The odds are pretty good that you've heard that if you’re going to wear a kilt you aren’t allowed to wear any underwear at the same time, conjuring up images of a whole nation of Scottish men running around in woolen “skirts” without anything going on underneath.
But is that legit?
What if you only wanted to wear a kilt as part of a costume, or just as a bit of a gag? Would it be offensive to run around wearing the kilt while you had underwear on?
To find out more about the “do’s and don’ts” of wearing underwear with a kilt we’ve put together this quick guide.
Let’s dig right in!
Are Scotsman REALLY Running Around Without Underwear When Wearing a Kilt?
Yes, it’s true that when Scottish men are wearing a kilt they—traditionally—wear anything else underneath.
History is pretty clear-cut on when this started to become the norm, too.
Apparently members of the Scottish military – members of the Scottish Highland Regiments, in fact – decided that they weren’t going to wear underwear with their kilts any longer, and the tradition kind of stuck.
It didn’t take very long for it to spread throughout Scottish culture in general and now the term “going commando” as spread worldwide.
All of that harkens back to the Scottish people referring to “going regimental” whenever they weren’t wearing anything underneath the outermost layer of clothes!
At the same time, it’s not necessarily a hard and fast rule of any kind that you MUST wear underwear whenever you slide a kilt on.
Truth be told, it all comes down to personal choice and personal comfort.
A lot of athletes competing in Scotland that wear traditional kilts (during the Highland Games, for example) are most definitely going to wear underwear while they compete. And many of them are going to use the most cutting-edge underwear available, made of technical modern fabrics, to give them as big of a performance boost as possible.
When you get right down to it, if you want to wear underwear with your kilt you certainly can. There usually aren’t going to be too many people doing “kilt checks”, after all.
At the same time, the sight of a man in a kilt is almost always going to make people a little bit curious about whether or not there’s anything else underneath this traditional garb.
If you’re wearing one on a pub crawl, for example, don’t be surprised if people are VERY curious about what’s going on beneath the surface.
Pros and Cons of Wearing Underwear with a Kilt
Traditional kilts really started to be worn in Scotland towards the end of the 16th century, when super heavy (and much larger) kilts looked a whole lot more like a Scottish toga of sorts – a cloak that was draped over their shoulder, hanging down to their knees, and then belted at the waist.
As we highlighted earlier, it really wasn’t until the Highland regiments (members of the British Army) started to wear more tailored kilts in the early 19th century that the tradition of wearing them with no underwear started to take off.
When it comes to the pros of wearing underwear under a kilt you have the obvious one of a bit more privacy and a little more confidence walking around (and running around) without your bits and bobs hanging out all over the place.
A lot of people (understandably) like the support that modern underwear provides, and most people want to be have a little more modesty and a little more privacy when they are cruising around in public – especially if they are wearing a kilt and the general public is expecting them to be in their birthday suits underneath.
On the flip side of things, though, wearing underwear underneath traditional kilts can really get quite warm.
These traditional kilts are going to be made out of high quality but super dense wool more often than not, and though the underwear is going to make them less scratchy and less itchy things are going to get very warm – and very humid – down below.
When is it Appropriate to Wear Underwear with a Kilt?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to go commando when you are wearing a kilt, but like we mentioned a couple of times throughout this quick guide nothing could be further from the truth.
If you are Scottish and are wearing this kilt as part of a traditional ceremony the odds are very good that you’ll want to seriously consider going without underwear just to honor the tradition itself, but there aren’t going to be too terribly many people that are angry with you for deciding to cover up (or checking to see if you are going without).
It’s all about how comfortable you feel, the occasion that you are wearing a kilt for in the first place, and whether or not it makes practical sense.
Tips for Wearing Underwear Comfortably with a Kilt
If you are going to go with underwear while wearing traditional kilts, though, it’s critically important that you get underwear that is super thin, super comfortable, and provides plenty of breathability while remaining hidden underneath your kilt as much as possible.
Super long boxer briefs that would stick out below your kilt probably aren’t the way to go. At the same time, super thick or heavy cotton underwear aren’t going to make life that pleasant while you are wearing a kilt, either – especially if you are wearing them during warmer weather.
Instead stick to technical fabrics that wick moisture, that breathe plenty, and that still offer you a lot of support and a lot of comfort.
The odds are pretty good that your favorite pair of underwear are going to work perfectly with a kilt, but if you do have to shop for new underwear these are the key criteria that you’ll really want to zero in on.
