Happy birthday James Baldwin! What a privilege to spend the past two weeks walking in your footsteps and writing in your studio. @macdowell1907.bsky.social

Hey @economist.com care to update this Biden-era headline?

Madam Satan (1930) has entered the chat....

This is how long I've been in love with Sam Neill. 💔

The view from the 110. Pretty smoky in DTLA rn.

A tried and true look for a big event at MSG:

This much-misunderstood hairstyle wasn't a joke. It wasn't a frivolous fad. It was a patriotic, pro-American political statement, worn by French women, who had no vote and no voice in government. And it wasn't the only ship-shaped headdress inspired by France's support of the Revolution. #America250

If you've read my book Fashion Victims, you know that the infamous coiffure à la Belle Poule had another name: the coiffure à l'Independance, or the Triumph of Liberty. The Belle Poule was a French ship that fought the British Navy in the Battle of Ushant--a 1778 skirmish in the AMERICAN Revolution.

LOL'd at this headline, a question I have had cause to ask collectors many times, most recently yesterday.

Kind of wish I didn't already have plans for the 4th because what do you mean my local historic theater is having a free screening of NATIONAL TREASURE??!! 🇺🇸

And of course the Scottish flag with its blue and white saltire, or diagonal St. Andrew's cross, is being worn absolutely everywhere:

As well as traffic cones, they've been wearing Tam o’ Shanters (round caps with pompoms, named for the hero of a Robert Burns poem) and Glengarrys (boat-shaped black wool caps, usually trimmed with pompoms and ribbons) on their heads.

Presumably FIFA (and TSA) drew the line at skean dhus, the wee daggers typically tucked into the top of kilt socks. But a lot of fans have been wearing the socks and flashes, the little ribbons poking out from under the turned-down stocking tops, vestiges of the garters that once kept the socks up.

It would be unthinkable to wear a kilt without a sporran; among other uses, their weight is necessary to keep the front of the kilt from blowing up and revealing what’s underneath (traditionally, nothing). It gets windy in Scotland!

Kilts don’t have pockets, so they’re accessorized with sporrans, bags of leather or fur worn on chains or belts around the waist. Scotland fans got special permission to wear sporrans at the World Cup venues, which normally require fans to bring transparent bags.

Ideally, a kilt should hang to the middle of the kneecap; too long or too short reads "skirt," not "kilt." To pull off a kilt, you need a decent-sized rear and nice shapely calves. Guys with flat butts or bird legs should stick to trews (tartan trousers). Trust me on this; I have done the research.

Kilts are usually knife-pleated “to sett” (meaning the pleats mirror the sett pattern, as at L) but can also be pleated “to stripe” (R) for a striped effect, which I personally prefer (and it’s easier to alter). Military kilts often have box pleats; Kingussie pleating combines knife and box pleats.

The *original* kilt was a single rectangle of wool worn gathered and belted around the waist, and draped over the shoulder, “Outlander” style. It had more in common with a sari than a skirt. Today's wraparound style is flat in front and pleated in back, and fastened with two buckled leather straps.

Of course, “traditional” here means “invented in the 19th century,” which is when the notion of “clan tartans” was also formalized. Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, King George IV's 1822 visit to Scotland, and Queen Victoria’s 1852 purchase of Balmoral fueled the new fashion for all things Scottish.

A traditional kilt is custom-made from 6-9 yards of heavyweight wool, depending on girth. Hopefully, nobody in Miami is wearing these, because they’re incredibly warm! And expensive! Lightweight, synthetic kilts--often offered in limited sizes and tartans--give sports fans a more comfortable option.

This wasn’t always the case! Kilts were banned for decades after Culloden, along with bagpipes. And they were in and out of fashion for much of the 20th century; their current popularity has a lot to do with Braveheart, the Scottish independence movement, and the rise of organized football fandom.

And, with different accessories, they can be worn for hiking, military service, folk dancing, competing in Highland games, and, of course, attending sportsball games.

When I first moved to Scotland, where I lived for 5 years, I assumed that kilts were the sartorial equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster: a tourist-friendly myth rarely seen in the wild. Happily, I was wrong! They’re worn at weddings, graduations, formal dances, holidays--a Scottish tuxedo, basically.

Tartan is not unique to Scotland, but it's the perfect Scottish fabric. They have a lot of sheep and a lot of rain, and wool is naturally water-repellent, especially in a dense weave.

In honor of Scotland’s historic World Cup run and status as America’s tipsy sweethearts, let’s look at the fashion history behind the Tartan Army’s uniform. The name itself comes from a worsted wool fabric in a twill weave with a distinctive geometric pattern (or sett), erroneously called plaid.