trews

Trews are tailored tartan trousers that form part of traditional Scottish Highland dress. The term trews, from the Scots language, can refer generally to trousers, but in Highland costume it denotes full-length trousers cut to the leg and usually made to match or complement the wearer's tartan. Trews are worn with a shirt and neckwear, and with a waistcoat and jacket as part of a formal Highland outfit. A sporran is commonly worn, and beneath the trews wear hose and garters. Footwear is typically ghillie brogues or other formal shoes. Modern dress trews come in various cuts and fabrics, from traditional wool tartans to contemporary wool blends or solid colors.

Historically, trews provided a legwear option alongside kilts. While kilts became the dominant form of Highland dress in many contexts during the 18th and 19th centuries, trews persisted for formal daytime wear and in military regalia; a revival of dress trews occurred in the late 19th and 20th centuries as part of the broader Highland-dress revival.

In contemporary use, trews are worn for weddings, state and ceremonial occasions, and in some regiments’ dress uniforms. They remain a symbol of Highland heritage and are frequently chosen as an alternative to kilts for those who prefer trousers.