** Scottish school uniform garments : the kilt








Scottish School Uniform Garments: The Kilt


Figure 1.--Boys at this Scottish prep school wore kilts as the everyday uniform. The snapshot is undated, but looks like the 1960s. The girls wore skirts, but not plaid skirts.

Kilt usage in Scottish schools has varied over time and from school to school. Primarily they were worn at private schools as a formal uniform for Sunday or special occassions. Many private Scottish schools employed the kilt as part of the school uniform. Unfortunately we have very little information in the 19th century, buy we know Queen Victorian helped popularize all things Scottish and dressed the young princes in kilts. We see lilts at many Sottish schools in the 20th cetury. We know much more about the 20th century. At schools the kilt is generally worn with a tweed jacket. Scottish schools allowed boys to wear the kilt as an alternstive to trousers. Some boys wore the kilt as everyday wear. At a few schools it was required. More commonly kilts were worn for church on Sunday or for special occassions and outings. Tiday kilts are not very cimmom in Scittish schools, but many pribate schools continue to use them as the dress-ip uniform.

Chronology

Kilt usage in Scottish schools has varied over time and from school to school. Primarily they were worn at private schools as a formal uniform for Sunday or special occassions. A few schools used it as the everyday uniform, but this was not very common. And at some schools boys were allowed to use it as an alternative to pants. This was most common in the Highlands. Unfortunately we still have only limited information on the 19th century. Before the advent of photography we have virtually no information. Unfortunately we have very little information in the 19th century, buy we know Queen Victorian helped popularize all things Scottish and dressed the young princes in kilts. Queen Vicyoria arrived about the ame time as photography (1837). Photograophy was invented in France (1839). It took some time for school photograoht to begin and become common. We know much more about the 20th century. We not only have studio portaits, but now have large number of now standard school photohraphs, but also family snapshots to add to the bugoning photograohic record. We thus see many examples of boys, but not girls, wearing kilts to school. This includes schools where they were not required as well as schools where they were part of the uniform. We see fewer kilts in the 21st century, mostly at private schools were they were used a the formal dress up uniform.

Popularity

The wearing of the kilt varies widely among Scottish schools. Basically the kilt is virtually never worn at state schools, except perhaps by a pipe band. The kilt is still an important part of the uniform as private schools. Virtually no state school uses the kilt as part of the school uniform. Many state schools have iniforms. The primary school children generally wear grey or colored jumpers and grey or blaclk pants. Until the 1980s the boys often wore short pants, but now wear mostly long trousers. The secondary schools often have uniforms with black blazers and black long pants. None of these schools employ the kilt. The only exception I know of is the King Edward VII School in Dumfrees??, a boarding school for ??? run by the Gocernment. The uniform there is normally long short pants, but kilts for dress occasions. Scottish private schools, in contrast, commonly have a kilt for their dress uniform. These kilts are very expensive. An Edinburgh outfitter in 1999 advertised kilts which are hand sewn and take 8 yards of material. The cost of 13oz wool worsted was �299 pounds (about $500) and heavyweight or specially woven worsted tartan �400 pounds (about $600). Because of the cost and the fact that boys are so hard on their clothes, it is reserved for church on Sunday or other special occasions. Usually the boys wear blazers and long or short pants to school. On special occasions the kilt is worn, usually with tweed jackets

Accompanying Garments

Several garments were worn with the kilt. Most Scottish private schools have boys buy both blazers and tweed jackets. The blazers are generally worn with short or long pants. Occasionally blazers are worn with kilts, but it is not very common. Onr school in the 1980s had boys wear their kilt with striking red blazers instead of tweed jackets. More commonly Scottish boys wear their kilts with tweed jackets. Most schools allow the boys to select the tweed of their choice. One outfitter in Edinburgh carries a variety of stock Harris tweeds, including Oatmeal Marl, Blue Marl, Oatmeal Herring Bone, Green Herring Bone, and Brown Herring Bone. None of the schools requires a uniform tartan. Rather the boys are allowed to choose a clan tartan their family is associated with. Boys from England or foreign countries can choose ant tartan they may prefer. A variety of accesories are worn with the kilt. Most schools do not insist on the many accessories. Most boys do wear sporans and kilr pins. There are both day sporans and night sporans for dress wear. At school the boys choose the simple leather day sporans. Special knee-length kilt hose are worn with the kilt. Other kilt accesories are generally not worn at schools. Boys do not normally wear caps with their kilts. The two major styles are Balmorals and Glen?????. The sash worn over the shoulder is also not worn. Other accessories include Sgiandubh, Ghillie Brogues, Kilt Belts, and Clan Crest Badges.

Coed Schools

Many Scottish private schools, largely for economic reasons, have gone coeducational. All schools have different uniforms fior the boys and girls. Rules about the kilt varied. At some schools the girls wore dresses, but at many schools by the 1980s they also wore dresses. The kilt uniform, however, is precisely the same. Some girls even wear sporans.

Pipe Bands

Many Scottish schools, both state and private schools, have pipe bands. The kilt is worn by the pipers and drumers. The bands tend to wear black military-style jackets, but this varies from school to school.

Personal Experiences

Some personal experiences concerning the school kilt include:

Kilts: Scottish school overview

My school kilt: The 1940s (Private school)

My school kilt: The 1940s (West coast village)









HBC-SU





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Created: 5:19 AM 9/27/2007
Last updated: 8:17 AM 2/27/2015