Scottish national costume

There is probably no person in the world who has not heard of the Scottish national costume. You may not have any idea what the costumes of Bashkiria or Korea look like, but everyone has heard about the unusual Scottish skirt called the kilt.

At first, kilts were not the clothes of all Scots, but only of the Highlanders. A voluminous, large piece of fabric, wrapped around the hips and fixed with a belt (namely, this is what the first medieval kilts looked like), was extremely convenient for the rainy climate and the mountainous terrain of Scotland. It did not hinder movement, perfectly retained heat, it was easy enough to dry it, and use it as a blanket in the evenings. In battle, a large kilt could easily be thrown off, providing maximum freedom of movement, and fighting in one shirt.

Over time, the size of the kilt changed, the large and bulky kilt was replaced by a small kilt, which is more comfortable to wear and is still used in the modern world.

A distinctive feature of any Scottish costume is the checkered fabric from which it is made. This woolen material, the so-called tartan, is a weave of stripes of various colors, sizes and inclinations. Moreover, since clans are still preserved in Scotland, the drawing determines belonging to the clan, i.e.each clan created its own tartan by hand, it can be used to determine which region a person belongs to. You cannot use someone else's colors, as this will be considered a violation, which is strictly monitored by responsible persons in Scotland.

Based on the number of colors of the tartan, it was easy to determine the social status of a person: for example, one or two colors means a servant or a farmer, and if six or seven, then this is already a commander or leader. Now you can count more than 6,000 original tartans, because in addition to generic, clan colors, they began to make many tartans dedicated to various special occasions - weddings, anniversaries, mourning, etc.

Traditionally, the fabric is made and dyed by hand. Sheep wool and dyes of vegetable origin are used. The cut and silhouette of the classic kilt has remained unchanged for many centuries.

It is hard to imagine a classic Scottish costume without a whole range of different accessories that emphasize ancient traditions. For example, sporran is a comfortable leather purse that is worn strictly near the belt buckle. Or khoses - woolen socks above the knees, protecting the Scots' legs from severe frosts. It is still customary to hide the national dagger in them - skin do, although in our time it is more of a decorative element.

A functional item can be called a kiltpin - a sword-shaped pin that is attached to the edge of the kilt to make the edge heavier. It also serves as an excellent costume decoration, because it can be made of precious metals with stones.

It is customary for the Scots to wear brogues on their feet - special shoes made of dense perforated leather with long laces.

Well, an interesting headdress completes the image - a barmoral or a tam-o-shenter similar to it. Both options are a wool beret with a pom-pom, only the barmoral differs exclusively in a red pom-pom and two silk ribbons at the back.

No less popular is a cap-cap called glengarry - an improved barmoral model.

Women's Scottish costume is quite traditional and not as creative as men's, therefore it is less known. It consisted of a rather simple underdress and a more ornate overdress decorated with braid patterns. The image was complemented by an embroidered woolen apron with a belt and a headdress for married women.

The ceremonial version of the women's Scottish costume looks more elegant. The combination of a snow-white blouse with wide sleeves, a voluminous tartan skirt and a corset with bright lacing adds to the image of emphasized femininity and majesty.

As for children's national costumes, children in Scotland are taught from early childhood to strictly follow ancient traditions, because their outfits are no different from adult models.

In the modern world, the kilt has long ceased to be a part of only Scottish culture. Today, given the increasing fashion for versatility, the plaid skirt is becoming more popular than ever. Numerous variations of kilts are created, modern models are sewn not only from traditional woolen fabric, but also from raincoat fabric and even leather. Every year, various official events are dedicated to kilts; you can see a large number of actors, athletes, and musicians wearing them. Anyone who wants to demonstrate and emphasize their originality and originality will be able to find their own version of the Scottish costume.

And although we no longer need many of the functions of the classic Scottish suit, many men and women around the world still find their inspiration in it, which only once again underlines the inexhaustibility of its potential.