Kilts, Kilts and More Kilts

Even though we’re lucky if it gets up to 50 degrees (still), it’s not that unusual to see men with bare legs here. Kilts are the attire of choice for wedding parties (rather than tuxedos)—even at Orthodox Jewish ceremonies where a yarmulke completes the outfit. Bartenders sport utility kilts in khaki or black. And, guys on the street or grocery store can be found showing off their clan colors and flashing a naked calf. The first kilts were full-length garments with the upper half sometimes draped over the shoulder as a cloak, so today’s version is actually the bottom half of its predecessor. Kilts virtually disappeared (except for Highland regiments) when the British government banned them and other signs of Scottish nationalism in 1746. The ban was lifted some 40 years later but it wasn’t until Sir Walter Scott came along that kilts and tartans became popularized—both in the Highlands and Lowlands. Scott, who not only was a great novelist but also a PR genius, organized festivities to mark King George IV’s visit to Scotland in 1822 and convinced the men to wear kilts in tartans that became associated with their clans (rather than with regions of the country). After that, there was no turning back.