Kilts Never Looked This Good

The Movie: “Braveheart.”

The Setup: Story of the courageous 13th-Century Scottish knight Sir William Wallace (Mel Gibson), who led his countrymen into battle against England for independence.

The Costume Designer: Charles Knode, whose credits include “Blade Runner,” “Life of Brian,” “Legend,” “A Dry White Season,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

The Look: As the year’s second men-in-kilts flick, “Braveheart” has less sartorial effect than “Rob Roy.” (Amazingly, although Roy lived in the 18th Century, his style of plaid--as the length of fabric that was gathered around the waist and then slung over one shoulder was known--doesn’t appear any different than Wallace’s.)

Hunk Factor: Through much of the film, Gibson is the only one among his clan to pair one with a shirt minus sleeves, which looks suspiciously like Hollywood’s version of a medieval muscle shirt. But screenwriter Randall Wallace, who did extensive research, says that baring skin wasn’t out of character for this frigid countryside. He explained that Highlanders typically stripped naked for battle “to give the enemy nothing to grab.” The filmmakers, however, have spared us the nude warriors.

You Should Know: Our hero’s bizarre blue face paint, made of earth and crushed berries, is known as a wode. The tradition of painting one’s entire body blue for combat dates all the way to Hadrian, the screenwriter says, and was meant to make the warriors look absolutely insane. “The idea was to convince the enemy that you were too crazy to be afraid. The Scots fought like wild men,” Randall Wallace said.

Bad Hair Day: Ratty-looking and interspersed with odd, feeble braids and assorted knots, the hair on Gibson’s character is crying out for a day at Cristophe. (As for his ragtag band of warriors, some had buzz cuts, others, just straggle.)

Scene Stealers: Luminous velvets worn by English royalty in brilliant colors and patterns.

Hit: The age-old mystery of whether men sport underwear beneath their skirts is most assuredly resolved.

Research: Period carvings and tombstones, the collections at the Royal Armory, the Tower of London, the British Museum in London.