In for the kilt

AS LONG as I can remember I've been around people in kilts. I've always known it is a wondrous piece of clothing. I guess there is no major surprise I've ended up wearing one every day. My father, Geoffrey (the Tailor) still thinks I'm mad. I understand this, as he is of the mind that kilts are formal wear. I truly believe a kilt can be an everyday functional piece of clothing for men.

Useful information

• Mill Trail Visitor Centre, Alva, Clacks, 01259 763100
• Kilmahog Woollen Mill, Perthshire, 01877 382221
• James Pringle Weavers of Inverness, 01463 223 311
• geoffreykilts.co.uk
• 21stcenturykilts.com

When asked to select seven kilt-wearers that have influenced the kilt and its wear through history, there were too many choices - historical heroes, kings and queens, actors, musicians and performers. The seven I have chosen may not be the most popular or best-known for their kilt wearing. They are chosen for personal reasons, historical influences and bravery.

JACK McCONNELL

The first is the First Minister; bravery is definitely one of the reasons. This was very last minute - we were in New York for Tartan Week. Jack had a very busy schedule and was at many different functions through the week (in a suit and his tartan outfit). The day of one of the main events, Dressed to Kilt, Jack came to the fittings for what I thought was a bit of advice. As it turned out, he wanted to make more of an impact. We picked out the pinstripe kilt and jacket. Unfortunately, the jacket was a wee bit ticht. The Jacobean shirt was unfortunate, but I know he felt comfortable. Also the pose with the hands on the hips didn't help his cause, but he looked great and really was in the spirit of the evening. A couple of months later he bought the kilt from our company, put it up for auction and raised £10,000 for a children's charity - fantastic. The other big impact is many more people will wear a pinstripe kilt (and these are the words of customers) because "I'll definitely look better than Jack."

SIR SEAN CONNERY

Of all Scottish actors and celebrities, he will wear his Scottish regalia to functions all around the world with pride - and always looks fantastic.

VIN DIESEL

Although only known for wearing a kilt at the MTV awards in Edinburgh, he makes my list. I went to his house in Malibu, totally out of luck. There were rails and rails of designer suits. MTV wanted him to change through the evening, including putting him in a traditional Prince Charlie outfit for a fun five minutes. I couldn't have thought of anything more inappropriate than dressing a Hollywood action hero for a modern music awards in an outfit we as Scots consider one of our most formal outfits. When I showed him the real leather kilt, he was excited straight away; when he tried it on, he immediately said he wouldn't wear anything but the kilt for the whole show. The leather kilt was supposed to be in a show the next evening - this was a kilt taken hostage, but I wasn't about to argue with Vin. He proceeded to tell me his mother is a Sinclair and had me measure him for a kilt in his mother's tartan to collect in Edinburgh, five days later. This was a man who had never tried a kilt in his life. He put on a leather kilt for two minutes and knew he had the stones to wear it in front of a live global audience of 200 million people.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

Robbie now owns five different kilts of mine, one tartan, another a traditional dogtooth check. Although English, he has Scottish roots and is a great example of a young British artist who can accept a kilt as a man's piece of clothing that can be worn by anyone, anywhere.

ROB ROY

A freedom fighter against tyranny who fought for the rights of the everyday peasants of Scotland, defending their identity and freedom, part of which was wearing the great kilt.

BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE

He did not wear a kilt as his regular dress, but was painted in very elegant regalia and was a supporter of the people. The aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion brought about the complete banning of the kilt and tartan in 1745. I feel it is due to this ban of the kilt in our history that made us so proud that we were able to hold on to our national dress.

KING GEORGE IV

Probably a bit controversial, so I'll keep my reasoning as short and simple as possible. It was his visit to Edinburgh in 1822 that spurred on Sir Walter Scott, weavers and clan chiefs of the age to reinvent Scottish Highland dress as the clothing of royal warriors of the past, making the clothing and fabrics of Scotland products of desire with aristocrats in the British Isles and France. The growth over the past 100 years or so of the reputation of kilts to one of its most popular times since before the 1745 ban, can be traced back to the king's visit and its influence.

Thankfully, today we can all enjoy the grandeur felt when wearing our regalia; whether you own a kilt or choose to hire one, there is no doubt kilts are here to stay. Even now, there are kilt-wearing men around the world in their man-skirts, changing the minds of people that a skirt can be masculine and practical. These seven men are listed because they are all responsible for the fact that the kilt is one of the wonders of Scotland.

7 FACTS

Australia and New Zealand hold Tartan Days on 1 July to mark the date the law banning tartan and kilts was repealed.

Scots troops in the First World War trenches intimidated Germans so much they were nicknamed "ladies from Hell", because of their kilts - and their ferocious resistance.

When King George IV visited Scotland in 1822, he wore a kilt at the Palace of Holyroodhouse but this wasn't universally well received: the king wore pink pantaloons under the kilt, which was much too short.

The Breacan an Fhéilidh, Féileadh Mòr or great kilt, forerunner of the small kilt on which modern kilts are based, could be made of a length of material five metres long.

Since 1998, the USA has held a Tartan Day on 6 April, to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath.

There are more than 3,700 tartans listed in the Inter-national Tartan Index.

New tartans are being created all the time - some of the more recent designs include Burberry tartan and Amnesty International tartan.