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Posts tagged: expertadvice

How the traditional kilt shop experience is evolving

The kilt has been a part of Scottish identity for centuries, first as the feileadh-mór or great kilt and later as the fèileadh beag, which is the version we know today. The great kilt was not much more than a length of material wrapped around the waist with the excess material draped over the shoulder. However, as the kilt evolved into the fèileadh beag or little kilt, the construction of the kilt became more intricate. After the Dress Act of 1746 was repealed in 1782, demand for high-quality traditional highlandwear grew, not just in the rural highlands, but also in the modern lowlands. This took place over a number of years during the late 18th century and thanks to the demand for high-quality kiltmaking craftsmanship, the kilt shop was born.

How the traditional kilt shop experience is evolving

July 12, 2023

The kilt has been a part of Scottish identity for centuries, first as the feileadh-mór or great kilt and later as the fèileadh beag, which is the version we know today. The great kilt was not much more than a length of material wrapped around the waist with the excess material draped over the shoulder. However, as the kilt evolved into the fèileadh beag or little kilt, the construction of the kilt became more intricate. After the Dress Act of 1746 was repealed in 1782, demand for high-quality traditional highlandwear grew, not just in the rural highlands, but also in the modern...

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Kilt in 2024?

June 14, 2023

Wearing a kilt to a formal or semi-formal occasion is always the best choice, in our humble opinion at least. A kilt delivers a wow factor that a suit just can’t seem to match. Whether you are looking for a kilt to wear to a Burns Supper or are looking to get your groomsman kitted out for the big day, our Kilt Hire service is here to help. We have stores in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Prestwick as well as pop-up services in London and Manchester, as well as a Virtual Kilt Fitting Service, all of which can help you arrange your next highlandwear...

Samantha and David's Wedding Day

June 07, 2023

Samantha and David recently celebrated their big day and have graciously agreed to share a little bit of their story with us. As we’ve mentioned before, we love hearing about our customer's wedding days and learning a little bit about the thought processes behind planning one of the most important days of their lives. We asked David why he chose to wear a kilt outfit for his big day. He explained that “Being Scottish, I have a lot of love for the kilt. I had only worn one once before when I was extremely young and I remember how much...

When were kilts invented?

May 17, 2023

The relationship between Scotland and its kilts goes back many centuries, however, the date in which kilts were first invented, is rather unknown. The first documented mention of the féileadh-mór (or great kilt) can be found in books dating back to the 1500’s. As you can imagine, the great kilts' popularity would have been quite prevalent to have been worthy of documentation at that time. So it’s safe to say that the great kilt would have been invented sometime earlier. It’s thought that once sheep became readily available across Scotland that their wool would have been used to weave cloth....

Wedding Guide 2023

May 11, 2023

Wedding season is approaching full bloom and we’re kilting up more grooms and guests every week. Nowadays more than ever we find that couples are looking for ways to make their day unique and personal and highlandwear is an ideal way to do that. Although tartan and kilts are often seen as very traditional, there are so many ways you can use them to add a personal and contemporary touch to your big day. From handfasting ceremonies to hiring any tartan, dive into our ultimate guide to wedding season 2023.

How To Wear a Kilt Casually

April 19, 2023

Traditional highlandwear outfits are most commonly worn to formal events like weddings and other black tie events. The swing of the pleats, the different colours of tartan and all the accessories make for a much more interesting outfit than a plain suit. While it’s ultimately down to personal preference, as a rule of thumb, a Prince Charlie or Argyll jacket and waistcoat are worn to the most formal occasions. These outfits are also accessorised with a dress sporran. For slightly less formal occasions, tweed jackets and semi-dress sporrans are more appropriate. This doesn’t mean that a tweed jacket can’t be...

Harris Mist Tartan Takeover

April 12, 2023

From designing and weaving the tartan to launching our collection, sharing our new Harris Mist tartan has been a proud moment for the whole team at MacGregor and MacDuff. With every department involved in some way or another and having had such a great reaction to the design, we wanted to do something more special than ever to celebrate. Having been inspired by the Isle of Harris, we thought a trip to the island would be the perfect tribute to the tartan’s roots. We hosted a fitting service and organised a photoshoot with the iconic Harris scenery as the backdrop. From start...

Celebrating Scottish Ancestry

March 23, 2023

We were recently approached by a newspaper to answer a few questions about the wearing of kilts by non-Scots. In our answers, we discussed that as long as highlandwear is worn properly and not as a joke, cultural appropriation isn’t an issue. We have mentioned previously that we see non-Scots wearing kilts as a cultural celebration and encourage everyone to wear a kilt, no matter their nationality or ancestry. After the article was published, it got us thinking about how far kilts and highlandwear have travelled throughout the world and how a small country like Scotland has been able to...

Tartan & St. Patrick's Day

March 14, 2023

People all around the world will be heading out this Friday to celebrate one of the biggest party nights of the year, St. Patrick's day. While I’m sure that there are some people that use St. Patrick as an excuse to have a good time, he has been a significant part of Irish history and culture since the seventh century. St. Patrick's day is celebrated on the 17th day of March each year on the day of his supposed death. He lived during the fifth century and was actually born in Roman Britain. It’s thought that when he was 16,...

The Kings of Kilts on Harris

March 08, 2023

Our new Harris Mist tartan has launched across our purchase range of highlandwear products and the response has been spectacular. Once it finally launches in our hire range on the 1st of June, it might just top the list as our most popular tartan. We have to admit, this is pretty exciting but when you look at the tartan, it's easy to see why it has been so well received. It’s a modern, stylish tartan that is as versatile as they come. While our in-house tartan design team are the ones who actually created the design, credit is due to...

Will The Traditional Craft Of Kilt Making Go Extinct?

March 01, 2023

From clay pipe making to straw working, thanks to roughly 12 millennia of continuous inhabitation, Britain’s long history has produced a plethora of traditional crafts. However, due to modernisation, many of these crafts have fallen away and become extinct. Whether this is because there are now easier ways to make the items or because there is no longer a use for such items, it’s still a piece of culture that will forever be lost to the history books. UNESCO defines traditional craftsmanship as “the most tangible manifestation of intangible cultural heritage”, which is a poetic way of summing up the...

What is tartan?

February 22, 2023

Tartan is a traditional Scottish fabric pattern characterized by intersecting lines and vibrant colors running both horizontally and vertically. Originating in Scotland as early as the 3rd century, tartan plays a crucial role in Scotland's culture and history. Each Scottish clan historically had its own unique tartan pattern, symbolizing its identity and heritage. By the 18th century, tartan had become synonymous with Highland dress. Following the Jacobite's defeat at the Battle of Culloden, the British government banned tartan and all other aspects of Highland culture as a form of punishment. Today, tartan remains a powerful symbol of Scottish pride and...