The history of textiles is full of myths. Maybe you've heard how drowned sailors could be identified

by the knitted sweaters they wore, or how quilters would make mistakes in their work on purpose

to show humility. Both stories, totally untrue. Then there's the kilt. Made of tartan cloth,

kilts represent Scottish clan identity, family ancestry, and a stand against

English imperialism. Except, none of that is really true either. Or at least, it's a lot more

complicated than you think. In this episode, we look at the evolution of men's fashion and how it helped turn an obscure ethnic costume into one of history's most famous garments.

We talk about how tartan patterns became a marketing scheme in the 1800s, and scandalously, we discovered that the Scottish kilt we know today may have been created by an Englishman.

I'm Alison Kourleski and you're listening to Fibernation, tales of textiles, craft, and culture.

Music If you think of a kilt, you probably picture one of two garments.

There's the fillabeg or little kilt.

This is the knee-length plaid skirt worn with minor differences by Catholic schoolgirls, Highland Regiments, and burly guys tossing giant telephone poles in Highland Games everywhere. Then there's the Fillamore,

or Great Kilt, or belted kilt, six yards of tartan fabric wrapped, belted, and draped around the

body. If you've watched the series Outlander, you know what I'm talking about. Whatever the

version, kilt seemed the epitome of all things Scottish. But back in the 1700s, not all

Scots were fans of the kilt. Many thought it was barbaric worn only by uncouth Highlanders.

So how did a garment disparaged in its home country become such a cultural

touchstone for anyone with a hint of Scottish descent? To understand what happened with the

kilt, we need to look at fashion history. And in an episode devoted to the rough highlands of

Scotland, it might seem weird to talk about the splendor of the Elizabethan age or the

French court of Louis XIV. But that is exactly where we need to start.

My name is Richard Thompson Ford, and I am a professor of law at Stanford.

Richard is the author of dress codes, how the laws of fashion-shaped history. And in his book,

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