Just plain kilts

[McMurdo]

Never in my life have I thought of a tartan kilt as sissified. I suppose each to their own but yet again this serves to punctuate the difference between the two largest groups of kilt wearers, the traditional and non-traditional camps. I say that as there are those of us who are outside Scotland who grew up within a house with Scottish parents, Grandparents etc. For me kilts were always at least in the background and lots of times in the foreground, they were never sissified and they were always tartan.

[MichiganKyle]

These are my experiences in the USA, so please take this as it is - an opinion, and certainly not gospel.

I've heard (many times) people poking fun at kilts as being dresses or skirts. But there's also kind of an association here between kilts and (silly as it may seem) a mental image of Scottish warriors running across a battlefield with a polearm. I think some of this probably comes from the extent of many Americans' experience with kilts being watching the movie Braveheart once 25 years ago. So generally in my experience it's said somewhat tongue-and-cheek to see how secure the person is in their masculinity. Solid-color kilts seem to carry the implication that the person is trying to stand out and be explicitly different, such as the punk and goth communities. I can't tell you how many times I've been told from strangers, while I was wearing a kilt, that they have a kilt and love how comfortable it is but never wear it or only wear it at home. For anyone who is not in one of the alternative fashion communities, there's such an aversion to standing out and being seen as trying too hard to be different (or being associated with one of the alternative fashion communities that sometimes do that) that many people don't feel comfortable actually wearing their kilt in public.

Many Americans are also mutts with ancestry from many different countries. As such, ancestry and family history is a huge topic here because it's so easy for that information to be lost forever to the sands of time, and many of us have really interesting stories in our extended familes. But as a result of that, people are very aware of where the different branches of their families came from. Also, racism is a huge hot button here, and people tend to be absolutely paranoid about being accused of being racist or doing something that their ancestry would not "entitle" them to. In my opinion, this feeling of entitlement to something that's stereotypically associated with a country of which you have ancestry is way more racist than if they just paid absolutely no care or attention to the issue at all or celebrated sharing that culture with others, but I digress. I think for a lot of people, there's a concern that if they wear a kilt of any sort (much less a tartan kilt) and they're not 100% of Scottish ancestry or a Scottish immigrant that they will offend someone who is and would have more of a claim to that style of clothing than they do. People are weird about this sort of thing here. For some people, they may see a solid color kilt as less likely to offend and therefor more acceptable. I get asked quite frequently if whatever kilt I'm wearing is a family tartan. Most people here have no idea that universal tartans exist.

So, I think there's probably multiple factors in play with it. For some people, a solid color may feel like a "safer" option. For others, they're more comfortable with tartan. I'm in the camp of "Eh, whatever you're comfortable with, go for it!".

[Jock Scot]

Never in my life have I thought of a tartan kilt as sissified. I suppose each to their own but yet again this serves to punctuate the difference between the two largest groups of kilt wearers, the traditional and non-traditional camps. I say that as there are those of us who are outside Scotland who grew up within a house with Scottish parents, Grandparents etc. For me kilts were always at least in the background and lots of times in the foreground, they were never sissified and they were always tartan.

I quite agree, but then those of no direct connection to Scotland-----I say this kindly----- with a hundred, two hundred, three hundred year break in the connection, or even no connection with the tartan kilt at all, then they dont have the direct conscious and subconscious cultural connections right before their eyes or, in their ears for most of the day, every day.

For us Scots living here, then there are direct everyday reminders of our history and the tartan kilt in every village, town and city with our war memorials and then there are direct family connections to family tartans, places of direct family connections seen and read about on daily basis and the end result, is that tartan kilts are seen and thought about as a perfectly natural garment for some Scots in Scotland to wear. Make no mistake, there are parts of Scotland where voicing the suggestion that the tartan kilt is for "sisseys" would be a very unsound move.

I have to admit when I learnt about the "Utilikilt" style of kilt when I joined this website, I thought(still do on occasion) that they weren't proper kilts at all and most definitely had a "sissy " connection. I have since learnt, with difficulty, that there is another perfectly reasonable point of view, but when I have viewed on rare occasion (4 so far!)these "utilikilt" style kilts, I do have serious doubts about them for more than a wee while. Each to their own.

[FossilHunter]

For us Scots living here, then there are direct everyday reminders of our history and the tartan kilt in every village, town and city with our war memorials and then there are direct family connections to family tartans, places of direct family connections seen and read about on daily basis and the end result, is that tartan kilts are seen and thought about as a perfectly natural garment for some Scots in Scotland to wear. Make no mistake, there are parts of Scotland where voicing the suggestion that the tartan kilt is for "sisseys" would be a very unsound move.

Reminders in the supermarket too.

[Jock Scot]

Reminders in the supermarket too.

I can't think of anybody in Scotland who would seriously take that picture of a reminder of Scottish culture. The contents would remind me of my youth in WW2! Coffee cake!

[Father Bill]

I can't think of anybody in Scotland who would seriously take that picture of a reminder of Scottish culture. The contents would remind me of my youth in WW2! Coffee cake!

Well it sure as the dickens isn't Japanese! (Or probably anything else.)

[Jock Scot]

Well it sure as the dickens isn't Japanese! (Or probably anything else.)

True. But, its just another trade label amongst many that we------ certainly me---- just ignore. It just has no significance.

[OC Richard]

The Cornish lads wear black kilts...

IMHO a far more eye-pleasing option than the horrid sickly-yellow Cornish tartan. Why oh why.

And it fits right into the Utilikilt ethos! Black clothes from head to toe is what you usually see here.

[OC Richard]

Well it sure as the dickens isn't Japanese!

There's a Japanese-American guy here who wears The Kilt Of The Rising Sun.

[OC Richard]

These are my experiences in the USA...

I've heard (many times) people poking fun at kilts as being dresses or skirts...there's such an aversion to standing out and being seen as trying too hard to be different (or being associated with one of the alternative fashion communities that sometimes do that) that many people don't feel comfortable actually wearing their kilt in public.

...there's a concern that if they wear a kilt of any sort (much less a tartan kilt) and they're not 100% of Scottish ancestry or a Scottish immigrant that they will offend someone who is

This is very interesting, and goes to show how different parts of the USA have different social attitudes.

Here on the Left Coast it's so multicultural. Before the present stay-at-home edict I could go out and do errands for hours, go to the Post Office and the market and different shops and eat at a restaurant, and not see another white person.

There are Indian people in traditional Indian clothes, and Mexican guys in cowboy attire, and who knows what all. I stand out already, might as well have on a kilt. It doesn't get a second glance here, not with the Hipsters and Goths and Hippies and every sort of Fashion Culture there is.

Besides that, I'm a cosplayer. Kilts are mainstream compared to that.

What a contrast to my native West Virginia! Ironically there, where nearly everybody has Scottish ancestry to some degree or other, I'm guessing that I would get more reaction to kiltwearing. (The only place I've ever worn a kilt there was at the local Highland Games.)