What got you interested?

[David Woodington]

I am curious as to the stories of how we all got intereseted in wearing kilts and at what age. We have members from different age groups,ocupations,nationalities,and races and with different interests.I am sure we all have some really neat stories. How many of us are only interested in wearing the kilt and how many of us are interested in full Scottish attire or other things Celtic.My interest started when my wife and I were walkig through a local park. It was in the the early fall and the air had that sweet smell to it.We were in a wooded area in the morning and the morning mist was still hugging the ground when I heard the sound of bagpipes drifting to us. I really couldn't tell from which direction it was coming from and it took a bit of time till I could pin point the direction. The sound drew me to it and I really can't tell you why for I had never really had an interest in the pipes.When I had reached the clearing there was a kilted female piper (who was hot,but thats for a differnt thread).My wife and I listened for a quite a while until she was finnished. I asked many quetions about the pipes and eventually found a teacher. From there I started going to celtic festivals and here started getting into the music and kilts and finding out about some of my family history (Wesh on my fathers side Maybe Scots from his mother,we are still tracing, and Dutch from my mothers). My first kilt was a
traditional wool in Stewart hunting green. I was restless until it came and once it did and I put it on I was hooked. For me my pipes and kilt move me and change me at the same time.I feel different and better when I have either. Now I look forward to getting more kilts and a more complete attire,and hopefully better at the pipes. I will end with this that I have really enjoyed talking to you all,reading your tales ,and learning from you and about you.Looking forward to reading your stories.


Keep kilted.

Dave

[macwilkin]

When I was three years old, I was asked in Sunday School at the Presbyterian Church our family attended what I wanted to be when I grew up. "The King of Scotland!" I immediately responded, and with great enthusiasm, as my mother tells the story.

The first book I remember reading from the library was "Wee Angus", a tale about a boy in Scotland whose mother's family were Lowlanders and the father's family were Highlanders. I practically begged my parents for a kilt, but had to settle for a wee pair of Royal Stuart (gasp!) trews for the first years of my wife.

Our High School (all five high schools, really) in Springfield had an all-girls drum & bugle corps that wore Scottish "kit", including men's kilts -- I unsuccessfully lobbied the school to allow boys to join, since the girls were wearing men's garments, and I was of Scottish heritage, but the advisor did let me borrow one of the extra kilts (Gordon) during my senior year, and I was hooked!

I guess I have always been fascinated with kilts, and all things Scottish, since our family is overwhelmingly Scottish in heritage, and my grandmother (may light perpetual shine upon her) was always telling me stories of when my great-great-grandparents immigrated and so on.

It is in the blood for me, and to paraphrase the Canadian boat song, "the blood is strong, and the heart is highland..."

Yours Aye,

T.

[bubba]

For me it started helping my Aunt work on the family genealogy.We were looking at the MacNeil relations and ran across Raury the Turbulent, one of the Clan Chiefs who was a bit of a pirate and defied both the Queen of England and the King of Scotland sucessfully. My Aunt said "Good God! He's YOU! Next you'll want a kilt and claymore" That was it for me. Still don't have the Claymore though.

[Rob]

My father was always keen on telling me about my Scottish ancestry, even though it was only a minority percentage, so I became interested in things Scottish at a very early age. When I was about seven years old, I attended a cousin’s wedding, and found that there was a boy at the reception who was about my age and was wearing a kilt. I suppose I knew from that point on that I wanted one.

It wasn’t till I was in my twenties that I actually got to wear a kilt. This was at the wedding of a friend from university, who was a Scott. It was in Scotland and all the men at the wedding wore kilts. I was really hooked on the kilt, but wasn’t too keen on being formally dressed (I have always preferred casual wear).

I was rather ignorant about tartans at that time. I thought you had to be a clan member to wear a clan tartan kilt, so I didn’t pursue my interest in a kilt further. However, when I went on to the Internet about four years ago, I started to look into my family history, and discovered that there was actually a family tartan. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it at all, as it contained a lot of bright red (I prefer more subdued darker colours), so I again abandoned the idea of getting myself a kilt. I then discovered that my (English) county of origin had two of its own District Tartans, one of which I liked a lot. I contacted a few kilt makers and eventually found one who was able to get the tartan specially woven for me. Despite this, the price she quoted for a kilt was very reasonable, so I went ahead with the purchase. The quality of workmanship was excellent, and I have been delighted with the kilt (8 yd, 15 oz, pleated to the sett). I usually wear it casually (around home) and also for hill walking, for which it is ideal in the temperate British climate.

Most important of all, it received Hamish's seal of approval when we met last year.

Tartan:-
http://www.tartans.scotland.net/tart...?tartan_id=318

Kilt maker:-
http://www.mccalman-kilts.co.uk


Rob

[Rob Wright]

I had some friends who would wear kilts on occassion and after awhile I thought you know I wouldn't mind having one. Started to do some research, it was during this time I found out about the family's scottish heritage. Sadly it wasn't until recent that the family began to pursue the geneology angle. So far the Douglas part of my heritage has been traced back to Scotland. The Wright side of the family has never kept any family history or records though they claim to come from Ireland. I also have some Detweiler, Darling and Lyon, but I have not had the time to track down some of the family connections yet.

Rob Wright

[GMan]

What got me to become kilted was the fact I was always interested in them ever since I can remember. Afraid to get one because I had no patience in wanting to learn the bagpipes, how foolish of me to think that anyone would wear one except for piping.

When puberty came into my life I heard the term sexy in relation to a man in a kilt. I was hooked. But still not into wanting to learn the pipes (still foolish in my thinking) I went on.

In the 70's I saw the movie The Wicker Man, and saw a lot of guys walking around kilted and thought that was cool. But that was in Scotland not where I live, so I still could not resolve that I could be kilted in every day life, even though I liked the term sexy of a man in a kilt.

Life moved on and I still loved the kilt but the patience (or lack thereof) of learning the pipes kept haunting me. I didn't live in Scotland so kilts were an oddity where I was, how foolish of me.

It was then about 1999 when I saw a picture that I really fell in love with, it was a man in a Co Fermanagh kilt. I can trace my lineage to Co Fermanagh, so I thought to myself that I could live with that. Two years later I purchased the Co Fermanagh kilt and wore it only for special events, but I noticed how comfortable wearing a kilt is, and decided to expand, and without reservations I can get a thrill when someone says look at that sexy guy in a kilt, and I still do not know how to play the pipes.

[dano9672]

Well, I grew up in touch with my heritage, and always liked the kilt. (A scene from Disney's "Bednobs and Broomsticks" was particularly vivid.) When I started working the local Rennfaire the kilt was a natural choice. My first was a great kilt- little more that a pleated and belted blanket. Hmmm... got some pics here somewhere.

[Dreadbelly]

I had some friends who would wear kilts on occassion and after awhile I thought you know I wouldn't mind having one. Started to do some research, it was during this time I found out about the family's scottish heritage. Sadly it wasn't until recent that the family began to pursue the geneology angle. So far the Douglas part of my heritage has been traced back to Scotland. The Wright side of the family has never kept any family history or records though they claim to come from Ireland. I also have some Detweiler, Darling and Lyon, but I have not had the time to track down some of the family connections yet.

Rob Wright

Hail.

Been looking into my own roots. In the Douglas parts. What did you find? Mind sharing? In the Douglas tree I was reading something or other about some Earl of Mar and ties to William Wallace and Robert Bruce. As loyalist mercenaries. It got confusing.

I have always wanted to wear a kilt since I was a little boy. It was not until recently that medical needs demanded that I give up troosers that I finally paid attention to common sense. I will be ordering some kilts as soon as the bank hurries up with the card.

[Graham]

I've had an interest in unbifurcated garments for many years.
Back in the 70's it was mainly Indian clothing (lungi's) since I taught yoga and studied Buddhism.

Later, as a Christian I found celtic studies more in harmony with my spiritual path and my heritage, I was addicted to celtic music and began to look at what 'celtic clothing' was, although kilts did ot come to mind at the time.

Two years ago we decided to hold a Hogmanay celebration, to be more authentic I bought a used kilt for the occasion.

When I wore this kilt I was amazed at how good it was, even tho' it didn't fit me too well.

From there it was the influence of this forum plus films like Braveheart and Rob Roy that inspired me to consider the freedom of kiltwearing.

Never did I think I would progress to full time kilting, but I have. There's no looking back now!

[Casey]

I always liked kilts as far back as I can remember. They appealed to me as correct wear for men.

Also, I have never been known to follow the beaten path.

Casey