What Is a Kilt? Meaning, Parts and History

A kilt is a knee-length garment made from one long piece of cloth, usually wool tartan. It wraps around the waist, has deep pleats at the back and a flat panel at the front, and fastens with leather straps and buckles. It is the traditional dress of Scotland, and today it is worn mostly at weddings, ceilidhs, graduations and other big occasions.

This guide covers what a kilt is, where the word comes from, the parts of a kilt, how it changed over 400 years, and how to wear one properly. If you're thinking about buying your first kilt, it should answer most of your questions.

What Is a Kilt, in Simple Words?

Imagine a strip of tartan about 8 yards long. Most of that strip is folded into tight pleats, and the pleats sit across your back. The two plain ends cross over at the front, one on top of the other, and buckle at your right hip.

There is no zip and no buttons. The kilt simply wraps around you and is held on by its straps.

A few features make a kilt different from any other tartan garment:

• It is pleated at the back and flat at the front.
• It wraps around the body and overlaps at the front.
• It fastens with straps and buckles on the right side.
• The hem sits at the middle of the knee.
• A traditional kilt is made from pure wool.

People often ask whether a kilt is a skirt. The short answer is no. A kilt has its own cut, its own history and its own way of being worn, and in Scotland it is very much menswear first.

What Does the Word "Kilt" Mean?

In old Scots, "to kilt" meant to tuck up your clothes around your body. You would kilt up a long coat before wading through a river, for example. The garment took its name from that idea of gathered, tucked-up cloth.

The Scots word most likely comes from the Old Norse kjalta, meaning a lap or the fold of a gathered skirt, which reached Scotland through the Vikings. In Scottish Gaelic, a kilt is called a fèileadh (said roughly "FAY-luh"). The meaning of the word kilt is closer to "tuck up" than to "skirt".

The Parts of a Kilt

A kilt looks simple, but each part has a job. Knowing the names also makes it much easier to shop for one.

The pleats are where the skill shows. A kiltmaker can fold them so each pleat shows the same part of the tartan (pleated to the sett), or so one stripe runs down the centre of every pleat (pleated to the stripe). Both styles of kilt pleats are correct, so the choice comes down to taste. The pleats, apron, straps and fringe are the main parts of a kilt.

The History of the Kilt

No single person invented the kilt. It developed slowly over about 300 years, from a huge wrapped blanket into the tailored garment sold today. Here is the short version of the history of the kilt.

The Great Kilt (1500s): A Blanket You Could Wear

In the 1500s, Highland men wore a large length of woollen cloth called the great kilt, or fèileadh mòr in Gaelic. It is also known as the belted plaid.

To put it on, you laid the cloth on the ground, gathered pleats into it by hand, lay down on top and wrapped it around yourself. A belt held it at the waist. The bottom half hung like a kilt, and the top half was pinned at the shoulder or thrown over it like a cloak.

It was a very practical piece of clothing. In the rain you could pull the top half over your head, and at night you could unbelt it and use it as a blanket. The earliest written record that clearly describes it dates from 1594, although it was probably worn before then. The great kilt is still worn today at Highland games and re-enactments, and you can wear a great kilt with nothing more than a long piece of tartan and a belt.

The Small Kilt (Late 1600s to 1700s): The Kilt We Know Today

By the late 1600s or early 1700s, people had started wearing only the lower half of the great kilt. This shorter garment is the small kilt, or fèileadh beag, and it is the direct ancestor of the modern kilt.

A well-known story credits Thomas Rawlinson, an English Quaker who ran an iron works near Inverness in the 1720s. According to the story, he found the great kilt too bulky for his workers and had it cut in two, with the pleats sewn in.

Historians still argue about this. The story comes from a single letter published in 1785, long after Rawlinson's death, and there is evidence that Highlanders wore a shorter kilt before him. What most people accept is that Rawlinson's kilt is the earliest one on record with sewn-in pleats. So the question of who invented the kilt has no simple answer, and neither does when the kilt was invented.

The Ban on the Kilt (1746 to 1782)

After the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the government passed the Dress Act. It made it illegal for men and boys in the Highlands to wear the kilt or any tartan. A first offence could mean prison, and a second could mean being transported overseas.

There was one important exception. The Highland regiments of the British Army kept wearing the kilt throughout the ban, and that is a big reason it survived at all. The law was finally repealed in 1782, after 35 years.

The Kilt Becomes Scotland's National Dress (1800s)

In 1822, King George IV visited Edinburgh. The novelist Sir Walter Scott helped organise the visit and asked guests to wear Highland dress. The King himself appeared in a kilt, and the fashion spread quickly, even to Lowland Scots who had never worn one.

Around the same time, the idea that each clan had its own tartan became popular. Before then, a tartan usually said more about where you lived than which family you belonged to. The oldest surviving tailored kilt, a military one, dates from about 1796.

Pride, family and tradition are the main reasons Scottish men wear kilts today, long after the practical reasons faded.

How a Kilt Is Made

A traditional kilt uses about 8 yards of tartan, which is just over 7 metres. That sounds like a lot for a garment that only reaches the knee, but most of the cloth is folded into the deep pleats at the back.

A good kiltmaker cuts, pleats and stitches the kilt by hand, and it can take a couple of days. The pleats carry the weight of the whole kilt, so if they are not right, the kilt will never hang properly.

These are the main types of kilt you will see today:

An 8 yard kilt has deeper pleats and more swing than a 5 yard one, and a wool kilt is the traditional choice and hangs beautifully, but it costs a good deal more. Acrylic wool, which is what our own kilts are made from, is lighter, much cheaper and easier to wash. Our advice is simple: get the fit and the yardage right first. They matter more than the fibre.

How to Wear a Kilt

Getting the basics right makes a big difference to how a kilt looks:

• The pleats go at the back, and the flat apron goes at the front.
• The fringe sits on your right side.
• The waistband sits at your natural waist, around the navel, not low on the hips like jeans.
• The hem falls at the middle of the knee.

Because a kilt has no pockets, it is worn with a sporran, a small pouch that hangs at the front. Long kilt socks (hose) come up to just below the knee. A kilt pin goes through the front apron only, near the bottom corner. Never pin through both layers, or you will damage the cloth.

To wear a kilt properly, it sits at your natural waist with the pleats at the back. The jacket, shirt and shoes you wear with a kilt decide how formal it looks. As for what is worn under a kilt, most men today wear underwear.

Who Wears Kilts Today?

In Scotland, kilts are worn at weddings, graduations, ceilidhs, Burns Night suppers and international rugby matches. Outside Scotland, they are popular wherever Scottish families settled, especially in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Scotland is not the only country with a kilt tradition. The Irish kilt is often plain saffron or a county tartan, and Irish pipers and dancers wear kilts at many events. Wales has the Welsh kilt, a much newer tradition. Kilts for women are cut differently and fasten on the other side.

You do not need a Scottish surname to wear one. Anyone can wear a kilt. If your family has a clan tartan, wear that. If not, choose a district tartan or a universal one such as Black Watch.

Ready to Choose Your First Kilt?

Sizing, fabric and yardage are the three things that matter most when buying a kilt. Our made-to-measure kilts come in hundreds of tartans, and complete kilt outfits add the jacket, sporran and accessories in one set. Not sure of your size? Start with how to measure for a kilt.

Kilt FAQs

What is a kilt made of?

Traditional kilts are made of pure wool tartan, usually in a heavy 13oz or 16oz cloth. Cheaper kilts use acrylic or poly-viscose, and utility kilts are made from cotton or canvas.

How long should a kilt be?

The hem should sit at the middle of your knee when you stand. A simple test is to kneel down: the bottom of the kilt should just touch the floor.

Where should a kilt sit on the body?

A traditional kilt sits at your natural waist, around the navel, which is higher than most trousers. This is what makes the pleats hang straight.

Which way do the pleats go on a kilt?

The pleats always go at the back. The flat apron is the front, and the fringed edge sits on your right side.

How much fabric is in a kilt?

A traditional kilt uses about 8 yards (just over 7 metres) of tartan. Lighter kilts use 4 to 6 yards, which means fewer and shallower pleats.

Why does a kilt have pleats?

The pleats let you walk, sit and climb freely, and they give the kilt its weight and swing. They also hold most of the fabric, which is why a good kilt keeps its shape for years.

Do kilts have pockets?

Traditional kilts do not have pockets. That is why they are worn with a sporran, which holds your phone, wallet and keys. Utility kilts often have pockets built in.

Is the kilt Scottish or Irish?

The kilt is Scottish. Irish kilts appeared much later, from the late 1800s onwards, and were partly inspired by Scottish Highland dress.

Is a kilt the same as tartan?

No. Tartan is the checked pattern, and a kilt is a garment. Kilts are usually made in tartan, but tartan is also used for scarves, trousers, skirts and much more.

Can anyone wear a kilt?

Yes. You do not need Scottish ancestry. Many people wear their family's clan tartan, but anyone can wear a district tartan or a universal tartan like Black Watch.