Is a kilt a skirt

Answer 1

Yes, a kilt is a skirt. Most dictionaries give the definition as a noun (skirt) or as a verb (to kilt, meaning to fit or equip [a person] with a kilt, or to kilt a garment).

The word came into English early in the seventeenth century, traceable back to Scandanavian terms meaning 'to kilt': to tuck (a garment) up, leaving the lower legs free. The Old Norse word is kjalta, probably pronounced similarly to our current pronunciation of kilt.

The Gaelic kilt, originally recorded in the 1700s as menswear in the northern Scottish Highlands, was a garment designed to have part of it thrown over the shoulder; it was known in English as the 'great kilt'. The mini version, the lower part of the 'great kilt' arrived late in the 17th century, and by the beginning of the 19th century was becoming a Scottish cultural symbol.

Kilts, and similar skirts, have traditionally been, and are still, worn in other parts of the world by men in situations from everyday wear to formal and military dress; we see depictions of Romans wearing something similar, and the garment certainly goes back to a previous millennium.

Today, kilts are sometimes worn by Western men as a fashion item, frequently as part of a suit.

While the traditional men's Scottish kilt, a heavy garment of tartan, pleated at the back and fastened at the lower front with a brooch, frequently shaped like sword, is associated with Scottish Gaelic culture, it is also used as traditional wear in other Celtic cultures. The Irish kilt was not traditionally patterned, but now is frequently made of a tartan fabric.

Kilts, once worn only by men, are now worn by all ages and sexes, especially in Celtic cultural festivals and as uniforms in Celtic bands and dancing troupes.

Like all things traditional, the origin and history of the kilt that we might think of as Gaelic or Celtic is subject to speculation, discussion, and even heated debate. The fact that the Celts go right across Great Britain and through Europe to the Mediterranean, via Bretagne in France to Galicia in Spain, and these warmer areas still celebrate a lively Celtic history and culture, makes it all more interesting.

Regardless of its origin, though, a kilt was, and is still, a skirt.

See the link below for illustrations and examples of kilts in formal, traditional, and casual wear.

Answer 2

A kilt is a type of knee-length garment with pleats at the back that is traditionally worn by men in Scotland. While it may resemble a skirt in appearance, the two are distinct in terms of cultural significance, construction, and usage.