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Jazzy, this is getting dangerously close to NBKs......

...or lack of them!

Oh dear! oops Elle. I had better return to preparing dinner.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trews

I shall have to investigate this, Jazzgirl!
But never have I heard of these kind of "trews".
In the Armed Forces the kilted regiments are inspected to ensure nothing is worn under the kilt.
Nowadays of course, it is acceptable to wear underwear with the kilt, if you choose, but I have never checked to see who is being traditionally correct or not.
The girls do, though!
And, I think, the kilt-hire shops encourage underwear.

Chambers gives 'trews' as "trousers esp of tartan cloth" - BUT - wait for this - the Oxford Concise gives the definition of 'trews' as "esp Brit.trousers esp close-fitting tartan trousers worn by women"
WOMEN!!!!!

When I was in Edinburgh (for the annual tattoo) with my husband, we went to a shop specialising in tartan. No matter what your surname was, they would find your particular "tartan"!
Husband bought just a tie !

There surely cannot be a tartan for everyone though? I was under the impression (perhaps erroneously ? )that you had to have a 'right' to wear a tartan?

It was just a tactic to encourage sales ;

Jazzgirl, Chambers gives "trews" as tartan trousers, and many Scots would pronounce trousers as "troosers"!
So maybe that is where the word is coming from?
I think it was in the 60's that the late Andy Stewart had a hit record (certainly up here) with a song called "Donald, Where's Your Troosers?"
About a young lad from Skye venturing to the big city in the kilt!
I did try to find out more about trews, and to that end, had a wee look at Anne Bradford's "Underwear", if you know what I mean.
No sign of "trews", but she has "butt bra"?
Am I too young to know what a butt bra is?

PS. Andy Stewart used to do a great impersonation of Elvis, too!

Sorry, that wasn't a question directed at your personal experience , JG! but a general inquiry?
I've been looking it up and it seems that if you don't have an individual clan tartan (as my cousin did) you can where a "district" tartan - or indeed any one else's tartan - but then who would want to do that?