Dress_Act_1746
Dress Act 1746
Legislation restricting the wearing of the kilt
The Dress Act 1746, also known as the Disclothing Act, was part of the Act of Proscription which came into force on 1 August 1746 and made wearing "the Highland Dress" — including the kilt — by men and boys illegal in Scotland north of the Highland line running from Perth in the east to Dumbarton in the west.[1] The rest of the Act of Proscription reiterated and reinforced the Disarming Act 1715. The Jacobite risings between 1689 and 1746 found their most effective support amongst the Scottish clans, and this act was part of a series of measures attempting to bring the clans under government control. An exemption allowed the kilt to be worn in the army's Highland regiments along with its veterans who had served in the military. The landed gentry were also exempt, being exempt from the entire Act of Proscription.
The law was repealed in 1782. By that time, kilts and tartans were no longer ordinary Highland wear, ended by enforcement of the law. Within two years, Highland aristocrats set up the Highland Society of Edinburgh and soon other clubs followed with aims including promoting "the general use of the ancient Highland dress". This would lead to the Highland pageant of the visit of King George IV to Scotland.
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