And That's A Fine Looking Lad

The Scottish kilt first appeared near the end of the 1500’s and may be older. The first, called the great kilt was a full length garment of a single fabric whose upper half could be worn draped over the shoulder, or brought up over head as a cloak.  The modern kilt, basically the bottom half of the great kilt, developed in the late 1600’s and is commonly worn as formal wear in Scotland today.   The word derives from the Norse for a similar garment worn in Scandinavia.  The kilt has become a sign of Celtic identity and pride. Adopted by Irish Nationalists in the early 1900 (arguments that the Irish wore them earlier are unsubstantiated)  the practice has spread to other Celtic countries including Cornwall, Walls and Britney.