101 學年度學測英文 第 43 題

The kilt is a skirt traditionally worn by Scottish men. It is a tailored garment that is wrapped around the wearer’s body at the waist starting from one side, around the front and back and across the front again to the opposite side. The overlapping layers in front are called “aprons.” Usually, the kilt covers the body from the waist down to just above the knees. A properly made kilt should not be so loose that the wearer can easily twist the kilt around the body, nor should it be so tight that it causes bulging of the fabric where it is buckled. Underwear may be worn as one prefers.

One of the most distinctive features of the kilt is the pattern of squares, or sett, it exhibits. The association of particular patterns with individual families can be traced back hundreds of years. Then in the Victorian era (19th century), weaving companies began to systematically record and formalize the system of setts for commercial purposes. Today there are also setts for States and Provinces, schools and universities, and general patterns that anybody can wear.

The kilt can be worn with accessories. On the front apron, there is often a kilt pin, topped with a small decorative family symbol. A small knife can be worn with the kilt too. It typically comes in a very wide variety, from fairly plain to quite elaborate silver- and jewel-ornamented designs. The kilt can also be worn with a sporran, which is the Gaelic word for pouch or purse.