Highland Dress Wear | Tartan Trousers

Origins
Tartan Trousers are a popular option for Highland Dress. As soon as the words tartan and trousers are mentioned together, people like to call them tartan trews. Tartan trousers probably originated from as long ago as the 9th Century as the Book of Kells shows soldiers wearing short truis-like garments which reached to just above or just below the knee. Also mentioned are long tight-fitting “truis” which are secured by loops under the foot. 'Truis' or 'trews' are anglicized spellings of the Gaelic word 'triubhas'.

In more recent times trews were made more like trousers, with the fabric cut on the straight grain but without a side seam, and are often high-waisted, to be worn with a short jacket, as an alternative to the kilt. Military trews were usually worn by members of the lowland Scottish regiments as part of their dress uniforms and mess uniforms whereas members of Highland Scottish Regiments were usually authorized to wear kilts with these uniforms.

Styles today
Kinloch Anderson offer two styles of tartan trousers: either with straight waistband positioned as for regular suit trousers or with a high waisted fishtail back (which also makes them suitable to wear with a Coatee & Vest). Kinloch Anderson trousers are normally made to order in the customer’s preferred tartan.

When choosing tartan trousers at Kinloch Anderson the customer can choose not only the style of the trouser itself but also whether they wish them with self supporting or with belt loops, pockets at the side on the left or right and / or at the hips on the left or right. Other options include pleated front, flat front, half lined, unlined, angle bottoms, turn ups, zip fly or button fly.