Highland dancer. Note the action of the kilt which is dependent on the way the kilt is constructed.

Kilt worn with the less formal Argyll jacket, and belt.

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Kilts

A kilt is an unbifurcated traditional garment of Scottish, and by extension Celtic, culture that exists in various modern forms and forms inspired by the historical garment, including: more...

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the modern form of the traditional Scottish garment (further defined below);

the historical form of this same Scottish garment (see History of the kilt);

the Irish kilt (see Irish kilt);

the Welsh kilt, or cilt (see Welsh Kilt and St David's Tartan);

the contemporary kilt, such as the Neo-Kilt™ or Utilikilt™ (see Contemporary kilts); and

certain types of school uniform skirts for girls (see School uniforms).

Traditionalists emphasize that the plural of "kilt" is "the kilt" rather than "kilts", though the latter term has been used alongside the former and continues to gain acceptance in modern English.

The modern traditional kilt is typically seen at modern-day Highland games gatherings in Scotland and elsewhere throughout the world. Historical forms of the Scottish kilt have differed in several particulars (some quite substantial) from the modern-day version. Specifically, the organizations which sanction and grade the competitions in Highland dancing and bagpiping all have rules governing acceptable attire for the competitors. These rules specify that kilts are to be worn (except that in the national dances, the female competitors will be wearing the Aboyne dress). The word kilt as used in this article refers to those garments as typically seen in such competitions.

Depending on the occasion, a kilt is normally worn with accessories such as a belt, jacket, sporran (a type of pouch), special footwear, and – optionally – underwear. These are discussed in the separate article kilt accessories.

General definition of a kilt

The kilt, as referenced above, is a tailored garment which is wrapped around the wearer's body at the waist, hanging down encircling and covering the upper part of the legs above the knees. The fabric is cut so that it is open along a line from the waist to the lower edge (the selvedge on a kilt) with the opening being secured by means of straps and buckles.

The two ends of the kilt fabric overlap considerably to form what are called aprons. These aprons are positioned in the front while the remaining length of the fabric (around the sides and in the back) is pleated.

In addition, the kilt exhibits certain peculiarities of design, construction, and convention which differentiate it from other garments fitting the above description.

Design and construction

Fabrics

The typical kilt as seen at modern Highland games events is made of twill woven worsted wool which, in conjunction with its tartan pattern (see below), is commonly referred to as tartan. A twill weave is a type of weaving pattern in which each weft thread is passed over and then under two warp threads at a time. The result is a distinctive diagonal weave pattern in the fabric which is referred to as the twill line. In contrast, the Irish kilt traditionally was made from solid colour cloth, with saffron being the most widely used colour.