St. Patrick's Day 2024

March 13, 2024

What started as a religious holiday in the early 17th century, has become a worldwide celebration of Irish culture. With green beer and quirky costumes, St. Patrick's Day is now very different from the day of feast that the church originally proclaimed it to be.

Traditional Kilts VS Utility Kilts

October 06, 2023

When you attend any formal event in Scotland, you are guaranteed to see at least one person wearing a kilt. Kilts are a part of Scottish identity and are celebrated as such at every opportunity. The design of a traditional Scottish kilt has remained unchanged since the 18th century when the first fèileadh beag, or little kilt, was created. However, since then alternative kilt styles have been created, some of which have grown in popularity. So what’s the difference between traditional and contemporary kilt? If a kilt isn’t traditional, can it still be considered a kilt? Utility Kilts A growing...

Why would an American wear a kilt?

September 29, 2023

The relationship between Scots and America began as far back as the early 1600s when prisoners, indentured servants, and free Scots traveled to the New World. Free Scots, or Scots who had traveled to America on their own accord, initially settled on the east coast. Generally speaking, Lowland Scots tended to settle in towns such as New York and Highlanders headed for the frontier, like North Carolina.

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 After the Dress Act of 1746 was repealed in 1782, demand for high-quality traditional highlandwear grew, not just in the rural highlands, but also in the modern...

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....

Spotlight on Our Mist Tartans

May 03, 2023

Inspired by the breathtaking scenery it’s so famous for, our exclusive Mist Tartans pay tribute to Scotland’s most iconic locations. Our first Mist was launched in 2009 and the collection embodies the contemporary style we champion. Versatile and stylish, our Mist tartans are universal so can be worn by anyone, regardless of their heritage. Find your favourite below.

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...

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...

Are Kilts Warm?

February 08, 2023

During this time of the year, when the days start to get a little longer, our minds start to drift toward thinking about our summer plans. Unfortunately, these thoughts are usually interrupted when we walk outside and realise that the current temperature is only barely above freezing. While we still have a long way to go before its t-shirt weather in Scotland, it got us thinking about the warmth of a kilt. Whether you are wearing a kilt in the middle of winter or the height of summer, there isn’t a whole lot of difference in the level of warmth...

How To Wear a Kilt

January 24, 2023

When it comes to wearing a kilt, there’s really only one thing you can get completely wrong and that's by wearing the pleats at the front. If your kilt sits a little high or a little low, you’ll be forgiven, but if you wear a kilt with the pleats at the front, you’ll never hear the end of it. For seasoned kilt wearers, it may be a little difficult to see how someone can make this mistake but it can happen which is why we always encourage new wearers to check out our How To Wear A Kilt Video. Putting...