London, Nov 22 (IANS) The practice of wearing nothing beneath the Scottish kilt has come in for criticism and has been described as ‘childish and unhygienic’ by an organisation that upholds Scottish tradition.
The Scottish Tartans Authority has said that refusing to put on underwear beneath a kilt is ‘childish and unhygienic’, Daily Telegraph reported Monday.
The organisation also warned that ‘going commando’ was against decency.
Those who wear the kilt should have the ‘common sense’ to realise they should wear underwear beneath it, said Tartans Authority director Brian Wilton.
‘The idea that you are not a real Scot unless you are bare under your kilt should be thrown into the same wastepaper basket as the idea that you’re not a real Scot unless you put salt on your porridge.
‘People should not be browbeaten into believing that nonsense. Just because Highlanders wore nothing in the days before Y-fronts were invented doesn’t mean that we, in the 21st Century, should wear nothing too,’ he was quoted as saying.
He added: ‘Sending children up chimneys is traditional too, but we don’t do it now and the same should apply to wearing nothing under a kilt. Common sense and decency suggest that for the majority of occasions one should wear under the kilt what one would wear under a pair of trousers.
‘You only have ask hire specialists about the problems they have cleaning their kilts. We have heard quite a few hygiene horror stories.’
Kilt wearers are not too pleased on the advice to wear underwear.
David Coulthard, who is a former Formula One racing driver and lives in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire, said: ‘Kilts are from the past and so is the tradition of not wearing any underwear. I’m proud to be a true Scotsman. It’s a tradition that should be left alone.’
‘I’ve been wearing kilts since I was a little boy and will continue to wear my kilts in the time-honoured fashion. There is nothing childish or unhygienic about it,’ he added.
Ian Chisholm, a kilt maker and spokesman for the Scottish Kilt Makers’ Association, said: ‘The tradition of no underwear being worn was a stipulation of Scottish military regulation.’
‘To say it is unhygienic is wrong. The freedom of movement is healthy. We always tell customers to wear nothing under the kilt if everything is in good working order,’ Ian was quoted as saying.
