History of the Great Kilt

Before the kilt as we know it now, was the belted plaid illustrated here. Writing in 1583, a cartographer to the King of France reported:

"Those who inhabit Scotland south of the Grampian chain are tolerably civilised
... but those who inhabit the north are more rude, homely and unruly, and for this
reason are called savages or wild Scots.They wear a large and full shirt coloured
with saffron and over thisa garment, hanging to the knee, of thick wool, after the
manner of a cassock. They go with bare heads and allow their hair to grow very long. ...." 

About The Great Kilt or Belted Plaid

This kilt is known in Gaelic as the breacan feile or fealadh mhor. and was the traditional dress of the Highland clansman from the 15th/16th Century. Some writers believe that it was their form of dress from earlier times - that the Scots who moved from Ireland to Scotland may have adopted this form of dress from the Picts in order to deal with the harsh climate of our country. We know of no evidence to support this theory.

The original plaid would comprise about 12 ells of fabric (an ell in Scotland was just over a yard) - which would be divided and then stitched together to form a very broad plaid some 6 ells long. Today most fabric suitable for the great kilt is woven on broadlooms and is between 54 inches and 60 inches wide.

So much material was necessary to keep the elements at bay. It was pleated in order to provide a good thickness of material around the vital organs. Its thickness and the natural oils in the material forms a very effective protection agians the cold and damp and could be drawn up over the head to keep out the wind and rain.

An 18th Century account describing how the Highland gentleman dressed indicates that belt loops were used, at least by the style-conscious, to keep the kilt in position.

Another account in the 19th century suggests a series of loops on the inside of the plaid at intervals corresponding with the width of pleating (about 4 to 6 inches). A cord is passed through the loops, drawn tight to form the pleats, tied around the waist - and the kilt is formed in record time!