Stillwater Kilts

[Corvidae]

I hear that the good folks over there haunt the forums and was wondering if there was any word on whether the tartans available in the wool heavyweights were going to be increasing in number. I like the prices and hear only good things, but I don't like solid kilts and already have a blackwatch Sport Kilt.

Also, kiltstore.net suggests that an 8 yard solid color is a traditional Irish kilt. I hadn't heard that the solid was an Irish tradition before and was wondering if anyone had some more info on this.

[PiobBear]

The kilt didn't appear in Ireland until the Victorian period, and then only among upper class nationalists; apparently for little other reason that it emphatically wasn't English. If a home-rule MP wanted to make a fashion statement in Parliament, it was more effective in the widely recognized kilt than the obscure but documented historical ethnic garment of the Irish; the leine; an ankle-length linen shirt with wildly exaggerated pointed sleeves that closely resembles a woman's shift. As Irish nationalists, to differentiate their kilts from Scottish ones, they adopted solid colors, particularly saffron, the traditional color of the Irish leine. Today Irish pipers often still wear the saffron kilt, and some male Irish dancers self-colored or tweed kilts. While many of the Irish county tartans are quite attractive, they are the modern invention of Scottish woolen mills.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

In case anyone is interested, here is an article I have written on the tradition of solid color kilts:
http://albanach.org/solid_kilt.htm

[macwilkin]

The kilt didn't appear in Ireland until the Victorian period, and then only among upper class nationalists; apparently for little other reason that it emphatically wasn't English. If a home-rule MP wanted to make a fashion statement in Parliament, it was more effective in the widely recognized kilt than the obscure but documented historical ethnic garment of the Irish; the leine; an ankle-length linen shirt with wildly exaggerated pointed sleeves that closely resembles a woman's shift. As Irish nationalists, to differentiate their kilts from Scottish ones, they adopted solid colors, particularly saffron, the traditional color of the Irish leine. Today Irish pipers often still wear the saffron kilt, and some male Irish dancers self-colored or tweed kilts. While many of the Irish county tartans are quite attractive, they are the modern invention of Scottish woolen mills.

And besides Irish nationalists, it should be mentioned that at the end of the 19th century, the Irish regiments of the British Army began to uniform their pipers in saffron kilts, copying from Highland piper's "kit" to make the distinctive Irish piper's look.

So an odd mix of the British Army and Irish nationalists produced the so-called "Irish" kilt.

Cheers,

Todd

[katmills2005]

Excellent article and very informative. I will definately be reading more of your columns. Thank you.

[PiobBear]

Geat article. One of these days I'm going to buckle down and make a tweed kilt, either green or a nice brown herringbone.

[David Dalglish]

Very interesting article Mat.

[Canadian_Kilt]

I hear that the good folks over there haunt the forums and was wondering if there was any word on whether the tartans available in the wool heavyweights were going to be increasing in number. I like the prices and hear only good things, but I don't like solid kilts and already have a blackwatch Sport Kilt.

Also, kiltstore.net suggests that an 8 yard solid color is a traditional Irish kilt. I hadn't heard that the solid was an Irish tradition before and was wondering if anyone had some more info on this.

You can fire an e-mail to SWK - they're pretty quick to respond.

[Jimmy the Celt]

In case anyone is interested, here is an article I have written on the tradition of solid color kilts:
http://albanach.org/solid_kilt.htm

I always enjoy your articles; very informative.

[Hamish]

Here is my superb kilt in 'Windowpane' tweed and tailored in Scotland by a kiltmaker sadly no longer with us:



In my Kilt Kollection are ten other traditional style Scottish-tailored kilts in solid colours and another very nice one: a 4 yarder with box pleats in grey Harris tweed from the hands of Matt.