Who invented kilts?

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_kilt

"A letter published in the Edinburgh Magazine in March 1785 by one Ivan Baillie argued that the garment people would today recognize as a kilt was invented around the 1720s by Thomas Rawlinson, a Quaker from Lancashire. Rawlinson was claimed to have designed it for the Highlanders who worked in his new charcoal production facility in the woods of northern Scotland. After the Jacobite campaign of 1715 the government was "opening" the Highlands to outside exploitation and Rawlinson was one of the businessmen who took advantage of the situation. It was thought that the traditional Highland kilt, the "belted plaid" which consisted of a large cloak, was inconvenient for tree cutters. He supposedly brought the Highland garment to a tailor, intent on making it more practical. The tailor responded by cutting it in two. Rawlinson took this back and then introduced the new kilt. Rawlinson liked the new creation so much that he began to wear it as well and was soon imitated by his Scottish colleagues, the Clan MacDonnell of Glengarry."


p.s. you really should only ask once

Answer 2

Nobody "Invented" Kilts persay. Men have worn skirt-like garment pretty much since the day they started wearing anything. I once read something that said were you to show a picture of a naked man and woman, a picture of pants and a picture of a skirt/dress to aliens or someone who knew nothing about human cultures, they'd probably put the man in the skirt...why? Look whats between the legs, who needs a little more space down there?

The Kilt itself however developed in Scottland over many years due to a combination of materials available, cloth weaving techniques that developed, dyes available and eventually the use of different patterns (tartans) to distunguish between different groups and families (clans).

It should be noted that a type of kilt also developed in Ireland (considering the close ties between the galic and celtic cultures this should be no suprise) however this was abandoned long ago. Scots may have aboandoned it to except in the 1700's England tried to forbid Scots from wearing tartans and kilts in an attempt to make them forget their heritage and step in line with the English rule. Instead the Scots fought back and to this day PROUDLY wear their family tartans and the kilt.

Answer 3

The Scottish, though it should be noted that loose skirt-like garments for men have been relatively common throughout history. For example, ancient Egyptians wore something very like a kilt, but it was not tartan.