How to Wear a Kilt: Step by Step

To wear a kilt, put on your shirt, socks and shoes first. Then wrap the kilt around your natural waist with the pleats at the back and the flat apron at the front, and fasten the straps on your right hip. The bottom should sit at the middle of your knee. Add the belt, then hang the sporran a hand's width below the buckle, and pin the kilt pin to the bottom corner of the front apron. Finish with the sgian dubh in your sock and your jacket.

That is the whole thing in one breath. Below, we go through each step slowly, show you exactly where everything should sit, and point out the mistakes we see most often. A kilt has a few parts with their own names, such as the apron, the pleats and the fringe, and they all come up in the steps below.

What You Need to Wear a Kilt

A full outfit has more pieces than most people expect. You don't need all of them for every event, but here is the full list and what each one does.

• Kilt: The main garment, usually 8 yards of pleated tartan cloth. Needed: Always
• Shirt: White dress shirt for formal, ghillie or plain shirt for casual. Needed: Always
• Kilt hose: Long wool socks that stop just below the knee. Needed: Always
• Flashes: Elastic garters with coloured tabs that hold the hose up. Needed: Formal, usually day too
• Sporran: A pouch worn at the front, because kilts have no pockets. Needed: Always with a traditional kilt
• Kilt belt: Wide leather belt with a buckle. Needed: Day wear, optional with a waistcoat
• Kilt pin: Weighs down the front apron and adds a finishing touch. Needed: Recommended
• Sgian dubh: Small ceremonial knife worn in the top of the sock. Needed: Formal, optional otherwise
• Ghillie brogues: Tongueless shoes with long laces tied round the ankle. Needed: Formal, plain brogues also fine
• Jacket: Prince Charlie for evening, Argyll or tweed for day. Needed: Formal and smart day wear

The easiest way to get everything matched is to buy a complete kilt outfit, which comes with the kilt and accessories together.

How to Wear a Kilt, Step by Step

The order matters more than people think. Get dressed from the feet up and you won't be bending over in a kilt trying to tie laces.

Step 1: Shirt First

Put your shirt on and button it up. Tuck it in so the tails lie flat. A bunched-up shirt shows as lumps under the kilt, so smooth it down well.

Step 2: Kilt Hose and Flashes

Pull the hose up over your knees, then slide the garter of each flash on so it sits just below the knee. Fold the top of the sock down over the garter. The turnover should be about 3 to 4 finger widths deep, and the top of the fold should sit around 2 to 3 fingers below your kneecap. The coloured tabs of the flashes should hang below the fold on the outside of each leg.

Check that both socks are the same height. It is a small thing, but uneven socks are the first thing people notice in photos. Flashes come in plain colours or tartan, and many people match them to the kilt.

Step 3: Shoes

Put your shoes on now. With ghillie brogues, wrap the long laces round your ankle a couple of times, crossing them over, and tie them on the outside or the back of the leg. Keep the laces low, just above the ankle bone. Tied halfway up the calf, they slide down as you walk.

Step 4: Wrap the Kilt

Hold the kilt behind you with the pleats facing out at your back and the flat aprons at the front. Bring the inner apron (the one with the small strap) across your body from the right and push its strap through the slot on your left hip. Then bring the outer apron (the one with the fringe) across the front from left to right.

The top of the kilt should sit at your natural waist, about an inch or two above your belly button. That is higher than most men wear trousers, and it is the single biggest thing first-timers get wrong when they put on a kilt for the first time.

Step 5: Fasten the Straps

Buckle the strap on your left hip first, then the main straps on your right hip. Pull them snug, but not tight enough to pinch. You should be able to slide a flat hand inside the waistband.

Now check two things. The fringe of the outer apron should run down your right side, and the centre of the apron should line up with the middle of your body. On most tartans the pattern is mirrored at that point, so it is easy to see.

Step 6: Belt

If you are wearing a kilt belt, thread it through the belt loops and buckle it at the front, centred over the apron. Most people wear the belt for day wear and leave it off under a waistcoat in the evening.

Step 7: Sporran

Thread the sporran chain or strap through the small loops at the back of the kilt (or behind the belt), and fasten it at the back. The sporran should hang centred at the front, about a hand's width below your belt buckle. Too high looks odd, and too low swings into everything. Day sporrans are plain leather, while dress sporrans for evening wear have fur or silver detail.

Step 8: Kilt Pin

Pin the kilt pin through the outer apron only, near the bottom right corner. About 3 to 4 inches in from the fringe edge and up from the hem is a good guide. Never pin it through both aprons. That stops the kilt moving as you walk and can tear the cloth.

Step 9: Sgian Dubh

Slide the sgian dubh into the top of your sock on the side of your dominant hand, so the right sock if you are right-handed. It sits on the outside of the calf with only the handle showing above the turnover. If you are flying or going somewhere with strict rules, leave it at home or use a non-blade version.

Step 10: Tie, Waistcoat and Jacket

Last, put on your tie or bow tie, waistcoat and jacket. For evening events, that is usually a Prince Charlie jacket with a black bow tie. For daytime, an Argyll or tweed jacket with a normal tie works well. Take one last look in the mirror from the side: the kilt should hang straight, and the pleats should fall evenly at the back.

Where Everything Should Sit: Quick Check

Use this list as a final check before you leave the house.

• Kilt waistband: Natural waist, about 1 to 2 inches above the belly button
• Kilt hem: Middle of the kneecap
• Pleats: At the back, hanging straight and evenly
• Fringe: Down the right side (men's kilts)
• Straps and buckles: Right hip, with a small strap on the left
• Sporran: Centred, about a hand's width below the belt buckle
• Kilt pin: Outer apron only, bottom right, 3 to 4 inches from the edges
• Hose top: 2 to 3 fingers below the kneecap, same height on both legs
• Flashes: Below the turnover, on the outside of each leg
• Sgian dubh: Dominant-hand sock, outside of the calf, handle showing

Formal, Day and Casual: How the Look Changes

The steps stay the same, but the pieces change with the occasion.

• Formal (evening, weddings): Prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat, white wing-collar or dress shirt, black bow tie, dress sporran, ghillie brogues, flashes and sgian dubh. Most wedding kilts are worn this way.
• Day wear (ceremonies, Highland games): Argyll or tweed jacket, ordinary shirt and tie, leather day sporran, kilt belt and brogues.
• Casual (pub, gigs, the Kiltwalk): kilt with a ghillie shirt, polo or T-shirt, a simple sporran and boots or trainers. A casual kilt look drops the jacket and most of the accessories.

The shirt, jacket and shoes you wear with a kilt decide how formal it looks. Together, the kilt and these pieces make up Highland dress, the traditional outfit of the Scottish Highlands.

7 Common Kilt-Wearing Mistakes

These are the ones we see again and again, especially at weddings.

1. Wearing it too low. A kilt on the hips, like jeans, ends up too long and the pleats sag. Pull it up to your natural waist.
2. The pleats at the front. It happens more than you'd think. Pleats go at the back, always.
3. Pinning through both aprons. The kilt pin goes through the outer apron only.
4. Sporran hanging too low. Shorten the chain so it sits a hand's width below the belt.
5. Socks at different heights. Check them in the mirror before you leave.
6. Flashes on the inside of the leg. They belong on the outside.
7. Laces tied too high. Keep ghillie laces just above the ankle so they don't slip.

Beyond these, kilt etiquette has a few unwritten rules, such as which tartan to wear and what not to do at a wedding.

Walking, Sitting and Dancing in a Kilt

Walking in a kilt feels strange for about ten minutes, then completely normal. Sitting takes a little more care. Smooth the pleats under you as you sit, keep your knees together, and let the sporran rest in your lap. When you stand, give the kilt a quick shake so the pleats fall back into place. Sitting and dancing in a kilt both get easier after the first ceilidh.

What Do You Wear Under a Kilt?

Most men today wear underwear under a kilt, and it is expected if you hire one or take part in Highland dancing. Going without, sometimes called going "true Scotsman", is part of the legend, but it is your choice.

Can Anyone Wear a Kilt?

Yes. You don't need to be Scottish, and you don't need a clan. Plenty of people wear a kilt out of love for the culture, or because they have Scottish roots somewhere back in the family. If you don't have a clan tartan, a universal tartan like Black Watch or a regional tartan is always correct, and anyone can wear a kilt in those.

Getting Your First Kilt

Our advice: buy a kilt that fits properly rather than the cheapest one you can find. A made-to-measure kilt hangs and swings the way a kilt should, and a cheap off-the-peg one never quite does. Fabric, yardage and sizing all matter when buying a kilt. Our kilts are made to your measurements in hundreds of tartans, and measuring for a kilt takes about five minutes.

How to Wear a Kilt: FAQs

Which side do the kilt buckles go on?

On a man's kilt, the main straps and buckles go on the right hip, with a small strap on the left. Women's kilts usually fasten the other way.

Does the kilt fringe go on the left or the right?

On a men's kilt, the fringe runs down the right side of the front apron. If the fringe is on your left, the kilt is on back to front or it is a women's kilt.

Do you put your shoes on before the kilt?

Yes, it is easier. Put on your shirt, hose, flashes and shoes first, then the kilt. That way you are not bending over in a kilt to tie your laces.

Does the kilt pin go through both layers?

No. The kilt pin goes through the outer apron only. Pinning both layers stops the kilt moving properly and can damage the cloth.

How high should a sporran sit?

A sporran should hang centred at the front, about a hand's width below the belt buckle. Adjust the chain or strap at the back to get it right.

Which sock does the sgian dubh go in?

The sgian dubh goes in the sock on the side of your dominant hand, on the outside of the calf. Right-handed people wear it in the right sock.

Should kilt socks cover the knee?

No. The top of the hose should sit about two or three fingers below the kneecap, leaving the knee showing between the sock and the kilt.

Can I wear a kilt without a sporran?

With a traditional kilt, the sporran is part of the outfit and also stops the front apron blowing about. With a utility or casual kilt that has pockets, you can leave it off.

Can I wear normal shoes with a kilt?

Yes. Black or brown brogues look smart with day wear, and boots or trainers work for casual kilts. Ghillie brogues are traditional for formal events.

How long does it take to put on a kilt outfit?

About 10 to 15 minutes the first time. Once you know the order, most people are dressed in under 10 minutes.