Kilts

Is Kilt just an uppity word for a male cross dresser’s skirt?  Hardly, it is best known as a knee-length garment typically with pleats at the rear, which was the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century.

Today, the kilt is typically worn on formal occasions and at several Highland games and other sports events; it’s been adopted as an item of stylish male clothing in recent years, thus attempting to return it to its origins as an everyday clothing item for men and boys.

During the 16^th century days it was called the great kilt and was more like a ladies dress than a skirt. The great kilt was a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a wrap draped over the shoulder, or brought up over the head of the individual wearing it. The small kilt or walking kilt is similar to the "modern" kilt we see today but was not developed until the late 17th or early 18th century, and is really little more than the lower half of the great kilt.

The primary benefit of the kilt, for all intents and purposes, is to promote the freedom of movement for the individual during activities such as work, play, battle or sporting events.

The Scottish kilt is as a rule worn with kilt hose or woolen socks that are turned down at the knee; often with a garter; in addition, an accessory that’s  technically called a sporran which is a Gaelic term for "purse" or a type of pouch is also part of the attire; this purse hangs in the front waist area from a chain or leather strap.

As for the historical aspect, the Scots of the Highland region were not the first to recognize the benefits of the kilt.  In fact, a garment that was called the shendyt, worn by Pharaohs and most warriors in Ancient Egypt is routinely called a kilt.  It  too was  a piece of pleated linen wrapped around the body at the waist, typically extending to just above the knees, and was common throughout the ancient Egyptian society.  While the Egyptian military wore a version of the shendyt (kelt), as they too would need freedom of movement for fighting and such. The Pharaoh's kilt was made of fine pleated linen as opposed to the cheaper cotton or woolen fabric used for the military’s version.

Modern kilts are made with about eight yards (8 meters) of material which is thickly pleated at the back and sides; the pleats are stitched together only at the waistband. Fashion designers have recently tried to modernize the kilt and make it appealing to a greater audience by using non-tartan (without plaids) designs such as camouflage and denim, or other materials such as leather, with some success.

Sources …                                                                         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shendyt                                                                   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilt                                                     http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotland-factfile/scottish-icons/the-kilt