The Plaid Mini Kilt is a staple piece in almost any woman's wardrobe, it can either be dressed up for a night on the town or dressed down for a summer's day (or a winters day if you add a pair of cosy tights), it really is such a versatile piece! Today, we tell the story of where the Mini Kilt first originated and why it is such a key garment within the ScotlandShop collection.
History of the Mini Kilt
We simply cannot talk about the history of the mini kilt without mentioning the history of the mini skirt. Although we have Mary Quant and the swinging 60's to thank for the popularisation of the mini skirt, hemlines actually began shortening many decades before this. It was during the 1920's when flapper dresses were introduced to the fashion scene that hemlines began to rise, although they never actually made it above the knees in this decade showing an ankle was controversial enough. The 50's saw Christian Dior's 'New Look' which did shorten the skirt length again, but still not crossing the knee threshold. It wasn't until 1964 when Mary Quant was the brave pioneer shortening the skirts in her boutique in Chelsea. Quant credits her design to the girls around London who she took her inspiration from and named the skirt after her favourite car, The Mini.
Mini Skirts were still popular throughout the 70s and 80s and tartan had been introduced to the fashion scene by Vivienne Westwood as a symbol of rebellion. But it wasn't until the 90's that the two trends were intertwined within popular culture. The 90's saw the combination of a traditional kilt mixed with the length of mini skirt, creating what we now know as a Mini Kilt made famous thanks to the likes of super models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, as well as Pretty Woman, Friends, Empire Records and Footloose. What most people associate with the official birth of the Mini Kilt was Cher in Clueless when she donned a yellow plaid mini kilt with a matching blazer, a look that is still replicated to this day.
The ScotlandShop Mini Kilt
Our Mini Kilt takes that 90s trend and combines it with all the traditional detail of the Traditional Kilt, they both wrap around the body and are fastened with 3 leather buckles, 2 on the left side and 1 on the right. What does differ between the two products is the fact that the apron (the non pleated, flat front part of the kilt) wraps to the opposite side, with the 2 buckles to the right and single buckle to the left. Our gorgeous Mini Kilt is made using our beautifully soft, lightweight 10oz wool tartan fabric woven here in Scotland, and you have a selection of over 500 tartans to choose from, so whether you want to show of your Scottish heritage with your family plaid or you just want a fun and jazzy check, there is a plaid for you. Our Mini Kilt is special for so many reasons, but it's biggest asset has to be that it is the perfect garment to bring traditional Scottish culture into the 21st Century.
Mini Kilt in the current day
As I mentioned earlier the Mini Kilt was first introduced into popular culture during the 1990's, and as we all know fashion trends do tend to come back around again and that is no different when it comes to the Mini Kilt. Over the past thirty years the Mini Kilt has been introduced back into the fashion circuit many times, most famously by House of Holland in his 2008 Autumn/Winter collection when they designed their own plaid. Plaid Mini Kilts have even been introduced back onto runways this year for both Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter by Christian Dior.
Having their moment in the spotlight! Some of our most loved styles have been featured in the fashion press and online. World renowned model and singer Sky Ferreira fell completely in love with our Stewart Black Mini Kilt on her shoot for Elle Magazine, so much so that we let her take it home.
And of course this guide wouldn't be complete without a little bit of styling inspiration! The trend this season is definitely to pair your mini kilt with a cosy sweater, creating the perfect outfit to brace the elements. We recommend choosing a sweater in one of the colors from the tartan, so that your outfit it fully co-ordinated, then depending on how bold you are feeling either pair with thick tights and boots, or brave the cold weather with bare legs and a pair of trainers!
We hope you enjoyed our guide dedicated to the ever-beautiful email us your pictures.
