So you’ve decided to follow in the footsteps of millions of Scots before you and wear a kilt, good choice. Now, looking at a kilt outfit, you may feel a little overwhelmed: How do you put on the kilt? Where do you start? Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it looks and really quite straightforward if you follow our step-by-step guide.
Getting Started With Putting On a Kilt Outfit
First things first, put on your shirt and socks. Make sure your socks aren't twisted and then grab your flashes. You want to fasten your flashes around the top of your calf, facing outwards. Once your flashes are secure and comfortable, fold the top of your socks down and over the top of the flashes garter. You want to aim for roughly three fingers between the top of your socks and the bottom of your knee cap. The finishing touches for your legs is your sgian dubh. Choose the leg that is on the same side as your dominant hand for your sgian dubh placement and slip it down in the top of your sock so that only the handle is showing.
Tying the Ghillie Brogues
The ghillie brogues are where most people tend to have the most problem, but there really isn’t any reason to worry. We use a simple technique that is not only simple to do but also looks fantastic once tied. Once your brogues are on and the laces have been pulled to remove any slack, twist the laces around themselves 4 or 5 times, then take a lace in each hand and wrap it around behind your leg. Once you’ve brought the laces to the front of your leg, you can choose to tie a bow now, or do a half knot, wrap the laces around the back of your leg one more time and then tie a bow, the choice is yours. Whatever you decide, tie the final bow at either the side of your leg just below your calf muscle, this will prevent them from slipping down. If you have any problems, it’s never wrong to ask for help, so get someone to give you a hand if you find yourself struggling.
Putting on the Kilt
It’s now time to put on the best part, the kilt. Start by securing your kilt pin as it’s easier to do while not wearing the kilt. Pick a prominent line in your tartan on the right side of your kilt and attach your kilt pin. Make sure the pin only goes through the top layer of the apron, you don’t want to fasten the apron together, it’s just decorative. Next, take the unfastened kilt and wrap it around your body with the pleats at the back and the apron overlapping at the front. Secure the straps to a comfortable yet secure fit with the top of your kilt sitting just above your navel. This should allow your kilt to hang just overlapping the top of your kneecap and sitting in the crease of the back of your knee.
Putting on the Kilt Jacket, Waistcoat and Accessories
You’re nearly there, you just need to add the finishing touches to your outfit. Put on your tie and then grab your sporran. Wrap the sporran chain around your waist and secure the buckle so the sporran hangs in the middle, just below where the bottom of your waistcoat will be. Don’t worry, you can adjust this later if you don’t get it at the right height the first time around. Then adjust the sporran chain so it sits above the kilt straps, this will stop the sporran from falling down. Finally, put on your jacket and waistcoat and make sure everything is straight and feels good.
Look in the mirror
Take a look in the mirror and check one last time that everything is on straight and looks good. That’s it, you’re done! Wasn’t so bad after all, was it? If you have any questions about wearing a kilt outfit or think it’s time to buy your very own kilt outfit, send us an email at info@macgregorandmacduff.co.uk. We look forward to seeing your photos in the future.
Check out our video below for a visual guide to putting on a kilt outfit.
