This gentleman is dressed in the traditional "Feileadh Mor",the great kilt or belted plaid. Made of one piece of material, approximately 9 yards long by 5 feet wide, it is hand pleated over his belt each time he puts it on. The excess above the belt is fastened to the shoulder by means of a brooch or pin. (In earlier times it was tied with a ribbon to the shoulder instead of using a brooch).

He wears a sturdy jacket made of heavy wool and the shirt beneath is of cotton. His bonnet had a red band around it - pre-runner to the diced band of today. In his kilt hose he carries his "sgian dubh", or black knife.

DONNING A GREAT KILT

Use an uncut length of tartan approximately 9 yards in length and 5 feet( 60 inches ) wide. Lay Your belt face down with the buckle to your right on the ground. Place the length of the material over the belt with the line to be used as the waistline running down the center length of the belt. Material below the belt forms the kilt skirt and the material above forms the plaid. Place the right end of the material nearest the buckle.

To pleat: mark one half your waist measurement in from the right edge. Start the first pleat at that point. Pick out a predominant stripe that runs from selvage to selvage and form your pleats evenly to each of those lines. Keep forming pleats until you've reached one half your waist measurement again

Measure leftover material after the last pleat and using the one half measurement of your waist again, cut off the excess.

Now lay down on the kilt situating your backside on the pleated area with your waist at the waistline. Next, fold the unpleated material on your right over your front and straighten. Fold the unpleated material on your left over your front forming a double apron. The kilt will fasten on the right. Pick up the belt and fasten it around your waist. Now stand up and straighten the kilt at your waist.

There are a multitude of ways to wear the plaid (the excess above the waistband). It can be gathered up and thrown over the shoulders in a cape-like fashion. It can be folded, or draped, back along the waist and the corner fastened at the shoulder by means of a ribbon or brooch leaving the edge to drape diagonally across the back. Experiment for the best effect on you. A great kilt worn properly can be impressive on a man's figure.; worn improperly it can look a mess.

NOTE: A kilt, great or small, was never worn by a woman. It was considered a man's garment and no lady would ever wear men's clothing. Women wore tartan as well as the men but mostly as gowns or draped as part of their outfit. They could pleat it for their petticoats but never as a military pleat.

"Donning a Great Kilt" is taken from "The Scots" sketchbook by Linda Byrd and published by Smoke & Fire Co.