewn) and an English kilt (wrapped on with sewn pleats). Here we will discuss only the wearing of an English kilt, also called “the small kilt”
The Way of Wearing a Kilt
Kilts can be a very comfortable and extremely good-looking piece of clothing, providing that you wear it properly. So, you have to remember that:
1. Your kilt falls to the center of the knee and sits exactly on the natural waist.
2. You have to check if the pleats are at the back of the kilt - otherwise you’ll look terrible!
3. You have to wear a simple white shirt unless you decide to wear the traditional waistcoat.
4. Strapping the kilt is quite easy as long as you use your common sense.
Useful Tips for Wearing a Kilt
There are a few things you should think about before (and while!) wearing a kilt. First of all, decide on one of the Clan’s tartans. If you have Celtic origin, the best way to do it is to find out which tartan is really yours. The next hint is about the fact that you usually want to keep your modesty intact, so you should really consider wearing some underwear (even Scottish men do that from time to time), or at least wearing a kilt pin.
And the last thing you should know if you’re going to wear a kilt - even in Scotland kilts are reserved for special occasions - funerals, weddings etc. They are not meant to be worn everyday!
