Kilt Pin or Brooch?

[Nick]

The story goes that Victoria, having witnessed such an event, placed a pin on a kilted soldier's apron to preserve his modesty, thereby starting the tradition.

Also, I don't think Queen Victoria would have actually bent down, grabbed his kilt, and pinned it. It would be neither modest nor decorous.

[Phil]

Kilt pins originally were exactly that. A large, practical, safety-pin type of thing. That was what you wore with your kilt whether you were a man or a woman. Brooches were decorative items, often jewelled, worn by ladies above the waist. Plaid brooches were large, circular items used to fasten a plaid at the shoulder as a practical necessity to stop it slipping off and are an ancient type of brooch, being found in many archaeological sites. As with all things fashions change and variations on the ladies' brooch theme have found their way into kilt-wearing, perhaps due to a declining popularity among women. These have been suitably masculinised into macho swords etc. to preserve the wearer's gender identity although some, such as a recent post about grouse foot brooches are pushing these boundaries even further. What next you might ask?