Wearing the Feileadh more Exclusively? Can You Wear a Great Kilt Every Day?

A viewer asked, “What are your views on wearing a feileadh mòr instead of a regular kilt? I've been wearing a feileadh mòr for 7 years and I don't like wearing a regular kilt anymore.”
Is the Great Kilt better than the modern tailored kilt? Is it on the verge of becoming standard, not just for renn fairs?
Tartans in this video:
Rocky: Royal Stewart Weathered
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Erik: Kilts & Culture
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Started in 2003, USA Kilts is a team of kilt makers and artisans located in Spring City PA. In 2017, we made it our mission to build community and bring kilts and Celtic culture to the forefront with our YT show: Kilts & Culture.
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[@hootmanwillie]

I wear my great kilt mostly in the winter and I do it a lot, I have 6 great kilts. Who cares what anyone says, if you wear it own it anyway you want!!

[@painterguylincs]

A woman friend of mine wraps hers like a Roman toga and it looks fantastic!

[@maxwellfan55]

@painterguylincs Great idea, great comment.

[@lorduggae]

The main advantage to the great kilt is if your weight goes up or down you don't have to get a new kilt.

[@Kinnfolkmusic]

Kinnfolk here, thank you so much for the mention! I learned how to fold my great kilt from Jonathan Kennedy’s videos, he’s an awesome advocate for the fileadh mòr 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. Just make sure to double belt if you wear it down, this has been your PSA

[@bigwilf1966]

Dont know about every day but its my go too garment for camping or festivals in scotland (where i live) as its versatile too scottish weather. in the morning you can sit on a chair with it over your shoulders , If the sun comes out you can let the cloak drop and tye it as a sash ,then if theres a summer showers you can pick it up and make a dash for cover. In the evenings your warm enough at the mains stage no matter how chilly it gets and rap it round you at the fire while talking to folks. Then at night use it as a extra blanket. Its Great. A great kilt if you will.

[@johnneilson8377]

Hello from Scotland I have worn both versions of the plaidy. I much prefer the plaidy to the modern kilt In my view all of your points of discussion can be applied to both styles A badly assembled outfit of either can be seen as inappropriate. I offer these thoughts for the great kilt It can be formed in many different ways to suit the occasion And has practical and effective forms in all weather's as it would have historically,. My personal experience as formal attire at weddings etc including black tie events in several countries resulting in no negative comments and lots of " love it where can I get one" enquiries While I respect the modern kilt for me the original is best Thanks folks. Like and admire your work .

[@marthdaeglin]

I don't wear the great kilt every day, mostly because I have other kilts and want to wear them as well. I do wear the great kilt regularly, just ran some errands in one today. I even wear my 16oz. great kilt in the Texas Summer, although less often than in the Winter. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, it breathes better than any pair of pants I've owned and folded back (rather than up) it doesn't retain that much heat.

[@painterguylincs]

There are a few different ways of making the pleats, and some trap more air - and are thus more insulating - than others. On really hot days I use one of my shorter cloths and omit the pleats entirely. For very cold days I use an extra long one I made myself, pleated all round. (Where I live the temperature ranges from below freezing in winter to 90+F in summer.) It surprises a lot of people to learn that the reason most men don't wear underpants with a pleated kilt is because it's TOO hot.

[@painterguylincs]

I think where you live and what you're doing comes into it quite a bit. I live in a rural county and I spend a lot of my time just exploring the countryside. I have several plaids in my mother's colours including two 8 yard Feileadh Mòrs. There are colour variations of the family tartan for formal, casual, hunting, fighting, summer, winter etc) and my two 'big ones' are a predominantly green lightweight one for summer and a heavier mainly brown one for winter, but they both follow the same 4, 24, 24, 24... pattern. I live in the county of Lincolnshire in central England and it's fairly flat open country at the meeting point of two major weather systems, which means the wind can be pretty fierce at certain times of the year, and the weather can change suddenly and drastically several times a day, especially in the autumn. And this is where the Great Kilt shines because the number of ways you can wrap it is limited only by your imagination. I have seven ways of wrapping mine including two I invented myself. It can be the classic hunting style, i.e. the one with the knotted or brooched sash, it can be a cloak, a hoodie, a poncho, it can have pockets, it can even be a rucksack. And of course if you lose track of time and find yourself miles from home and it's getting dark, it's a blanket or a sleeping bag. And the really great thing is in most configurations it can change from one to another very quickly because they (nearly) all start from the same "dress" stage. If I know I'm going to be out all day or for several days, I use my heavy 3" wide belt which can accomodate a large number of pouches and tools (I'm Batman!) so I can walk fifty miles carrying everything I need hands free. It has been said that you can't wear a Feileadh Mòr formally, but I have devised a wrap that simulates the Fly Sash style, and although it's not exactly "black tie" it is, I would say, semi-formal enough for all but the stuffiest of events. Also, if you do it well it's impossible not to attract attention from the opposite sex. :o)

[@oldgrizz8720]

For big guys, I like the great kilt for daily (informal) wear. Hiking, walking, out and about wear the great kilt is comfortable, and for big guys, dare I say a touch more modest from behind. I also think that kilts are here to stay and gaining in popularity and acceptance.

[@gordonstewart8258]

This guy doesn't need advice. If he's been wearing the great kilt for seven years, and likes it, he's already an expert. For further info, check out the Fandabi Dozi youtube channel.

[@Aidan_Spalding]

Fandabi's great!👍

[@legalmechman]

What about Outlander? He has a military style jacket under a great kilt...and it looks amazing!

[@straycat1674]

The grandfather shirt would go great with it

[@whiskeyvictor5703]

Team Great Kilt here! 😁

[@davidcramb5793]

I've seen great kilts, with proper, ironed pleats, that look fantastic. They could work with a more formal jacket. If you've just taken 6 yards, and roughly pleated it yourself, no. It also depends on how much material you actually use. If I used more than 5 yards, I would look ridiculous, as I'm only 5ft 6 and 120lb.

[@painterguylincs]

Try experimenting with different wrapping styles. I use my rucksack/backpack configuration a lot because it takes up a lot of otherwise redundant material and hardly shows unless you actually put something in it. With regard to ironing the pleats, depending on the weight of the cloth they will drop out sooner or later so you might consider sewing them. This will save you the trouble of ironing them all over again, but be aware the downside is they will be permanently flat, which might look great but won't create the air pockets which provide heat insulation, so I wouldn't recommend ironed/sewn pleats for cold weather. They're really more suited to tailored "filibegs" than outdoor great kilts.

[@kiltedvet420]

great kilts can look amazing with the right things, say boots etc. it can look really nice

[@ericforrester5901]

I'm going on 8 years wearing a great kilt

[@ericrose7450]

Quick note. Kinnfolk are from Roanoke Virginia.

[@sylkebambilke1364]

grand plaid is great! one day I will have my own

[@kiltedpatriotatheart]

Wow! Way to go!!

[@wingerwrestles1865]

Or from a previous video, a Base kilt with a blanket shawl and from the Irish and Cornish.

[@CapitanFantasma1776]

It's Cool! Thanks!

[@charlesdriggers199]

I don't have one, but I do like them.

[@sylvanstrength7520]

I like the great kilt, I just generally can’t afford the material. That said, I have some canvas yardage I just need to hem. I have some in white and some in black and I think they could make cool great kilts

[@kiltedpatriotatheart]

Scottish Kilt Shop. Very affordable great kilts.

[@davejackson3497]

I'm wanting to get a Kilt, 2 questions, what is the traditional Campbell look like, an is there a Jackson tartain

[@tylersuttle5825]

Great kilt is great for winter wear and hiking trips during fall weather. Dressing it up for a Scottish society dinner with a 19th century coat, yeah its doable. A Burns supper night if your hosting. If visit, check with the host just to be plight and that everyone's on the same page. Summer time or to Festivals, or highland games? Heck no...

[@sophiavoigt5798]

Great kilts are awesome and they can look awesome. The problem is, they are not practical and making them look good is rather hard to do.

[@painterguylincs]

Like everything else, it takes practice. I can do a basic hunting wrap in under five minutes from a flat cloth. And I must disagree about the practicality aspect. I go hiking for days on end wearing nothing but a Feileadh Mòr and a shirt. I can make it with pockets, or a hood, or sleeves, or a cloak, or a rucksack, and I can change it from one configuration to another in minutes. Experiment, and study your mistakes because they will often give you new ideas.

[@73N5H1]

I think practicality is the entire point of them, multiuse garment.

[@exnuke1972]

I think a lot will depend on the job and setting you're in. I am lucky enough to work in an office where I can wear a tailored kilt every day. I think a great kilt would be deemed inappropriate due to the "floofiness".

[@steamgent4592]

Myself I prefer the great kilt. The tailored kilt seems fake to me and doesn't look as nice nor authentic.

[@73N5H1]

same, makes me think of the fake pockets on some suits or women's clothing, or dickies, mimicking the actual original use, which is utility.

[@hanzosbm1]

I just can't understand why all the pictures shown have the men leaving the top portion hanging down. The big difference between the great kilt and little kilt is the portion that goes around the upper body, so why ignore it. They just look half dressed to me.

[@kiltedpatriotatheart]

Leaving the plaid hanging down isn't as hot if it's 70 or 80 degrees outside. And it is historical.

[@hanzosbm1]

@@kiltedpatriotatheart when you say it's historical, what source are you referring to? I'm not arguing, I'm just not aware of it.

[@kiltedpatriotatheart]

@@hanzosbm1 I cannot remember where, but I remember reading it somewhere, not just seeing it in Outlander, of course!😄

[@Gregorstuff]

do you need to wear kilt hose or are regular socks good especialy when its warm

[@TadTheTinker]

My answer is, at least in part, that it depends on the rest of the outfit. If i am in my kilt with say a t-shirt, I have worn ankle socks and tennis shoes. The shoes and socks are pretty well always black so they don't distract. If I were wearing my kilt to a nicer function where a button up shirt is more the norm, I would tend toward the hose. I might also go with boots and scrunch the hose to the top of the boots. There can be so many variables that it can be a hard question to answer.

[@thejacobitehiker]

I have 4 kilts and two Great Kilts, and I wear the kilts for casual and hiking, even long distance hikes like The Rob Roy Way and West Highland Way. Sometimes hike in a Great Kilt with more traditional type inspired gear. I wouldn't wear the Great Kilt with anything formal, would not work.

[@painterguylincs]

I've seen people wear the great kilt with a 'Prince Charlie' and you're right, it looks silly. However, I have found a way to simulate the Fly Sash using just the Feileadh Mòr and it's not ultra-formal, but it works for "smart-casual".

[@PizzaBoiUSMC]

I swear my feileadh-mòr a lot more than my tailored kilts now since I lost enough weight that my regular kilts no longer fit.

[@MultiOhioman]

I like great kilts, but it is cumbersome ant a little more time consuming to put on. The only way that’s attractive to me to do formal is to wear the fashions of the time it evolved in. Those don’t really fit most occasions now. I also say wheat it if you want to.

[@kennethmclaughlin9538]

I love my Great kilts, it's original but yes not with fancy shirts stay in the lane as how is was back in the day and no fancy pansy lol

[@wyattk9216]

Do you have a tartan for McElroy?

[@GreenmanDave]

McElroy is generally considered to be an Irish name from County Fermanagh. There are very few Irish families with named/registered tartans, and unfortunately McElroy is not one. Tartans that you could wear to represent that heritage would be Irish National, Irish Heritage, County Fermanagh, Saffron, and some other universal tartans. Also, Clans Grant, MacGillivray, and Chattan claim (at least) similar names, such as MacIlroy, Gilroy, and MacGilvoray, as septs, so any of those tartans would work. That said, there are no rules for what you can or can't wear except for restricted corporate or personal tartans. If you can buy it, you can wear it. Pick something you like and wear it with pride and respect.

[@GreenmanDave]

A name search on USA Kilts' site yields County Clare as the tartan for McElroy, so that would be another one. Personally I prefer Fermanagh as it's blues, green and gold.

[@puddin94]

❤

[@malcolmmacmillanmacmillan2050]

Feileadh Mor is definitely better than tailored kilt. I know. I use it

[@_sockninja_]

Sadly nobody around me wears them. I hope it stays as it is so masculine and dare I say hot.

[@Celtic_Blade]

I can’t afford a great kilt otherwise it’d be daily wear. Is toil leam feileadh mòr! My spelling is shite.

[@straycat1674]

I would rather fill-a-more than fill-a-less! Buhda dum dumm!

[@afternoobtea914]

You dont seem scottish to me at all.

[@sethirwin1610]

Hopefully it got washed sometime in those years!😂😂😂

[@stevelukoski7152]

How do you choose the tartan pattern and color? Isn't the clan badge and crest a requisite? I would think there are rules attached to the wearing of a clans uniform. Educate me...

[@Celtic_Blade]

There are universal tartans and a few clans where you can say “Hey I’m a friend.” And they’ll be like, “cool wear our tartan.” The pin or badge is not a requisite. Now a days you are allowed to wear what you like but I personally stick to universal tartan because wearing a clan’s tartan that I am not a member of seems disrespectful.