The Scottish Highland Dress refers to the traditional apparel of Scotland. It is usually instantly recognizable by the appearance of tartan, a plaid pattern representing the region or clan or the wearer. Men wear kilts or trews while women wear ankle length tartan skirts to represent their clan affiliation and both genders wear ghillies, thick soled shoes without tongues or laces.

Kilt:

Probably the most easily recognizable and iconic image of Scottish Highland dress, the kilt is a knee length garment with pleats at the rear, typically made of a wool material woven into a tartan that represents the wearer’s clan. There is some dispute over the origins of the kilt, however, it is normally worn by men on formal occasions.

Sporran:

Sporran comes from the Scottish Gaelic word for ‘purse’. It is a traditional element of the Scottish Highland dress. Usually, it is made of either leather or fur and often has ornamental embellishments in silver or gold. The sporran serves the function of pockets since kilts are pocketless. It is worn on a chain and hangs from a kilt belt directly in front of the groin.

Sgian dubh:

A more modern element of the Scottish Highland dress, the sgian dubh is a ceremonial knife that is strapped to the leg. It is traditionally worn on the right leg, however, depending on whether the wearer is right or left handed, it can be worn on either leg. The sgian dubh is tucked into the kilt sock so that only the handle is visible.

Ghillies (or gillies):

Ghillies are thick soled shoes worn by both men and women with long laces that wrap around the wearer’s ankle and tie just above the ankle so that the shoes are not pulled off the foot in the mud that often comes from damp Scottish weather. The shoes are designed without tongues to help the feet dry off quickly.

Female attire:

Women do not typically wear kilts, however, it is common for them to wear ankle length tartan skirts. They may also wear a tartan sash or shawl to represent their clan affiliation. Women also wear Dress Tartans which have white threads that are woven through the patterns. These were representative of wealth because the white indicated the wearer was unafraid of the tartan being soiled.

Resources:

Clan Campbell Society North America, http://www.ccsna.org/jsep46.htm

Newsome, Matthew A.C. The Early History of the Kilt, http://www.scottishtartans.org/kilt.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_dress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgian_dubh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporran