What Do People Really Wear Under the Kilt? We Surveyed 1,400+ Kilt Wearers to Find Out

"So what do you wear under the kilt?"

You know the question. You may be sick of the question. But setting aside would-be admirers flirting with you at the pub, it IS a valid question. 

There are the usual joke answers, but let's talk practicality. Real data from real kilt wearers. What are real kilt wearers actually wearing under the kilt and why?

We have covered this topic for a long time and gathered a lot of anecdotal evidence from friends and family both in the United States and the UK. We even regularly referenced a Scottish survey from 2016 that looked at what Scottish men wear under the kilt. But after discussing it one too many times, we decided it was high time to gather some data of our own.

Over the course of several weeks, more than 1,400 kilt wearers from around the world responded to our survey. Our goal wasn't to create controversy or fuel more jokes. We wanted to set the facts in stone once and for all. Not just for our own satisfaction, but so that new kilt wearers could understand where tradition, lifestyle and practicality intersect.

The results were enlightening.

The overwhelming majority of respondents weren't newcomers to kilts. Most were over 35 years old, and most had been wearing kilts for more than four years. Many wear kilts several times a month, weekly, or even daily. In other words, these weren't people imagining what they'd do if they owned a kilt someday. These were experienced kilt wearers who have spent years figuring out what works for them.

One of the most interesting findings was just how many different occasions people wear kilts for.

Among men, kilts are commonly worn for:

• Highland Games

• Festivals and concerts

• Formal events

• Holidays

• Clan gatherings

• Weddings

• Pub nights

• Renaissance fairs

• Date nights

• Casual everyday wear

In fact, more than half of the male respondents said they wear kilts for casual, everyday use.

That reinforced something we have felt in our bones for a long time: For a lot of gents it's a lifestyle, not just something for milestone events like weddings or funerals. Now we of course admit that our sampling is a bit skewed here. After all, our respondants were also followers of our content and/or customers. Certainly there were no kilt-haters and anyone who is a "chirstmas and easter" kilt wearer wouldn't care enough to do the survey. That said, our results prove that the kilt is seen as a direct way to express heritage, individuality, and personal style on the regular.

The results were surprisingly similar to the data we had gleaned back in 2016 from that tiny Scottish survey. And frankly we were not surprised, based on our own experience.

Among male respondents:

• 60.8% wear underwear

• 8.6% wear compression shorts or similar garments

• 30.6% wear nothing underneath

So yeah, nearly two-thirds of experienced kilt wearers wear some form of underwear under their kilt. Less than one-third go regimental.

The pro-regimental screeds we have all heard from loud voices online...

"If you're wearing underwear it's a skirt not a kilt!"
"Real men wear nothing."
"The whole point of a kilt is so you don't have to wear underwear."
"It's the tradtional way."
  Etc.

These mantras are actually minority opinions (or maybe bluster from people who actually do not have direct experience). 
The anonymously offered data undermines them. The people who actually wear kilts regularly are overwhelmingly choosing comfort and flexible practicality. By the way, if you want to know where the term "going regimental" came from, or why you might want to try it, we have an article about that.

Not as much as you might think. A majority of respondents said they wear the same thing underneath regardless of the situation.

Those who do change their approach cited factors such as:

• Athletic activity

• Weather conditions

• Formality of the event

• Comfort

• Modesty concerns

One recurring theme showed up again and again. Ie. experience (practice you could say) tends to breed consistency. Most long-time kilt wearers eventually settle into a system that works for them and stick with it.

Perhaps the most revealing question in the survey asked respondents whether going regimental is "the only proper way" to wear a kilt. The answers were telling.

Only about 6% of male respondents believed that wearing a kilt without underwear is the only proper method.

The vast majority fell into one of two categories:

• It's traditional, but optional.

• It's entirely a matter of personal preference.

That strong consensus underscores a truism about kilt wearers we know; they are individualists who respect personal choice. Even gents who personally choose to go regimental don't believe everyone else should. In other words, mind your own business. 

One reason we got excited to do this survey was to see whether modern results would align with the previous study from 2016. The 2016 Scottish survey found that approximately 38% of respondents wore nothing under the kilt while 62% wore something. Our results came in at roughly 31% regimental and 69% wearing underwear or compression garments.

Different audience. Different sample size. Similar conclusion. This, along with what we know about kilt wearing in the 20th century, might imply that the factors influencing the decision have not changed/are timeless.  

There are actually very few absolutes when it comes to Highland wear.

There are traditions to be celebrated.

There are customs to acknowledge.

There are historical practices to learn from.

And then there are the practical realities of modern life.

If you're climbing ladders at work, dancing at a wedding, spending a hot weekend at a Highland Games, or simply wearing your kilt around town, you'll figure out what works best for you.

That's exactly what experienced kilt wearers have done. The survey didn't tell us what people should wear under a kilt. It told us what people actually do wear under a kilt.

It is always your choice.