Applied: Why is the tartan skirt so unpopular?

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Who is watching the new season of "The Crown", the political series that traces the careers of Elizabeth II and the British Crown?

To my amazement, outside of the traditional context, you very rarely see a tartan skirt there.

Of course, the Queen also has her very own Klan Tartan.

The so-called Royal Stewart, a mostly red check that is also known from the packaging of a well-known shortbread manufacturer.

In general, one can only wonder why hardly anyone still wears a tartan skirt, except of course in Scotland, where they mainly dress men.

Beyond the United Kingdom, in the 1970s it had established itself as a classic in the wardrobe of women as well and was primarily anchored in the upper class.

While the importance of other regional and culturally influenced items of clothing, such as the traditional jacket, the Breton shirt or the Friesennerz, more and more watered down over time, the kilt went through a slightly different development.

The traditional garment slipped into the left corner when it was annexed by the punk scene in the 1980s as a symbol of rebellion.

The tartan skirt lost its length and finally ended up in obscenity.

Even today, Google searches like to spit out images of ultra-short, sexualized models.

Monse deconstructs the tartan skirt - and brings it to the catwalk

Source: Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows / JP Yim

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If you wanted to distance yourself from this association, you had to style the tartan skirt in a particularly classic way for a long time, which, if not done, unfortunately quickly looks upright.

Maybe that's the reason why nobody wears a tartan skirt anymore.

There are enough reasons that speak for the zeitgeist: It is gender-neutral, keeps you warm even in the frostiest winters, is classic and therefore sustainable and you can get a wide variety of models in second-hand shops, on Ebay or on the flea market.

I found a total of four models there, all of which are among the few pieces that still linger in my closet after several years.

The tartan skirt is now interpreted generously, be it as a plaid pleated skirt or as a plain-colored specimen made of fine wool, which is stylistically based on the winding principle and remains in its genre thanks to characteristic details such as fringes, safety pins or belt buckles.

So the overall picture looks a bit more subtle and the kilt-like skirt is also suitable for summer.

At Versace, the interpretation is particularly successful because the safety pin (with Medusa embossing) that holds the traditional tartan skirt together in the lower area is the iconic accessory of the house.

I recently paid a not inconsiderable part of my salary for a black, short model and have not regretted it for a second.

Le Kilt, a British brand that specializes in tartan skirts, plays with the mix of materials and zooms in on the design of the belt buckles.

Versace safety pin skirt

Source: mytheresa.com

via mytheresa.com

The question remains how to present the tartan skirt in such a contemporary way that it finds its way back onto the catwalks.

For Monse (pronounced Mon-say), a design duo with roots in the Dominican Republic and Korea, it works with deconstructive cuts and, with reference to the punk movement, in combination with combat boots.

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In everyday life, my favorite model from the vintage store, an almost floor-length tartan skirt made of thick wool with dark blue, green, and yellow tartan goes particularly well with my new stocking boots (which you have to call that because even the most thorough research does not find a more attractive name for it finds).

At the end of the day, it doesn't necessarily look contemporary.

But I accept that.

I secretly hope not to inspire me to wear a tartan skirt in the first place, so that I still have it practically to myself.

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