What Do Scots Wear Under Their Kilts? A Lot Of Nothing

A YouGov poll released Sunday indicates politics may play a role in whether a Scotsman goes commando under his kilt.

What Scotsmen wear under their kilts long has been debated with athletes like Andy Murray saying they like to cover up – and in some cases are required to by their sports associations.

The YouGov poll indicates 55 percent wear underwear under the national symbol while 38 percent go commando and 7 percent wear more than just underwear.

But when those who support Scottish independence are queried, the percentage of those wearing nothing under their kilts rises to 45 percent vs. 32 percent for those who voted no on the 2014 referendum.

And it seems those between the ages of 25 and 64 are less modest than their younger and older counterparts, with 20 percent of younguns and 21 percent of oldsters saying they would let it all hang out compared to 44-46 percent of those in the middle.

Women apparently are turned on by kilt-wearing men. The YouGov poll found 91 percent of women like a man in a kilt, with 40 percent saying they like the idea of men going commando beneath it (a like 40 percent said underwear is the way to go).

The Scottish Tartans Authority declared underwear a must in 2010, saying to do otherwise was “childish and unhygienic, the Telegraph reported. Then-director Brian Wilton said kilt wearers should realize sartorial fashion has moved on.

“Just because Highlanders wore nothing in the days before Y-fronts were invented doesn't mean that we, in the 21st Century, should wear nothing too,” Wilton said at the time.

Ninety percent of Scots said the kilt is an important part of their heritage, YouGov found. Kilts generally are reserved for special occasions these days, with 89 percent of Scotsmen saying they’ve worn one to a wedding.

Younger Scots are less then entranced by the garment with 19 percent of 18-24 year olds calling it outdated — about twice the rate of older Scots.

Scots aren’t the only ones who wear kilts. The Irish and Welsh also wear them. They also come in tweeds, not just plaids.

YouGov queried 315 Scotsmen in its Sept. 14-15 poll. No error rate was provided.