Kilts are increasing in popularity, thanks in part to hit programs like Outlander. The romance of the Scottish Highlands and the image of the swashbuckling highlander add to the kilt’s appeal. Many people have begun to wonder if those who are not of Scottish descent can wear kilts.
People have different reasons for asking whether it is appropriate for them to wear kilts. One reason is cultural sensitivity; kilts are a national dress, after all, and you don’t want to offend anyone.
Non-Celtic People Wearing Kilts: Is It Offensive?
The question of whether people who are not of Scottish or Irish heritage can wear kilts is complicated. No ethnicity has a unified opinion on any topic, and you can’t assume one member speaks for an entire group.
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind if you want to explore kilt-wearing:
1. Kilts Often Relate to Specific Families and Groups
Tartans, or the intricate plaid patterns that kilts often feature, usually belong to specific families. You may want to avoid the embarrassment of a member of the Clan MacFarlane thinking you are a long-lost cousin. Worse, a member of a Scottish or Irish clan may see you wearing their family’s tartan and take offense!
Another symbolic aspect of the kilt is military service. The Scottish, Irish, and even American militaries have associated tartans. If you are not a veteran of a specific service, you should avoid wearing that service’s tartan.
2. Consider Where You Plan to Wear a Kilt
Certain contexts invite kilt-wearing. You may find yourself at a Scottish or Irish wedding where tartan kilts are worn. Perhaps you are in the bridal party, and the couple has specifically requested you to wear a kilt or tartan.
Heritage festivals, like a St. Patrick’s Day Parade or a Highland Games, will undoubtedly feature many people in kilts. You will likely not stand out or raise any eyebrows if you attend in a kilt.
Avoid wearing a kilt as a joke or costume. You will avoid cultural appropriation of other nationalities’ traditional clothing if you take the kilt seriously.
Kilts Worn By Groups and Organizations
Military services and units are not the only non-family groups with their own tartans or who wear kilts. Other groups may wear ceremonial kilts specific to them. One example is musical groups and bands.
Mexico, for example, has La Banda de Gaitas del Batallón de San Patricio. La Banda is a Mexico City bagpipe band that wears a tartan kilt to perform.
This band is named after a battalion of Irish deserters from the American Army. The San Patricios fought for Mexico during the Mexican American War.
In Norway, the Bergen Pipe Band is a Norwegian bagpipe band with membership from Norway, Scotland, Canada, and the US. The Bergen Pipe Band wears its own tartan kilt, designed by its founder!
So if you find yourself in Norway with a hankering to wear a kilt, consider joining the Bergen Pipe Band. You could also join the Bergen Scottish Society, who also have permission to wear the Pipe Band tartan.
Is There a Tartan Authority?
When you are asking about whether you should do something, the natural inclination is to seek out an authority. There is a tartan authority, as it happens. The Scottish Tartans Authority is a registered UK charity with no less a patron than the Prince of Wales himself.
The Scottish Tartans Authority works to preserve, catalog, and develop tartans new and old. The Authority website also has a helpful “What to Wear?” section that the novice or tartan-curious may find useful. This section can help you determine what is appropriate to wear with a kilt at formal, casual, and ceremonial occasions.
Give the Kilt a Whirl: Non-Tartan Kilt Options
You have options if you are not of Scottish or Irish heritage and still want to try wearing the kilt.
You could wear a kilt in a universal or general tartan. Not every tartan has a specific tie to a family or organization. Certain tartans are open to everyone!
In some places, such as Ireland, the kilt is tied more to geographic location than to your clan or family. Find out if your city or region has its own tartan and get a kilt with that pattern.
You could also think about getting a utility kilt. Utility kilts, due to their functional nature, do not have decorative patterns. This form can be sturdy black or khaki material that allows for rough day-to-day wear.
Non-Irish and Non-Scottish Kilts
The Irish and the Scottish do not have the market on kilts totally cornered. There are other countries with kilts, and they aren’t even all Celtic.
In the Spanish region of Galicia, which was once inhabited by Celtic tribes, people wear kilts called falda escocesa. In the Asturias region of Spain, they even have a version of bagpipes called the gaita asturiana.
Two other countries which you may be surprised to learn have their own kilt traditions are Germany and Egypt.
In Germany, the Coburg tartan kilt is associated with Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Egyptian kilts were not related to the tartan or utility kilts found in Europe. This example might be a bit of a stretch since these garments predate kilts as we know them. Think of the light linen garments you see people wearing around their waists in ancient Egyptian art.
It’s Up to You
If you want to feel comfortable wearing a kilt, and to not worry about offending anyone, your attitude matters most. Remember the words of the Scottish Tartans Authority. “Highland dress is not a uniform (unless you're in a Scottish regiment or a pipe band)[.]”
The Scottish Tartans Authority goes onto say of Highland dress: “[N]either is it fancy dress.” They mean fancy dress in the British sense of a whimsical costume.
For women, the question of whether they can wear a kilt varies depending on who you ask. However, women wear pants and other items traditionally worn as “menswear,” so they should not sweat wearing a kilt.
Be respectful of the occasion and context, and seek out answers from experts before you decide to wear a kilt. Ultimately, you can answer the question, “Can I wear a kilt?” with ordinary common sense.
