In the beginning, there was a plaideS No other culture can claim a uniform as uniquely personalized as the Scottish kilt. The tartan of the kilt identifies the wearer's family, instantly signaling kinship among Scots who have scattered around the globe. Less obvious to the casual observer is the history sewn into each of those trim pleats. The kilt began as a tartan blanket, or plaide, about two yards by six yards. In the 1600's, the plaide was worn as a belted plaid, or feilidh-Mor. The blanket would be placed on the ground on top of a belt, and folded into pleats at right angles to the belt. The wearer would then lie down on the blanket, fold the edges over himself, and fasten the belt. This created a pleated skirt below the waist, and the excess material above the waist could be draped over the shoulders or head. This simple and practical feilidh-Mor served double-duty, reverting to use as a blanket at night. It is not altogether clear how commonly the feilidh-Mor was worn, but paintings and documents of the time suggest that it was in general use. The evolution of feilidh-Mor to kilt was fairly straightforward. By cutting off the blanket above the waist and stitching the pleats in place, a simpler, less cumbersome garment was created. Identifying the first kilt-maker is not as simple. A letter published in Edinburgh Magazine in 1768 suggests that it was actually an Englishman, Thomas Rawlinson, who first trimmed the feilidh-Mor into the felie-beg, or "little kilt." If some Scots find the nationality of the first kilt-maker a little galling, it may be reassuring to know that Rawlinson lived in Glengarie and Lochaber, and developed the kilt as the result of a great fondness for Highland dress. Highland regiments in the mid-eighteenth century still wore the feilidh-Mor, and used the little kilt in undress order. Gradually, though, the felie-bag replaced its predecessor, the belted plaid. In 1745, after the Jacobite Rising, the victorious Hanoverian government passed an act banning Highland Clothes, including the little kilt, as well as tartan coats. This ban lasted 35 years, until the act was repealed by the Duke of Montrose, and as long as it lasted, only military regiments wore the kilt. While it lasted, the ban bestowed Highland dress with great cultural importance, and when it was lifted, civilians began to wear the Highland dress with a sense of pride that remains today. The glory of the kilt was further heightened in 1822, when King George IV planned a State Visit to Scotland, and agreed to wear a kilt for the occasion. In anticipation of the royal visit, the country plunged into a "tartan frenzy." The kilt and indeed all Highland dress achieved a social status and dignity with King George's celebrated visit à and the rest is history. Links: How to fold your own Belted Plaid The Belted Plaid Lady Nancy A. MacCorkill's History of the Kilt Where to buy Highland dress History of the Kilt

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