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For the very first time in a kilt

A kilt is indeed something very different compared to trousers; the way it looks and how it feels when wearing it.
This page describes the process from receiving your tartan kilt and accessories until you are ready to go out and about in your kilt.

Imagine it is a beautiful Saturday morning, and from the bathroom you hear the doorbell. Your wife opens the door, and a few seconds later, she shouts that your parcel from Edinburgh has arrived.
Fantastic. You knew that it was on its way, and now you can wear your kilt to the bakery and the supermarket before breakfast. You'll be in a kilt for the very first time.

You open the parcel. All ordered items are there: kilt, sporran, belt & buckle, kilt hose, garter flashes. And you have already prepared for the rest. You have decided to wear the kilt with a polo and sneakers.

But where to start and end with all the unfamiliar things, and how to make it correct?

For me, it is easiest to start with the shirt, socks, and shoes, then add garters, either with or without flashes.

The socks are long; in fact, they reach over the knees. The reason is that they shall cover the garters.
When choosing kilt socks, their colour should harmonise with your kilt and top.
Black, charcoal, and white socks can go with most tartans, and most shirts, sweaters, etc.

Fasten your garters 2-3 cm (approx. 1 inch) under your knee cap.
Here, the flashes are mounted on the right leg. How to position the flashes? I have seen several suggestions online. “9-15” o’clock should be OK, but better “10-14 o’clock”, meaning the flashes pointing slightly forward.

Fold the socks over the flashes. The garters should be totally covered, of course, and only about half of the flashes should be visible. If your kilt socks are very long, fold them twice. Preferably, the sock should sit a bit lower than in the picture, especially if the kilt is to the long side.

Now you are ready for the kilt. Put it around you. The pleats shall be at the rear, of course. With your right hand, you are holding what will become the under-apron.

After letting the strap through the small slot next to the buckle on your left side, fasten it to the buckle.

Then fasten the over-apron. For that, you have a buckle above your right hip, and often another below it.

Take a look in a mirror. Should your kilt be lowered or raised a bit? Is it centred correctly? Adjust if necessary. As an indicator, hold your thumbs on the belt straps at the back. Here, the kilt is sitting correctly, and the length is perfect.

Time for the belt. It does not have to go through the belt loops. In fact, they are not belt loops but meant for your sporran strap! But being wide enough, why not use them for the belt too? I always will.

The kilt belt is in place. Somebody will say the sporran first, then the belt. It’s a bad idea, even if it might be more correct. You need to be able to slide your sporran to the side. Depending on the sporran strap, it is either difficult or impossible to do so when the strap is fastened under the kilt belt.

Now to the sporran. It shall hang on your front. This one has a leather strap.

Don't have the sporran hang too low. Approximately 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) below your belt, or a hand’s width, should be appropriate. If your kilt is a jeans-waist model, the sporran might hang too low, and you might consider ditching it.

You are ready to leave - or almost. To level it, you’ll need to slide the sporran a little to the left. And for going to the bakery on a Saturday morning, I should have refrained from wearing the flashes.

Complicated, you think? Believe me, it is not. When you have dressed in the kilt a few times you'll realise that it is faster than with trousers.

Now, a kilt is not just the Scottish tartan kilt. Since 2000, variants have existed, the most important being the Utility kilt.

Page revised 2026, February 20.