Anyone here wear a kilt?

[Mister Moo]

Silly Scots... Why bother?

[Joan]

During the warmer cycling months I love wearing my custom Black Watch kilt over the cycling shorts. Completes that catholic school girl look with the black cycling shoes.

FTR, chicks dig guys in utilikilts.

[BillyCigars]

Originally Posted by taltos

Minor correction here, kilts are also part of the Irish tradition. Do a Google search on this and you will find many sites such as Irish Tartan.

Forget Google, read the book, "Old Irish And Highland Dress" by H.F. McClintock, the most authoritative book on the subject.

The idea that Kilts were an ancient Irish garment is fiction; they were Scottish in origin. In ancient times, the Irish wore long, flowing tunics called "Leine". Irish Kilts were "invented" during the 1800's Victorian craze for "all things Scottish".

The Scottish "tartan" is simply a pattern (called a "sett") that identified familial "Clans". With only a few exceptions, the Irish version of "tartan" was a creation of the 1990's and represented Counties as opposed to families (as in Scotland). Certainly not "tradition" in the.......well, traditional sense

[carbonbased_al]

Originally Posted by BillyCigars

Forget Google, read the book, "Old Irish And Highland Dress" by H.F. McClintock, the most authoritative book on the subject.

The idea that Kilts were an ancient Irish garment is fiction; they were Scottish in origin. In ancient times, the Irish wore long, flowing tunics called "Leine". Irish Kilts were "invented" during the 1800's Victorian craze for "all things Scottish".

The Scottish "tartan" is simply a pattern (called a "sett") that identified familial "Clans". With only a few exceptions, the Irish version of "tartan" was a creation of the 1990's and represented Counties as opposed to families (as in Scotland). Certainly not "tradition" in the.......well, traditional sense

You mean to tell me the movie braveheart lied to me!? I remember that scene where the scots meet up with the irish mercs and they all shake hands. And they were all rocking manskirts!

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by BillyCigars

Forget Google, read the book, "Old Irish And Highland Dress" by H.F. McClintock, the most authoritative book on the subject.

The idea that Kilts were an ancient Irish garment is fiction; they were Scottish in origin. In ancient times, the Irish wore long, flowing tunics called "Leine". Irish Kilts were "invented" during the 1800's Victorian craze for "all things Scottish".

The Scottish "tartan" is simply a pattern (called a "sett") that identified familial "Clans". With only a few exceptions, the Irish version of "tartan" was a creation of the 1990's and represented Counties as opposed to families (as in Scotland). Certainly not "tradition" in the.......well, traditional sense

Actually I think in considering the cross-migration of Scots-Irish and Irish-Scots there had to have been a little room for cross-cultural influences, maybe not on a grand scale but undoubtedly present. A lot of people think the kilt dates way back into scottish history but the modern kilt as we know it only dates to, roughly, the 1720s in Scotland. Prior to that it had been more of a dress.

Its name philabeg (little-kilt) was supposedly invented by an english quaker and ironworker, Thomas Rawlinson around 1727 in order to allow his workers on the territory of Clan MacDonell more mobility and saftety while working in his foundry and the woods around it. It fully caught on as part of the Highland Gentleman's warcquone by 1745 (paraphrased from Clans and Families of Scotland: The History of the Scottish Tartan by Alexander Fulton).

[Thillium]

Originally Posted by Joan

During the warmer cycling months I love wearing my custom Black Watch kilt over the cycling shorts. Completes that catholic school girl look with the black cycling shoes.

FTR, chicks dig guys in utilikilts.

A+!!!

[BillyCigars]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

A lot of people think the kilt dates way back into scottish history but the modern kilt as we know it only dates to, roughly, the 1720s in Scotland. Prior to that it had been more of a dress.

Its name philabeg (little-kilt) was supposedly invented by an english quaker and ironworker, Thomas Rawlinson around 1727 in order to allow his workers on the territory of Clan MacDonell more mobility and saftety while working in his foundry and the woods around it. It fully caught on as part of the Highland Gentleman's warcquone by 1745 (paraphrased from Clans and Families of Scotland: The History of the Scottish Tartan by Alexander Fulton).

A very important distinction should be made though about the Rawlinson or "modern kilt" (the "feileadh beag") and the "great kilt" (the "feileadh mor" - the Braveheart looking one). Keep in mind, Rawlinson didn't invent the kilt, he merely created a modified version in the 1700's. The inspiration for that kilt (the one we see today) was based on the ancient kilt described throughout Scottish history. In fact, McClintock's first mention of the kilt is from the 11th century.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by BillyCigars

A very important distinction should be made though about the Rawlinson or "modern kilt" (the "feileadh beag") and the "great kilt" (the "feileadh mor" - the Braveheart looking one). Keep in mind, Rawlinson didn't invent the kilt, he merely created a modified version in the 1700's. The inspiration for that kilt (the one we see today) was based on the ancient kilt described throughout Scottish history. In fact, McClintock's first mention of the kilt is from the 11th century.

That's true, but, going backwards, at what point does the kilt stop being a unique representation of scottish culture and instead become a local variation of a simple rudimentary garment similar to those worn in more primitive cultures around the world? My guess would be when the use of clan tartans were introduced, or more accurately, when the tartans were incorporated into the kilts.

[Nutiket_32]

I never have, but I plan on it for either my wedding or one of my friends, whenever those days get here. I also think it would be great to show up to a formal business dinner in a kilt and jacket.

[dhaus]

mother's maiden name is Kirk. Believe we have a tartan, or we can claim to be a sept of clan Maxwell, not sure which. Would love to have a kilt and would wear it, but those babies are EXPENSIVE. As a guid scot, I couldnae spend the money, laddie.

[Bridges]

I don't wear a kilt yet but I'm learning to play the bagPIPES.
Ha I kept it on topic there.

[burninator]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

That's true, but, going backwards, at what point does the kilt stop being a unique representation of scottish culture and instead become a local variation of a simple rudimentary garment similar to those worn in more primitive cultures around the world? My guess would be when the use of clan tartans were introduced, or more accurately, when the tartans were incorporated into the kilts.

Which likely happened sometime around the Jacobite rebellion, I believe. Even then, the use of kilts and tartans was a revival of sorts, rather than a continuation of clan culture, which was long since out of style by that time.

[burninator]

Originally Posted by Bridges

I don't wear a kilt yet but I'm learning to play the bagPIPES.
Ha I kept it on topic there.

What kind of resource are you using, if any? I set my pipes down a couple of years ago, but I've been wanting to get back to learning.

[Bridges]

Originally Posted by burninator

What kind of resource are you using, if any? I set my pipes down a couple of years ago, but I've been wanting to get back to learning.

I'm taking lessons from a local piper. Also I'm using The Irish Heritage Piping Tutor which is a book and cd combo. I think it might be a local thing as well. Not really sure. You might want to talk to your local pipe bands and see what they suggest.

[BillyCigars]

Irish Heritage Piping Tutor; so are you learning to play the Uillean pipes or the bagpipes?