Scotland's National Attire

[Bugbear]

Damn them squirrels LOL

Sorry, it was the squirrel that broke the camel's back or something like that.
* Rest of post deleted, and PM sent to CMcG.

[CMcG]

OK, I knew about the impact of Sir Walter Scott, Romanticism, and 19th century British monarchs on Scotland's national attire becoming the kilt. I'm still looking to know if anyone can say 'aye' or 'nay' as to whether it ever got drafted into law, royal decree, or any sort of formal status?

These days it seems like most people in mainland Scotland agree about their national attire. What of Orkney and Shetland?

Also, when did the Lowlanders join the kilt party? Am I wrong in thinking that as late as mid-twentieth century some of them were still mocking Highland attire?

How about more recent immigrants, such as Asians? How well have they embraced the kilt, outside of the tartan tat industry?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I doubt there is any sort of legal decree stating "the kilt is the official national dress of Scotland," like we have legislature in our state declaring "milk is our official drink" and "the dogwood is our official flower." The kilt is considered Scotland's national dress more by general acclaim.

As to when Lowlanders began to accept the kilt, I read once that it began after the Union of the Parliaments in 1707. Now, this does NOT mean that Lowlanders began running around in kilts at that time! If I recall correctly, what the author was suggesting was that there was enough resentment created after that Act in certain quarters, that Lowland Scots began to feel more comfortable viewing Gaelic Highlanders as their fellow countrymen than the English south of the border, with whom they shared a common language and much common culture.

I think perhaps this opened the door to the later acceptance of the kilt as a "national attire" for all of Scotland.

I think this must have at least been underway by 1842 when the Sobieski Stuarts introduced the first tartans for Lowland families in the Vestiarium Scoticum. If there was not at least some interest in tartans and kilts in the Lowlands at this time, I fail to see why they would populate their book with so many Lowland tartans. They must have seen themselves as filling some need, even if it was a relatively small one.

And the fact that 170 years later, just about all of those Lowland tartans are still in constant production tells us something about the demand for them.

[Jock Scot]

OK, I knew about the impact of Sir Walter Scott, Romanticism, and 19th century British monarchs on Scotland's national attire becoming the kilt. I'm still looking to know if anyone can say 'aye' or 'nay' as to whether it ever got drafted into law, royal decree, or any sort of formal status?

These days it seems like most people in mainland Scotland agree about their national attire. What of Orkney and Shetland?

Also, when did the Lowlanders join the kilt party? Am I wrong in thinking that as late as mid-twentieth century some of them were still mocking Highland attire?

How about more recent immigrants, such as Asians? How well have they embraced the kilt, outside of the tartan tat industry?

I don't think the kilt has an "official" legal status as Scotland's National attire. How many other country's national attire has legal status? I don't know. Tartan of course has some official status these days.

I think most ----probably all these days----Scots would consider the kilt as "ours". However, Orkney and Shetland have more of a Norse culture-----and wind----so the kilt would probably be still regard as "our" national attire there, by many even though I get the impression that the kilt is worn even less up there. I am told, mainly for practical reasons!

To my certain knowledge the kilt in Glasgow in the early to mid 1940's was an object of ridicule, but how widespread that was in the Lowlands I cannot really say, but I think fairly widespread.It still happens on occasion today, but that is usually beer talking, I think.

If I had to put a date on when the kilt started to go seriously "national" in Scotland I would go for the 1960's. Interestingly, when I went to school in England at about the age of seven, so 1947, the kilt was always regarded by the majority of the English children as Scots National attire, which in those days I could not understand coming from the Highlands. An incident from those far off days that you may be interested in.
As the School's only Scot I had resisisted many requests to wear the kilt whilst at school(boarding). It took a letter from the Head Master to my father requesting permission for me to do so and my father's reply was enlightening. He would only grant permission for me to wear the kilt South of the Highlands(some 400 miles) providing it was for educational puposes and only once!I was then happy to oblige---I think. The other children when the great day arrived, were actually quite jealous of my attire. Even the school's loudmouths!

The influx of other nationalities is not unusual to Scotland and whilst it is fair to say that you don't see many wearing the kilt----some do, but not, I think, regularly----there is quite often a piece of tartan lurking on their clothing, or more often, in their homes, but how general that is I don't know.

[MacSpadger]

How about more recent immigrants, such as Asians? How well have they embraced the kilt, outside of the tartan tat industry?

Well, there is the Chinese-Scottish tartan, although Royal Stewart still seems preferable to some.



Some folk have no bother donning the kilt with other traditional clothing and look pretty good in it.

[creagdhubh]

I doubt there is any sort of legal decree stating "the kilt is the official national dress of Scotland," like we have legislature in our state declaring "milk is our official drink" and "the dogwood is our official flower." The kilt is considered Scotland's national dress more by general acclaim.

As to when Lowlanders began to accept the kilt, I read once that it began after the Union of the Parliaments in 1707. Now, this does NOT mean that Lowlanders began running around in kilts at that time! If I recall correctly, what the author was suggesting was that there was enough resentment created after that Act in certain quarters, that Lowland Scots began to feel more comfortable viewing Gaelic Highlanders as their fellow countrymen than the English south of the border, with whom they shared a common language and much common culture.

I think perhaps this opened the door to the later acceptance of the kilt as a "national attire" for all of Scotland.

I think this must have at least been underway by 1842 when the Sobieski Stuarts introduced the first tartans for Lowland families in the Vestiarium Scoticum. If there was not at least some interest in tartans and kilts in the Lowlands at this time, I fail to see why they would populate their book with so many Lowland tartans. They must have seen themselves as filling some need, even if it was a relatively small one.

And the fact that 170 years later, just about all of those Lowland tartans are still in constant production tells us something about the demand for them.

Superb information here, Matt. Wonderful points as well.

Cheers,

[Jock Scot]

And the fact that 170 years later, just about all of those Lowland tartans are still in constant production tells us something about the demand for them.

In my youth, I attended many a formal "do" in the Lowlands of Scotland and it was almost a certainty that kilts were not to be seen, just a very few perhaps. There was acres of tartan to be seen though, in the form of tartan trews, which was and still is the fashion down there. I understand that the kilt is in regular attendance there, these days.

[Blackrose87]

In my youth, I attended many a formal "do" in the Lowlands of Scotland and it was almost a certainty that kilts were not to be seen, just a very few perhaps. There was acres of tartan to be seen though, in the form of tartan trews, which was and still is the fashion down there. I understand that the kilt is in regular attendance there, these days.

Actually this make sense Jock. I regularly see people in tartan trews but they tend to be quite old, and the younger generation seem to wear kilts instead.
A generational change in fashion maybe?

[Mither Tap]

As other from the NE have commented. Kilts are very much accepted as national dress. At Weddings, special occasions etc. almost everyone will be kilted (I'm willing to say that the majority will be from a hire shop though). Any who own their own kilt will either have inherited it or have received it for their 21st birthday or similar - it will be in the clan tartan and knife pleated to the set.

Im sure that this is the same throughout Scotland (cant speak for Orkney and shetland though).

Remember as well, that the "lowlands" are not one unified culture either. North of Aberdeen is vastly different from the central belt lowlands. "Teuchter" is a word that is often thrown around (in jest of course) With Huntly as the seat of Gordon and the home of the Gordon highlanders there is a tradition of kilt wearing up here. The highland edition of the press and journal (the local rag) had an excellent photo of of two young broch lads in kilts (from the 50s I think) this last week (I was in Newtonmore).

of course occupationally, the kilt was not normal everyday wear here. It isn't a sensible garment for trawling the North sea.

[macwilkin]

As other from the NE have commented. Kilts are very much accepted as national dress. At Weddings, special occasions etc. almost everyone will be kilted (I'm willing to say that the majority will be from a hire shop though). Amny who own their own kilt will either have inherited it or have received it for their 21st birthday or similar - it will be in the clan tartan and knife pleated to the set.

Im sure that this is the same throughout Scotland (cant speak for Orkney and shetland though).

Remeber as well that the "lowlands" are not one unified culture either. North of Aberdeen is vastly different from the central belt lowlands. "Teuchter" is a word that is often thrown around (in jest of course) With Huntly as the seat of Gordon and the home of the Gordon highlanders there is a tradition of kilt wearing up here. The highland edition of the press and journal (the local rag) had an excellent photo of of two young broch lads in kilts (from the 50s I think) this last week (I was in Newtonmore).

of course occupationally, the kilt was not normal everyday wear here. It isn't a sensible garment for trawling the North sea.

A very good point about the Gordons; it should also be noted that there were two territorial battalions of two Lowland Regiments that were kilted: The "Dandy 9th" Royal Scots (Edinburgh) and the 10th Glasgow Highlanders, which was affiliated with the old Highland Light Infantry, which also went back and forth between kilts and trews. In the case of the Dandy 9th and the Glesca Highlanders, a fair number of their ranks were populated by Highlanders living in the cities.

Just the other day I was reading an online article about the Witwatersrand Rifles of South Africa, which carries on many of the traditions & customs of the Cameronians, and the author had this to say:

It is often remarked that the Cape Town Highlanders are the only coastal Highlanders and Wits Rifles are the only highland Lowlanders.



Academics such as Dr. Diana Henderson and Bryon Farwell have noted that the Irish, especially those who immigrated to Scotland, also composed a large number of rankers in Lowland & Highland regiments.

T.