Hola mis queridos amigos. ¿Sabéis lo que es un kilt? ¡Los hombres escoceses lo saben seguro! Es su falda escocesa tradicional y de esto es de lo que vamos a hablar hoy: ¡FALDAS ESCOCESAS! ¡Allá vamos!
Info: Speak up magazine.
Photos: pinterest / ebay.es (2) / buenavibra.es
HOW TO BE A TRUE SCOTSMAN / KILT AND TARTAN
Kilts are the traditional tartan skirts that Scotsmen wear on formal occasions, such as weddings and the Highland Games. Do you remember the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral?" One of the weddings is in Scotland and the guests wear tartan.
A QUESTION OF TASTE
Traditionally, the true Scostman did not wear anything under his kilt, but times have changed. Not wearing underwear is now considered "unhygienic", childish and "indecent" says the Scottish Tartans Authority (STA), a Scottish-based society that documents all things tartan.
The kilt is basically a skirt for men made from colourful checked fabric with pleats in the back. It originated in the 16th century but the "modern" version of the kilt didn't appear until the late 17th or early 18th century.
VICTORIA AND ALBERT
Kilts were once part of the military uniform for the Scottish army, the fabric indicating the region or clan (family) you came from. As the kilt has no pockets, the sporan, made from leather or fur, served as a container for personal items, a bit like a "fanny pack" or "bum bag" today.
In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie, a Stuart, led a rebellion against the Hanoverian King, George II. Many Scottish clans, whose members wore tartan, supported the rebellion, but the English army massacred them at the Battle of Culloden Moor in Scotland in 1746. The same year the London government banned tartan with the "Dress Act", but tartan became popular again in the 19th century.
The Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott was a big fan, so were Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert. They fell in love with the romantic Highlands and built a castle there called Balmoral. Albert designed several tartans and Balmoral was decorated in tartan from floor to curtain. Queen Victoria started a trend for tartan. New tartans were created as well as tartanware, everyday objects, such as jewellery boxes and tableware, in tartan.
POP AND PUNK
Today there are up to 7,000 different tartans and about 150 new designs are created each year. Love it or hate it, tartan, and more specifically, the kilt, will stand out in a crowd. The avant-garde fashion designers Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Wetswood have incorporated tartan into their designs. In the 1970s, tartan was popular in the music world. Rod Stewart wore tartan and so did kitsch Scottish group, The Bay City Rollers. Punk rockers also often wore tartan!
ANYONE FOR TENNIS?
These days the Scots see the kilt as their national dress and save it for special occasions. Tennis player Andy Murray revealed that he'd wear a kilt when he got married to Kim Sears, in April, 2015. He even said he may go commando, that is, without underwear! On this wedding day, Murray didn't disappoint and did indeed wear a kilt, although we can't confirm if he wore anything underneath it!!!
VOCABULARY
-KILT: falda escocesa.
-TARTAN: tela de cuadros escoceses.
-UNDERWEAR: ropa interior.
-CHILDISH: infantil.
-CHECKED: de cuadros.
-FABRIC: tela.
-PLEAT: pliegue.
-SPORRAN: morral.
-FANNY PACK / BUM BAG: riñonera.
-CURTAIN: cortina.
-TARTANWARE: productos con diseño de cuadros.
-TABLEWARE: vajilla.
-TO STAND OUT: destacar.
-TO GO COMMANDO: ir sin ropa interior.
HAVE A NICE DAY
SEE YOU!
