Figure 1.--This snapshot was taken in a rural area of Scotland, probably somewhere in the Higlands. Four boys are playing on a rudimentary see-saw with a dog. Only one boy is wearing a kilt. The others wear knickers and knee pants. None of the boys are wearing shoes. The snapshot is undated, but the knee pants and knickers the boys are wearing suggest some time about 1910 to us.

We note Scottish boys playing are dressed casually in kilts. We do not know to what extent this was the case in the 19th century. Kilts may have been worn because they could be easily woven at home while trousers were more complicated to make at hime. The popularity of ready made clothig after mis-century probably was a factor here. We suspect it was fairly common for boys to wear kilt in the Highlads, but as photography at the time was mostly studio work, we can not yet substahtiate that. With the advent of the snapshot at the turn-of-the 20th century we know much more. We see boys wearing kilts for play meaning that they were every day wear. We note a deer stocker whose sons are wearing kilts for everyday wear, but this may not be a good example as he worked on estates. We assume that this reflects trends in the late-19th century as well. We do not have many examples so we are not sure just how common this was. This seems to be the case in the period before and during World War I (1914-18). This may have continued to some extent after the War into the inter-War period, but it seems to have been much less common. We have found few examples. The photo graphic record tsuggests that kilts were worn more for somewhat more formal occassions or scouts abd school. A major factor here wa the cost. A kilt became an increasingly expensive garment. A pair of pants or shorts werre less expensive and came in more easily washable materials and a result were more practical for busy mothers.

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[Kilt suits] [Scottish boys clothing] [Scottish school uniform]
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[Irish kilts] [Irish boys clothing] [Irish step dancing]
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Created: 3:25 AM 5/7/2012
Last updated: 1:49 AM 2/8/2023