The moment you've all been waiting for!

No, we are not pregnant; the other moment you've all been waiting for: Jacob got his kilt!



 

 

Jacob's official highland outfit includes an eight yard kilt in a blue plaid tartan. Neatly tucked into this kilt is a black ghillie shirt, held together at the neck with a leather thong. Over the top of his kilt, you can see the pouch called a sporran. It is made of leather and fir and is attached to the kilt with a nice sporran chain. Not only is this sporran perfect for holding a wallet and maybe a flask, but it would also provide a wee bit of protection for certain delicate areas. =) Over the sporran, Jacob is wearing a thick leather belt with a fancy silver buckle. The buckle has a picture of a thistle, which is the national flower of Scotland. On his legs, you can see some nice black hose (the manly kind). These manly hose are secured up by manly garters sporting some nice "hose flashes" (bits of tartan matching the kilt). We did not buy special shoes, but the black dress shoes that Jacob already had actually look similar enough to the shoes they were trying to sell us.

Two items that you cannot see in this picture are the kilt pin and the sgian-dubh. The kilt pin is used to weigh down the right corner of the kilt to avoid any embarrassing Marilyn Monroe moments (especially since tradition dictates that nothing should be worn underneath a kilt). This pin is in the shape of a sword with a thistle over it, to match his belt buckle. The sgian also has a matching design, but instead of being in the shape of a sword, it actually is a sword, a small one, more like a dagger, but close enough. Actually, according to a Scottish spectator whom we gained at the shop, it isn't even a real dagger, because "it is too wee." Wee though it may be, it is quite a pretty little thing. It has a nice red jewel on the hilt and a nice little black sheath, also sporting the thistle design. It is typically worn in the right hose for easy access.

The sgian and kilt pin can be seen a little better from this angle

Jacob is very proud of his kilt, and I must admit, I think he looks quite nice in it myself. After doing some research on kilts (before we bought the kilt of course) we learned that the idea of certain clan tartans isn't too strict. Really this idea only came about in the Victorian Era (a relatively late development in the long life of kilt wearing). So while there are specific tartans for certain clans, anybody can wear any kind of kilt they like as long as they pay for it. Jacob was pleased to hear this, seeing as he has no Scottish blood that he knows of.

We also learned that a traditional kilt was not tailored like the one Jacob bought is. What this means is that the pleats in the back had to be hand folded every time someone put one on. The excess could then be thrown over the shoulder to cover the top half of the man's body. This kilt was a traditional hunting and fighting outfit because it could serve multiple purposes. It was worn during the day, providing plenty of warmth with all its fabric, and then at night it could be rolled out and used as a sleeping bag. The kilts you can buy today are obviously much different, but still carry this tradition with them.

Even though the kilt has undergone many changes and not really connected to any sort of clan ties for us, it does have a certain something about it. The kilt, along with the men who wore them, has a long and proud history that seems to shine through. It is said that a man in a kilt is a man and a half. Certainly putting on a kilt makes a man remember the brave Scots who fought for their land and their people, the rugged highland men on the hunt. It is a really cool piece of Scottish culture, but it is much more than just a cool souvenir. Here in Scotland, the kilt is worn like a tuxedo on special and fancy occasions. So even though Jacob doesn't have any Scottish blood he will be wearing the kilt at least a few more times here in Scotland, and for many special occasions even after we get back.

God bless the Scots,
Jessie and Jacob

Ps. This is my favorite picture. Jacob didn't want me to put it in, but he's not writing this blog ;)