The growing popularity of kilts

Nicholas Spencer in his new, casual kilt with Black Isle tartan weave

Some people smile, giggle and make a humorous remark upon hearing the word “kilt”. Others freeze, po-faced, as if they don’t want to reveal what they’re really thinking about the possibility of a man wearing “a skirt”. Then they mumble something about my (non-existent) Scottish heritage or New Year celebrations, as if desperately trying to find something that will mitigate such aberrant behaviour – while also neatly summing up the stereotypical view of the Caledonian traditional costume as suited only for fancy dress, high days and holidays, and those who live north of the English border.

So it was with mixed feelings that I made my way to a hotel near London’s Hyde Park to get a kilt of my own. I’d been tempted to invest for a couple of years, after first wearing a borrowed kilt for a celidh and realising that the garment is versatile, elegant and fun to wear – even a little bit naughty if one bows to folklore and goes “commando”. And, despite common prejudice, it turns out I’m not the only non-Scot to have learned these lessons.

Each month staff from Edinburgh’s Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers travel to London to meet a growing demand. In addition they regularly cross the Atlantic to supply US fans. “A kilt is a bit of a girl magnet,” says Hugh Statham, Geoffrey’s US manager. “If I went into a pub, I’d get more attention for wearing a kilt than for wearing jeans. It’s a good conversation starter.

“In the 1960s and 70s kilts were barely seen at all but since then they’ve come back and they’re back to stay. One of our biggest markets is the 18-21 age range. Families chip in and buy kilts as gifts. And unless your weight changes dramatically you’ve got it for the next 30 or 40 years.”

Choosing a sporran

I’d expected that a garment created from at least six yards of fabric and an apparently complex combination of multiple pleats, flat areas, lining and buckles would require a similarly intricate measuring process, but Statham was finished after just three deft applications of his tape measure. Choosing the style and fabric, however, proved to be a more complex process. Formal or casual? Tartan or plain? There are hundreds of options.

It is this level of choice that was the key attraction of the kilt for London-based self-employed computer consultant Peter Facey, who owns three: a woollen kilt in black; a cotton, suit-fabric version, also in black (“for summer and tropical wear ... I wore it on a visit to Malaysia, it’s like a Scottish sarong”); and a denim kilt.

“I wear my kilt when I work, and I’m known as the computer consultant in the kilt,” says Facey. “I think of it as a modern piece of dress rather than a costume, and wear it as one would wear a pair of trousers; I don’t have to wear a skean dhu [the traditional dagger] and a sporran [the waist purse] and all the rest. If I go to the theatre or the opera, I sometimes jazz my kilt up a bit with a shirt and tie or a waistcoat or a jacket.

“As soon as I put one on I knew. It was my 50th birthday present to myself and I just felt ‘I’ve got to have this. It’s me.’”

Versatility is an important factor in the kilt’s growing popularity. At a formal level, for example, there is the pinstriped kilt, often teamed with a matching waistcoat and jacket, but perhaps the key adaptation has been the evolution of the casual (sometimes referred to as the fashion) kilt. The main physical difference between this and its formal cousin is a two-inch reduction in the height of the waistline. Then there is the way in which it is worn: with boots, say, and scrunched-down long socks; with a casual lace-up shirt, long-sleeved top or even a T-shirt. And while the tartan casual kilt is the obvious blend of traditional and contemporary, the move away from formality has led to the creation of versions in plain-coloured tweeds, and even leather.

As I’m unlikely to have need of a formal kilt, I opted for the casual line, and after being overwhelmed by the number of tartans (there are thousands) I chose one that is both modern and traditional: at first sight the black fabric looks plain but as the light plays over it a subtle (Black Isle) tartan weave is revealed. Along with many others, I’ll be wearing my kilt for Christmas and, of course, New Year celebrations. Accessorised –- regardless of how others react – with a broad grin.

Geoffrey’s men’s kilts are priced from £235. www.geoffreykilts.co.uk