Scottish national costume

When it comes to Scottish national dress, most people think of a pleated woolen skirt to the knee. This is a traditionally male version of the costume, which very clearly demonstrates the Scottish clan and even hierarchical affiliation. However, there are also female, less well-known versions of the classic outfit. The national costume of Scotland has its own history and a whole set of additional, traditionally formed accessories and elements.

According to various sources, the Scottish national costume owes its appearance and introduction to the masses to the highlanders, who at the end of the 16th century had extraordinary outerwear that resembled a modern raincoat tent with its functionality. Its name has been preserved and is used to this day - a large kilt.

For the mountain people of Scotland, it was not just clothes, but a multifunctional wardrobe item. It was made from a special woolen fabric into a cage called tartan. These were two huge canvases sewn together and having a length of 4 to 8 meters. The width of a large kilt was calculated based on the height of the man, and reached one and a half meters so that the length of the finished product ended at the knee level.

The universality of this particular element of the national clothing of the mountain Scots was that, transforming from a cape skirt, a large kilt could serve as a plaid, bedspread, as well as a classic cloak that covered his head and shoulders during bad weather.

Over time, the traditional Scottish costume underwent minor changes. Today it has a very specific established structure.

The traditional clothing of the strong half of the Native Scots consists of the following parts:

• Underwear. A good half of humanity (and maybe even more) has full confidence that under the kilt of Scottish men there is nothing. And - they are right. No one, self-respecting and respecting the traditions, the Scot will not wear underwear. It happened so historically. And conservative mountaineers do not intend to change the ancient foundations. The exception, perhaps, are dancers and athletes.
• Jackets and shirts. For everyday wear, a loose linen shirt is used, over which a strict jacket of a classic tweed cut is worn, having a shortened shape - to the waist line. The national Scottish costume for publication is equipped with a smart white shirt with a bow tie, a smart vest and one of the official national jackets: Prince Charlie or Argyll.
• Accessories for legs. As a rule, Scottish men put on high knee-high knee-high socks. The color scheme depended on belonging to a particular clan or estate: more often - white, less often - checkered with a tone of a kilt. Shoes are called brogues - these are special leather shoes with perforations and very long laces, with which they were fixed on the leg over golf and reached the middle of the calf.

Headdress. The Scottish national costume has at least three options for special hats:

1. Barmoral is a traditional men's headdress characterized by a bright woolen bubo and satin ribbons (like sea ones). The beret is made from the same fabric and has the same color as the kilt.
2. Tam-o-Shenter is another national beret for the Scots. Like barmoral, it sometimes has a cockade in the form of a clan coat of arms in the center and a feather on its left. It differs from the previous headdress only in the absence of ribbons.
3. Glengarry is a cap, a modified model of barmoral. Her initial appointment was to put on military service with work clothes. Since the 19th century, it has become the traditional headdress of Scottish pipers.

• One of the signature additions to the individual style of modern men in Scotland is a leather sporran (purse bag), which is attached to the kilt belt. For Scots, it is considered a functional substitute for pockets, which, alas, are not provided in a strict national costume. Sporran is located, as a rule, on the palm of your hand below the leather strap that fixes the kilt, or on a separate chain wrapping your hips.

• Skin do - a traditional Scottish knife, which in ancient times was worn on the garter of the golf course of the right leg so that the handle remained invisible. This phrase is translated from Gaelic like a black dagger. The knife owes this name, firstly, to the fact that its blade was made of black material; secondly, the method of wearing it also suggested thoughts about the blackness of the thoughts of its user.

• Dirk is a classic Scottish dagger designed to date exclusively for publication. It is equipped with a straight half-meter blade. Tied to a kilt leather belt.

• Gilly - soft leather moccasins for Scottish dancers performing national choreographic studies.

Using the color matching of another community is considered a crime of a social nature, which is investigated by a special body and the Chief Herold, who heads it. His main responsibilities are to control the correct use of his (belonging to a particular clan) colors, melodies.

Historically, the main focus in Scotland was on men's clothing. Women's wardrobe was less eloquent and decorated. However, the clothes in it were necessarily made with clan elements.

The main parts that made up the national costume for Scottish women were as follows:

1. Simple cotton bottom floor dress.
2. Top dress made of wool, no lower than the knee, with a characteristic clan color.
3. A classic woolen apron decorated with a rare pattern or braid.
4. Cape with a single clasp on the neck, which consisted of a hood and cloak.
5. Hats were worn exclusively by married women.
6. The national women's shoes of the tartans differed from the men's only in size.
7. Towards the end of the 16th century, the wearing of an elongated kilt-plaid was also used by women.

National clothes for the girl completely repeated the standard set of costume for an adult woman. The girls always walked with their heads uncovered, and they were also allowed to decorate the top dress and aprons with children's bright national patterns. As for the classic outfit for the boy, there was also practically no difference from the traditionally male kilt with all the associated accessories and additions.

Understanding all the intricacies of the historical premises and conditions of the formation of the national costume, you begin to understand how strong the unity of the nation, built over the centuries on the individuality of each individual family. Today, the use of the traditional large kilt can be found among the Celtic peoples: Welsh and Irish. To the least extent involved, and the inhabitants of the Isle of Man.