Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Kilt circa 1948

[OC Richard]

Note the various features of the military kilts above:

very heavy wool
large sett size
no fringe
green binding
no belt loops
small black-painted two-prong buckles, held on with odd thin blackened canvas
high 'rise'
boxpleating (with three of the five traditional Scottish kilted regiments)

[OC Richard]

Remember that each battalion had its own master-tailor. Oftentimes battalions made their own kilts. Or, as you can see, bought kilts from Thomas Gordon & Son, Glasgow.

The battalion's tailor could add the buckles and straps. I don't know if any battalions did this, it's just a possibility.

Highland Dress in the kilted Scottish battalions often held onto old things and old ways of wearing things long after they became passe in Civilian Highland Dress. It wouldn't surprise me at all if civilian kilts went over to straps & buckles long before army kilts did, and also that the various battalions might have gone over to straps & buckles at different times.

This sort of thing is very difficult to trace from the photographic record because military men are very rarely photographed wearing their kilts without jackets. So, things like pinning v straps & buckles, or the rise of the kilt, are rarely to be seen.

This photo is one of the few. Note the extremely high rise of this Gordon Highlander kilt. Is appears to be pinned into place (note there's no buckle on the wearer's left where one would expect it)



Here's the only other vintage photo I've seen showing the tops of army kilts

[WillowEstate]

The battalion's tailor could add the buckles and straps. I don't know if any battalions did this, it's just a possibility.

Hmm, my military Mackenzie Seaforth only has the two (2-prong) buckles on the right and no left buckle. It is quite old - I wonder if it was shipped new without belts and the battalion tailor added them on receipt? It would be relatively easy to add the right hand ones but the left hand one would require a slot cutting and hemming in the top apron.