Non-Scots to Wear Kilt
Most Scots will not mind if you wear a kilt and many will be pleased. That said, there are a few things worth understanding before you wear one if you have no connection to Scotland. The thing to understand is the tartan itself, because the pattern in the cloth carries meaning in Scottish heraldry. Scottish and Irish families often have a “tartan pattern” that is considered to be theirs. If someone from one of those families were to see you wearing their tartan, they may take offence, especially if you’re a stranger and not a Scot or Irishman at all. Traditionally, a kilt identified the clan the wearer belonged to.
How to Wear a Kilt?
There is no problem for non-Scots to wear a kilt if they are wearing it for a legitimate reason. Such reasons would include any event – a wedding or some parties but be careful with how you wear it. The Kilt is a flexible outfit made of different materials that anyone can wear both formally and informally. The Shirt, kilt jacket and vest should go on first then the kilt hose (socks) & flashes. Next, the kilt pin attached & a tie followed by the kilt sporran and finally the kilt Shoes.
Wearing a Kilt Rules
Scottish tradition has always been welcoming to outsiders. True Scots refers to the men who wear nothing beneath kilts. Well, it seems a myth as it is highly impractical to wear nothing under a kilt in cold weather. If you are wearing a kilt for the first time then don’t forget to wear something under it. Sit, stand, and walk to make yourself comfortable with this adorable garment. Make sure that the pleats are flat so you can sweep your hand over the back of the kilt after standing up to ensure that pleats of the kilt are flat. Your kilt must be ironed. It’s just not a piece of clothing you are going to wear in fact it’s the symbol of a nation. Remember to keep your legs closed when you’re wearing a kilt and to be modest. That rule applies to Scots, too!
The Kilt Style
It is also generally considered to be poor taste to wear a Scottish or Irish Military Kilt if you are not a service member or veteran or to wear an organization’s tartan if you are not a member. If you want to steer clear of tartans entirely, there are still many other types of kilts that you can choose from. 9 Yards Kilt, Casual Kilt, Utility Kilts and Hybrid Kilts are all great choices for guys who aren’t Scots.
The Occasion
If you’re at a Highland Games, a Celtic or Scottish festival or a wedding where the gentlemen will be wearing kilts, you can easily sport a kilt without offending anyone however, if you’re attending a Halloween party or a fancy dress party, someone who is Scottish might find a kilt worn as a costume to be offensive and disrespectful of their heritage. Wearing a kilt every day for work or to a club will typically not be construed as offensive.
Can You Wear a Kilt If You Are Not Scottish?
We have a particular view on this, because our own mill and workshops are in Sialkot and Lahore, Pakistan. Sialkot has been a centre of Highland dress and bagpipe manufacturing for decades, and the people who cut, pleat and stitch these garments are not Scottish either. They have spent years learning a Scottish craft and they do it with real care. If skill and respect were reserved for people born in Scotland, none of this would exist.
So the honest answer is yes, you can wear a kilt without Scottish ancestry. What matters is not where you were born but whether you wear it with respect. Choose a universal tartan such as Black Watch or Pride of Scotland if you have no clan claim, avoid military and organisation tartans you have no right to, and treat it as dress rather than costume.
Who Can Wear a Kilt?
Anyone can wear a kilt, wherever in the world they come from. Kilts were worn at Italian Day in Vancouver, which shows they are not tied only to Scottish and Irish heritage. People of China also loved to wear kilts on their special events as its the tradition formed for Chinese men to wear a kilt to formal engagements & weddings. Canadian people celebrate the Great Canadian Kiltskate Event by wearing Kilts and is actually a national celebration of what it means to be Scottish in Canada. Furthermore, you’ll wear it on graduation, dances, and proms and even at funerals too.
If you are of Scottish heritage and have your family tartan, wear it! Can’t find your family tartan? Choose a universal tartan and wear it!
Scottish Kilt Advise For Non-Scots Customers
If you’re a non-Scot who loves beautiful universal patterns, wear it! With our wide variety of univresal, corporation, district, clan & family tartans available, finding your perfect tartan of your family, input your surname or clan name into our tartan finder. Then you’ll get several names that you can select from. Clicking on the name you’ll be taken to a separate page where you can browse different tartans as well as items that belong to that particular family or clan & it should be a fun and exciting endeavor!
Feel Free to Contact us for more information!
Scottish Kilt Shop is the symbol of trust, spreading the love and custom made design. So feel free to contact us, because we always looking to help customers to make their live events more valuable and memorable. Therefore, you can ask for any kind of customization. Ask Here!
