THESE KILTS PROMISE A BREEZY SEASON
Dating back to the sixteenth century, kilts have traveled a long way to end up in the hands of Chopova Lowena, Burberry, Jean Paul Gaultier, and more.
Modern style staples can usually be traced back to military applications or workwear, their utilitarian beginnings meaning that they slot easily into daily life. The kilt, though, doesn’t quite fit this mold. Dating back to the sixteenth century, when Scottish kilts were woven from wool detailed by unique family tartans, the design has remained the same to this day and it doesn’t immediately lend itself to everyday wear.
But it’s in this striking construction that the kilt finds its real fashion credentials. The often pleated, wraparound shape of a kilt makes it a sculptural focal point in men’s and women’s outfits. Iterations from Nicholas Daley and Comme des Garçons Homme Plus lean into the visual history of the kilt, finishing styles with bold tartan prints, while Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, Jean Paul Gaultier, and others have a more modern approach, reframing the kilt with big prints or modern fabrics like denim. Speaking to SSENSE, Charles Jeffrey commented on the allure of kilts from a design perspective: “When it comes to designing collections, the kilt features heavily because of my Scottish heritage, I also think it’s a garment that smashes gender norms. It’s got this incredible history and vibe that I just can‘t resist.”
All in all, the kilts for men and women continue to prove their potential, pushing designers to continue experimenting with the shape and altering the details. With a long history in tow and an equally bright future ahead, designer kilts are going nowhere.
Featured In This Image: Comme des Garçons Homme Plus kilt
Cut from pure wool, this men’s tartan kilt from Comme des Garçons Homme Plus is faithful to the style’s history. Careful color selection means that the tartan feels modern and fresh rather than stuffy and shackled by tradition, while finishing touches like the leather pin-buckle straps to the waist round out the classic look.
Featured In This Image: Simone Rocha kilt
It’s worth remembering that while the kilt does present ample opportunity to stand out, it’s not always necessary. Simone Rocha’s tame take on the style revolves around a long skirt cut from black wool. With clean pleats, the all-black design keeps a subtle level of decoration.
Featured In This Image: Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY kilt
“I love how Jean Paul Gaultier worked with the kilt, making it fluid and luxurious, made in printed silks. Those pleats are really provocative on a man‘s body, while the tartans tell stories of heritage and individuality which I love to play with alongside the narrative of the collection I design,” Charles Jeffrey tells SSENSE. It’s a concept evidenced in this eye-catching garment, a men’s kilt with knife pleats amplified by an all-over multicolor print.
Featured In This Image: Chopova Lowena kilt
Chopova Lowena’s signature hardware detailing is a key feature of this long black kilt for men. While the fabric design itself feels restrained, the various silver-tone embellishments to the waist imbue it with the kind of chaotic energy for which Chopova Lowena is known and loved.
Featured In This Image: Jean Paul Gaultier kilt
Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic history is punctuated by kilt designs that helped raise the style up to luxury fashion acceptance. For FW23, Jean Paul Gaultier redresses the design in fringed denim, nodding to the Y2K aesthetic that has rocketed the brand to new heights in recent seasons.
Featured In This Image: Nicholas Daley kilt
The history of the kilt is what makes British designers so interested in examining and reshaping the garment. Here, Nicholas Daley looks to a tartan wool and mohair tweed fabric, which leans traditional, but adds an oversize contrast flap pocket to the thigh, which modernizes the design.
Featured In This Image: Burberry kilt
Daniel Lee’s new Burberry has taken the house’s iconic codes and flipped them, giving the house’s check pattern a new look with bold primary colors like yellow. When these updated codes are put in place on classic garments like women’s kilts, they create a tension between old and new, which sits particularly naturally with the kilt.
- Date: December 5, 2023
