In celebration of day three of my countdown to the Outlander premiere on Saturday on STARZ, I am going to give some fun facts about the KILT.
Enjoy some of my favorite celeb’s in kilts. Sam Heughan, James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor and David Tennant to name a few.
Enter to win this cool STARZ GIVEAWAY for a trip to San Diego Comic-Con. Enter now
Five Facts you didn’t know about men who wear kilts:
- Scottish tradition is not to wear any underpants when wearing a kilt.
- Wearing a kilt has strong psychological benefits according to research. A kilt will get you noticed no matter where you are.
- Research indicates that men wearing a kilt experience a strong sense of freedom and masculinity and that many women are attracted to men in kilts.
- Apparently Scottish men who wear kilts have better sperm quality and higher fertility.
- Kilts are expensive can be up to $500 with the purse and the shoes.
Tips for wearing a kilt for the first time:
- Try to practice sitting, standing up and even getting in and out of a car
- When you sit down make sure the front of your kilt falls between your legs to avoid embarrassment for anyone facing you
- When you stand up sweep your hand over the back of your kilt to make sure the pleats are flat
- It is a good idea to make sure your sporran is weighted down
- Most importantly have fun and enjoy all the attention you will get!
Click here for the first timers guide to wearing a kilt.
This history according to Wikipedia:
The history of the kilt stretches back to at least the end of the 16th century. The kilt first appeared as the belted plaid or great kilt, a full length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the shoulder, or brought up over the head as a hood. The small kilt or walking kilt (similar to the ‘modern’ kilt) did not develop until the late 17th or early 18th century, and is essentially the bottom half of the great kilt.
The word kilt comes from the Scots word kilt meaning to tuck up the clothes around the body, although the 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (vol. 15, p. 798) says the word is Scandinavian in origin. The Scots word derives from the Old Norse kjalta.[1]
The Breacan an Fhéilidh (belted plaid) or Feileadh Mòr (great plaid) is likely to have evolved over the course of the 16th century from the earlier ‘brat’ or woollen cloak (also known as a plaid) which was worn over a tunic. This earlier cloak or brat may have been plain in colour or in various check or tartan designs, depending on the wealth of the wearer; this earlier fashion of clothing had not changed significantly from that worn by Celtic warriors in Roman times.[2]
Over the course of the 16th century, with the increasing availability of wool, the cloak had grown to such a size that it began to be gathered up and belted. The belted plaid was originally a length of thick woollen cloth made up from two loom widths sewn together to give a total width of 54 to 60 inches, and up to 7 yards (6.4 m) in length. This garment, also known as the great kilt, was gathered up into pleats by hand and secured by a wide belt. The upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the left shoulder, hung down over the belt and gathered up at the front, or brought up over the shoulders or head for protection against weather. It was worn over a léine (a full-sleeved garment stopping below the waist) and could also serve as a camping blanket.