Figure 1.--.

The kilt is perhaps the best known of all the garments worn in Scottish Highkand dancing. The kilt is worn by almost all boys doing Higland dancing. The kilt has fairly standard construction. The kilt is almost always the clan tartan, contrasting with boys doing Irish step dancing who normally wear solid colored kilts. The tartan patterns have an interesting history of their own. HBC has not yet addressed this topic, but plans to in the future. Solid colored kilts are almost never seen in Highland dancing. Girls primarily wear tartan dresses or Aboynes, but when performing certain dances also wear kilts like the boys. (See "Girls Dancing Costume" below.) One important element of the kilt, including the ones worn by dancers, is that they are heavily pleated. There are different ways of doing te pleating.

Scottish Kilts

The kilt is perhaps the best known of all the garments worn in Scottish Highkand dancing. In fact, the kilt is one of the most instantly recognizable garments around the world. The Scottish kilt as a child's garment is a relatively recent phenomenon. The modern kilt, in fact, dates from only from the 18th century. It's use as a child's garment was largely due to Queen Victoria in the mid-19th century and her infatuation with Scotland. The young Queen, showing the romantic outlook of her younger years, outfitted her sons in flamboyant kilts. I'm not sure if this was actually the Queen'd idea or someone on her staff or even Prince Albert. Nor am I sure weather it was an inovative idea or just a popular fashion the Queen picked up on. Whose ever idea it was, the decission had an enormous impact on popularizing the style--at least among mothers. And it was the mothers that for generations had the virtual absolute disgression in choosing their sons clothes--usually with no consideration of the boys' opinions. The result was a long-lasting dress style for generations of British and American boys. Several variants of the kilts introduced by the Queen developed. The kilt suit was the most ubiqutous. Other styles in which kilt suits were made include sailor and Fauntleroy suits. While kilt suits have passed from the boys' fashion scene, the Scottish kilt continues to be worn today by schoolboys, Scouts, dancers, pipe bands, and participants at various formal occasions such as weddings where ring bearers, attendants, and even the groom might wear kilt.

Required Dress

The kilt is worn by almost all boys doing Higland dancing. There are a few exceptions, such as the Horn Pipe, but basically all boys wear kilts for Highland dance competitions. This used to be generally true for Irish step dancing as well, but increasingly in recent years, boys have been wearing long black pants instead of kilts. Presumably the Scotish kilt continues to be popular as a dance costume because the kilt is a more accepted part og Scotish heritage.

Construction

The kilt has fairly standard construction.

Tartans

The kilt is almost always the clan tartan, contrasting with boys doing Irish step dancing who normally wear solid colored kilts. The tartan patterns have an interesting history of their own. HBC has just begun to address this topic, but plans to in the future. Solid colored kilts are almost never seen in Highland dancing. Tartan is a cross-checkered pattern repeated repeated continously. The various destincive patterns are referred to as "setts". The patterns consist of different colored bands, stripes, or lines of definite with and sequence. They are woven into wool cloth, sometimes with silk added. Tartan patterns have existed for centuries and in various cultures, but have come to be assocaited with Scotland where they have become a quasi-heraldic emblem of families or clans. Tartan has come to be widely associated with Sottish kilts. One Higland dance enthusiast suggests that the kilt and aboyne tartans should be listed in the dance program. That way the audience could learn about the names of the tartans without bothering others watching the performances.

Pleats

One important element of the kilt, including the ones worn by dancers, is that they are heavily pleated. There are different ways of doing the pleating. The two principal methods of pleating are the standard and military methods.
Standard:
Military: The military method involves pleating to "sett" or to the stripe. When doing a dancing kilt to a military pleat, one seamstress suggests pleating to the darker stripe (such as the Dress MacLeod tartan). When dancing and the fantail whooshes out to the side, you get this great flash of lighter color (i.e. the yellow of the Dress MacLeod).

Girls' Costumes

Girls primarily wear tartan dresses or Aboynes, but when performing certain dances also wear kilts like the boys. (See "Girls Dancing Costume".)

Created: April 20, 2002
Last updated: April 20, 2002