A blanket wrapped around the body and held with some sort of belt is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and it is found in folk versions all over the world. Over the last few centuries, the voluminous plait Great Kilt evolved into the highly tailored modern men's kilt. (Women wore the simple arisaid, erisaid, erasaid...pick your favorite spelling - I haven't found the definitive one.)
The modern kilt versions with sewn in pleats, liner, belt loops, and hip straps are easier for men to wear than the original draped fabric, but a well constructed one requires a skilled maker. Purists still sew the whole thing by hand, and I love the attention to detail that can go into them. Dozens of YT's on the topic. The most daunting part is just the cost of this wool fabric, regardless if it is a clan tartan, or a generic solid tweed. The historic versions used a min of three to five yards of fabric, the new versions can require as much as eight yards (the un-sewn ladies' arisaid usually calls for three to four yards).
Anyway, while the West slouches into communism, studying the construction of an archaic warrior costume is inspiring. Maybe someday, they will be put to good use again. This guy both makes and restores kilts. Love his videos. Here is a 6 min one on a 72 yo kilt that needs some restoration.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzD1WpvQBEg
The modern kilt versions with sewn in pleats, liner, belt loops, and hip straps are easier for men to wear than the original draped fabric, but a well constructed one requires a skilled maker. Purists still sew the whole thing by hand, and I love the attention to detail that can go into them. Dozens of YT's on the topic. The most daunting part is just the cost of this wool fabric, regardless if it is a clan tartan, or a generic solid tweed. The historic versions used a min of three to five yards of fabric, the new versions can require as much as eight yards (the un-sewn ladies' arisaid usually calls for three to four yards).
Anyway, while the West slouches into communism, studying the construction of an archaic warrior costume is inspiring. Maybe someday, they will be put to good use again. This guy both makes and restores kilts. Love his videos. Here is a 6 min one on a 72 yo kilt that needs some restoration.