Earasaid History & Info

The earasaid is the feminine version of the Great Kilt. There is no definitive information on the earasaid, especially in the early time periods, however, it can be deduced that the earasaid appeared about the same time as the Great Kilt in the late 16th Century.

The earasaid was made from wool, although some early reports hint at the use of silk. The wool was often grown on one's own sheep. I could take a year for someone to shear and spin enough wool to make one Great Kilt, so one could surmise that it would take about 6 months to gain enough for an earasaid. The yarn would then be taken to the local weaver to weave into cloth. Looms of the time wove a piece of cloth 27" wide and up to 30" wide, and for an earasaid one would need 5 to 6 ells of wool, an ell being just over a yard.

To make an earasaid, the 5 ells would be cut in half to create 2 pieces of tartan, single width (27"-30") wide and 2.5 ells long. These two pieces would then be stitched together to make 1 Kilt, 54"-60" wide and 2.5 ells long.

Today's looms can and do weave cloth double width, 54"-61" wide, eliminating the extra step of buying 6 ells, cutting it in half and stitching the two pieces together again the long way. You would just obtain 2.5 to 3 yards/ells and not need to do any cutting and stitching except to finish off the edges.

See our downloads page to learn how to wear your earasaid.