Long Shirts with a kilt?

[Bugbear]

I recall Riverkilt saying that long shirts, when worn with a kilt, cause difficulties when sitting down by getting pulled down in the back.
If so, this might also apply to some of the long tail, button shirts.

Is there a way around this?

If you do wear long shirts with a kilt, what is your prefered style?

Any other experiences, good or bad, with wearing a long shirt and a kilt together?

Thank you.

[Standard]

Personally I prefer a long tail shirt when wearing my kilt, especially when regimental.

[KiltedSurveyor]

Historically, up until at least the mid 19th century, European men's shirts hung almost to the knee, functioning as a night shirt and underwear as well as a day garment. This includes the "original" wearers of the kilt. It makes sense that long shirts should be worn with a kilt, especially when going regimental, as a shirt is much easier to clean than a kilt. I myself prefer a longer tailed shirt with a kilt, it's a lot more comfortable than kilt on skin.

[Nighthawk]

Historically, up until at least the mid 19th century, European men's shirts hung almost to the knee, functioning as a night shirt and underwear as well as a day garment. This includes the "original" wearers of the kilt. It makes sense that long shirts should be worn with a kilt, especially when going regimental, as a shirt is much easier to clean than a kilt. I myself prefer a longer tailed shirt with a kilt, it's a lot more comfortable than kilt on skin.

I was going to make this same comment, actually. When I'm in historical garb, my shirt is knee length. I just blouse it a bit to keep it from pulling in the back. My shirt is actually almost the length of a tunic.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Unless one is doing a "costume thing" the tails on modern shirts, even those that are bespoke, are unlikely to be so long as to cause problems when sitting down.

[Tobus]

I wear shirts of all lengths, including ones my wife has made which hang to mid-thigh, and have never had a problem with them pulling in the back. In fact, wearing a kilt at my proper waist makes it a non-issue, unlike trousers that pull my shirts and make them poof out in the back.

[Chas]

Are we talking tucked-in or tucked-out? Because it will make a difference.

Regards

Chas

[Bugbear]

I've never had an issue with the long back of the business or formal shirts, like Riverkilt. There's been times in my life that the business shirts were mainly what I wore; talking about the type that go with a neck tie. With a kilt, I've also not had any problems wearing them that I recall. I'm not sure why, but thinking about it, I seem to bend forward at the waist a bit as I sit down, and that pulls the shirt up a little in the back. When wearing trousers, I have had to adjust the back of the shirt at some point after having sat down because it is then "bloused" in the back, as Nighthawk and Tobus mentioned.

Are we talking tucked-in or tucked-out? Because it will make a difference.

Regards

Chas

Yes, the shirt on the inside of the kilt.

As far as the type of shirt that is long all the way around like a tunic, I was pondering one thing. Back in the day, people used to wear the kilt around their tunic or shirt, and their shirt could serve as a garment on it's own, as pointed out already.

I spend a good deal of time "toiling in the fields," and hang my overalls on a nail by the door when I come in the house, most times. I understand this is not the lifestyle of most, however, a long shirt could still serve as an "around the house" type garment. It is much easier to remove a kilt and hang it on the nail than the overalls or jeans for that matter, and the tunic-like long shirt would not work well with overalls in the first place.

Just saying...

[Nighthawk]

When wearing trousers, I have had to adjust the back of the shirt at some point after having sat down because it is then "bloused" in the back, as Nighthawk and Tobus mentioned.

I should mention here that my idea to do that came from a friend of mine from Shetland, who was involved in Viking period reenactment before he moved to the States. The tunic was his idea, and I adopted it- it serves me well at night when we're staying on site (with our Scots reenactment group.) That way, when I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I don't have to fumble with finding appropriate clothes to put on!

[Pleater]

The old fashioned 'grandad' shirts my dad had - probably inherited - were the ones with the yoke which had buttons, but below that were solid - that is they did not unbutton all the way down the front, they had to be pulled on over the head. They had separate collars, held on by studs, but he used them for casual wear and very rarely put a collar onto one of them, but if he was wearing one and someone called at the house he would quickly put on a collar and tie.

The cut was far looser than modern shirts, I think they had small pleats at the yoke both front and back. He wore them with high waisted trousers which were quite loose at the waist, held up by braces. Over that he would wear a pullover, and over that a jacket. The shirt might have bloused - but it would not be seen.

People used to wear far more layers of clothing - even in warm weather.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: