Part 4 Research Question

As the kilt represents one of the most historically and contemporarily studied instances of a cultural object traversing geographical, cultural, and temporal boundaries, formulating a research question based on the kilt as a diasporic object may seem like an easy task. That being said, choosing which aspect of the kilt as a diasporic object to focus my paper on brings about a certain level of difficulty. As the history of the kilt has been traced rather thoroughly since its creation, to the movement of the kilt from the British Isles and Ireland to various other points around the globe, most notably North America, the purpose of my paper will be to combine a historical overview of the kilt as an object of cultural value with a contemproray tilt. This will be backed up by delving into research based on the movement of the kilt over to North America, most importantly Canada, and how the cultural significance has changed (if it has changed) in this movement. While it has been well documented that culture is of huge importance to diasporic peoples, the importance of cultural objects is an area which could benefit from further study. As such my paper will hopefully speak to the nature of the kilt as a diasporic object, while delving into the question of whether or not the adoption of the kilt by those in the diaspora, and those who are not directly part of the diaspora, has changed the cultural significance of the item both home and abroad.

Part 3 - Object's Social/Cultural Context

As an object, the kilt has seen its social and cultural context shift in its movement from the British Isles and Ireland to other locations through the diasporic movement of people. Like was mentioned in my previous post, the kilt was an item primarily worn by Scottish and Irish men as a signifier of various social and cultural associations. The various patterns (tartans) of the kilt conveyed certain information about the wearer to the rest of society. Of course as a piece of clothing, the kilt can be seen as just an item for wearing, but of course we've learned that even the most mundane or common object has certain cultural and social contexts ascribed to them. Therefore the kilt as an object is an immediate identifier of cultural heritage in most cases. The tartan can speak to the wearers family heritage, social status, and regional belongings. While the social status aspect was possibly the least used as a signifier, there did exist certain ties to social hierarchy, such as the existence of a royal tartan. As well it could be argued that social status was directly linked to family heritage and regional belongings in some respects, so the three are mutually connected on certain levels.

      As an item of clothing, the kilt can be used in daily life without question. This is of course particular to the regions in which it originated in, as the wearing of a kilt in areas outside of England, Scotland, and Ireland can be a spectacle of sorts as they are not commonly worn outside of those areas; specifically in the movement of those diasporic peoples over to North America. While the kilt was/is an everyday article of clothing for those in the homeland, it is especially prevalent in special activities/ceremonies; most notably the highland games, cultural festivals, weddings, and military observances. Over the course of the object's movement to different countries, it became less commonplace and was relegated almost primarily to special occasions. As such, the kilt came to be recognized primarily as an object which conveyed the wearers cultural heritage, being either Irish, Scottish, Welsh, or British primarily. Of course in other countries, such as Canada and America, the kilt on occasion has become an object which transcends its original cultural and social context based on the wearer. One most notable example of this was when Samuel L. Jackson routinely wore a kilt while promoting an upcoming film in which he starred. In this occasion, the kilt was given a completely new set of meanings by its wearer. For one it was a promotional object, used to help bring awareness to an upcoming film. As well it created a new cultural approach to the kilt as an object not just for those with a certain heritage.

Object Historical Context

The kilt has an interesting historical story. As was mentioned in my previous post, the kilt originally dates back to the 16^th century Ireland, but in a much larger incarnation which was used as a full body garment rather than just as a skirt. The more modern kilt arose sometime later in the 17^th or 18^th century. The interesting thing about the kilt is that as an object itself, it was not primarily owned by a certain group or class of people. Rather the pattern or tartan displayed the wearers social status/clan allegiance. My particular kilt was made for my grandfather for his marriage to my grandmother in 1948. As it was made especially for that event, the history of that particular kilt begins with my grandfather. This particular kilt, was commissioned in Ireland and sent over to California, where my Grandparents were wed. Likewise, having originated in the Highlands/Lowlands of Ireland and Scotland, the kilt eventually made its way over to North America as with many British traditions. The contemporary North American kilts however differ from their original use as a signifier of clan allegiance, except in certain cases. Mainly we find the wearing of kilts relegated to Irish and Scottish cultural events such as the highland games, culture fairs, or like in the case of my grandfather, marriage. The kilt holds multiple meanings for the wearer, as well as for the spectator, as it were. While my particular kilt was made for a wedding, that meaning was specific to my grandfathers use of it. Looking at it as someone who did not know its history, it just appears to be a kilt. The wearing of a kilt does automatically cause one to assume that the wearer is of Irish, Scottish, or British descent, so in this way there is some inherent meaning which the kilt has outside of its owner. Possibly the most prominent descriptor which a kilt holds is in its tartan. The pattern a kilt has can describe its owner's social status, class, family history/clan membership, and hometown to name a few. My grandfather's was made of the Cork tartan, since that was his place of birth. I have yet to find mention of a specific wedding tartan, but further investigation may prove one, or many, exist. Interestingly, there is now also a diasporic Irish tartan, which will be discussed in greater detail in my future paper as it is directly related to the nature of this course.

Part 1

Object Description

For this assignment I have chosen the kilt as my object of study, as it has managed to cross various temporal, spatial, and diasporic boundaries in its existence as a cultural item. There must be a differentiation made between the original design of the kilt and the modern variation. Known as the great kilt (16^th cent.), it was a full body garment consisting of the “skirt” portion as well as fabric which was draped over the torso¹. The original was much larger than the more modern kilt, or “walking kilt” (17th-18^th cent.). The focus will be mainly on the more modern interpretation of the kilt, but the historical change will be discussed.

The kilt is a knee length, or a bit longer, article of clothing which is made up of a surprisingly large amount of fabric. While the length does depend on the proportions of the wearer, generally an average kilt is made up of approximately 4-8 yards of fabric². This amount of fabric means that a kilt can be deceptively heavy, but that also depends on the weight of fabric used for its construction. As with the length of fabric needed, the weight of the fabric can vary widely as well depending on the wearer's preference. Normally there are three fabric weight categories which kilts can be made from: light weight at 10-11.5 oz; medium at 13 oz; heavy at 16 oz³. Generally made of wool, the kilt fabric also varies by design, or tartan. The choice of tartan was originally dictated by an individuals clan or family allegiance, but can also be based on their hometown or region. As such, tartans vary widely across regional lines, with no one pattern being accepted as culturally definitive. Compounding this is the fact that the kilt was also picked up by the Irish and Welsh, adding more variation to the tartan patterns.

While kilts are traditionally made by one individual kilt-maker, machine made kilts have become more popular in recent times, as such the price of a kilt can vary widely, but generally falls within the several hundreds of dollars range for a well made one. As previously discussed, the kilt is made up of a deceptively large amount of fabric, and requires a lengthy processing period for manufacturing. The kilt consists of several separate pieces which are later stitched together: inside apron, outside apron, pleated midsection, fringe, inside lining, and finally buckles and leather straps⁴.

1Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983).

2Linda Clifford Scottish & Irish Merchant, “Kilts,” http://www.lindaclifford.com/Kilts.html/

3Linda , Kilts.

4Ibid.