Gallery Traditional kilts

Campbell Ancient tartan

The tartan

The Campbells are historically a powerful family: During the 16th to 18th Centuries they were one of the leading families in Argyll and Perthshire and they have played important roles within the government of Scotland. Field Marshall Colin Campbell (1792-1863): "A man in a kilt is a man and a half." Several tartans are connected with the Campbell clan. However, the Campbell Ancient tartan is not a clan tartan, but a military tartan, also known as Campbell, The 42nd. The Campbell Ancient tartan has always been one of my favourite ones.

The kilts

The first kilt shown on this page is a 4-yard "economy" kilt - so cheap kilts were called around 2000 - and the vendor was TartanWear-Direct. The other one is a 5-yard "James Morrison" kilt from Heritage of Scotland.

The TWD TartanWear-Direct kilt

TartanWear-Direct might have been one of the first kilt vendors to have utilized the internet as a sales platform. They sold ready-made kilts in no less than 21 different tartans and in three different lengths, 24", 22", and 21". This kilt is 22” long.

The Campbel Ancient tartan is easy to accessorize. Very many colours in kilt hose go with it, or you may wear short socks, no socks, or even tights, either due to temperature, or simply as a fashion statement, should so you wish.

The Heritage of Scotland kilt

The Heritage of Scotland kilt is a 5-yard “James Morrison”, made to my measures, 36”/43”/22.5” (waist/hip/length) and in 11 oz. pure new wool, meaning a lightweight kilt. It has been in Spain, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. At home I will wear it for a lot of purposes, including taking the dog out for a walk. Dressed up with an Argyle kilt jacket, a nice shirt, a tie, dress shoes, plus, of course, sporran, kilt belt, and kilt hose I have been wearing it to the concert hall and the opera house. Versatility, it is.