kilts in Scotland

[Monkey@Arms]

This subject seems to come up regularly and I see it as part of the misconception the rest of the world has about Scots and their customs (and I am not including the majority who actually think we are English!). Scots see themselves as a modern, forward-looking society, not some mist-shrouded anachronism leaping from glen to glen in a ridiculous parody of "Brigadoon". Apart from a few tourist guides, kilt shop employees and, yes I have to say it, American tourists, few actual Scots wear the kilt on a daily basis. For one thing it costs too much to risk it getting torn or stained and for another most work places have dress codes which discourage it. For us it is a dress for special occasions when we want to look our best. I was married in a top hat and tails as was the custom in Scotland thirty odd years ago. Few people owned a kilt then and the only ones I ever saw were in pipe bands and on the occasional boy scout. I am sorry to disappoint but probably the last place you can expect to see a kilt is in Scotland as it genuinely is not worn regularly by people here.

Might I venture a guess about the reason it comes up? The members of this forum are by definition people who are enthusiastic about kilts. I suspect that on occasion a poster is looking for a place where kilt wearing is a norm, and where better to look than the birthplace of the kilt? They are therefore disappointed to learn that daily wearing of kilts is as infrequent in Scotland as it is in the U.S., if not more so.

Additionally, for those enjoying the comfort and freedom of the kilt for the first time, they may feel that they have discovered something that had been hidden from them all of their pants wearing life, and be thinking, "Boy, if this was my national garb I'd have never adopted pants as my daily wear."

This thread has provided lots of thoughtful explanations as to why the kilt fell out of fashion for daily wear in Scotland.

Best regards,

Jake