Who Wore Kilts First Scottish OR Irish

Who Wore Kilts First Scottish OR Irish

Who Wore Kilts First Scottish OR Irish? It is the basic question for the non-Scottish people who wanted to know about this beautiful culture. History shows that Scottish people started wearing kilts about 500 years ago. The first kilt was invented in Scotland in 1538. This kilt was not the same style as today’s kilt. The first kilt was not an actual kilt, it was the full-length tartan fabric. This fabric varies from 5yards to 9yards depending on the height of the wearer. This full-length tartan fabric was known as great kilt or filleadh mòr. In today’s life, the filleadh mòr is still wearable by traditional kilt lovers.

The filleadh mòr is not an English word, it is the Gaelic which was used in ancient times. There were only a few tartan patterns available at that time for making filleadh mòr. These few patterns were also known as plaid. The concept of plaid and tartan was the same in the ancient period. The Scottish, as well as Irish people, use both words to represent that fabric. Although in today’s Scottish terminology, tartan and plaid are used in different meanings.

This fabric (tartan or plaid) was made with the original wool obtained from the animal. The tartan or plaid fabric was a colorful fabric that consists of two or more colors. A criss-cross pattern was formed with the vertical and horizontal threads. Every tartan or plaid pattern was a name at that time and black watch tartan was the most wearable tartan fabric in that ancient period. There is an interesting fact: this black watch tartan is one of the best-selling tartan fabrics in today’s era.

How To Wear Filleadh Mòr

The method for wearing a filleadh mòr was different from today’s great kilt. This filleadh mòr was a full-length tartan fabric that was wrapped around the body and the excess tartan fabric draped over the shoulder. This full-length fabric was fastened with a simple metal brooch or a safety pin (which was later known as the kilt pin). The length of the tartan fabric for filleadh mòr varies from person to person. If a person has more height then more fabric will be used for making a filleadh mòr. The average length of the tartan fabric is 5 yards for a great kilt.

This is the standard method of wearing the great kilt and is still adopted by the Scottish people. Nowadays, there are too many styles of wearing a great kilt. Some traditional lovers, draped the excess fabric over the left or right shoulder while some fashion lovers draped on both shoulders and fastened with the unique design brooch or kilt pin. Like traditional tartan kilts, the great kilt is also an equally important kilt for traditional kilt lovers. You can wear a great kilt at traditional Highland events or at home.

Tartan Vs Plaid

The tartans are the vertical and horizontal threads that interest each other and form a criss-cross pattern. This criss-cross pattern has two or more colors. For Americans, plaid and tartan are still used in the same meaning but there are some differences in both fabrics. The tartan is always made in wool or poly-viscose fabric, there is no concept of criss-cross patterns on the cotton and any other fabric. If we talk about plaid, then wool or poly-viscose is not the only fabric in which criss-cross patterns are formed.

The plaid pattern can be printed on any fabric as there is no restriction. Moreover, the tartans have a history and reasons behind them. There is no concept of plaid patterns that is why there are too many plaid patterns that have no meanings at all. These patterns are just designed which are mostly printed on bed sheets, cushion covers, suiting dresses, and other garments. There are more than 2000 tartan patterns available by today but there is no exact figure for the plaid patterns.

When Irish Started Wearing kilts

The Irish people adopted the cultural heritage of Scotland. These people start wearing kilts in the 1850s. They were wearing utility-style tartan kilts in the 1900s. The Irish kilts are different from the Scottish kilts. The tartans of Irish kilts have major green and blue colors.

These kilts are also made with wool and polyviscose. People mostly prefer Scottish kilts but Irish kilts are also worn by a large number of people. Saffron kilt is one of the most worn kilts in Ireland. The Saffron color is also the army color of Ireland and that is why the military men and soldier prefers Saffron kilt over other Irish kilts. This kilt is the symbolic kilt of Ireland and is worn in many countries.

Another popular kilt of Ireland is the Irish national kilt. The major pattern color of this tartan is green which represents the national flag color of Ireland. USA, Canada, UK, Germany, and other European countries love to wear Irish kilts. Like Scottish kilts, the Irish kilts are also available in modern designs.

Difference Between Scottish Kilts & Irish Kilts

Scotland people are the pioneer in this apparel garment. The Scottish kilts are not only worn in kilt nations but also appreciated in those countries where there is no or less concept of kilts. These kilts have more varieties and designs than Irish kilts. The Irish kilts are not as popular as Scottish kilts. Irish national and Saffron tartans are the two best-selling Irish tartans throughout the world. Like Scotland, the kilts are also the cultural dress of Ireland. The people of Ireland also love to wear other Scottish dresses which include trews, Ghillie shirts, flashes, sashes, and kilt jackets.

Conclusion

In this article, we discuss the detail about Who Wore Kilts First Scottish OR Irish. Nowadays, the kilts are treated as the cultural tradition dress for both nations. The concept of filleadh mòr is still present in today’s era and this traditional kilt is the cultural dress for Ireland and Scotland. If you like this article, don’t forget to share this article on Facebook, Instagram and other social networking websites.