This is my first post so be gentle

I can see from some of the posts that there are a few well researched folks while others are less into the history side of things.

This has possibly been covered before but I thought I would give a quick outline of where the kilt came from, or how it developed at least...according to my understanding of McClintocks theory.

c.2,000 years ago, the proto-Irish/Scots wore the usual European (barbarian ) attire of short wool jacket, short cloak and trousers/early trews.

Although the Romans were unable to overcome the Irish/Scots/Picts they nevertheless influenced those around them with whom they traded, fought and married etc. One of those areas was in clothing fashion. So the Irish/Scots aristocracy adopted the Roman style of tunica and toga, while the lower orders maintained the traditional fashion of short jacket, trews and short cloak.

This was the fashion of these peoples through many centuries (I'm sure there were variations and additions to this but the basic fashion remained over the years).

During the middle ages 13th/14th centuries the two styles came together and the short jacket, trews and brat (large cloak) along with a long tunica or leine became the norm for the next several centuries.

The leine was frowned upon by the centralising English government because of its abundent use of cloth. With the encroaching English colonisation of Ireland during the 16th century the leine seemed to reduce in volume.

According to McClintock, the trews were not particularly tailored around the body and the long leine served the added purpose of hiding this. As the leine reduced over the 16th century the brát cloak) began to be used as a means of disguising the top of the trews, eventually the brát was lengthened over the waist and the filidhmór was born

Thats my understanding - I stand to be corrected...Slán.