Hi, All!

While I have posted before to this forum, this is more or less my Grand Opening and I thought that I would offer a (brief?) note of introduction.

I am 41 years old, married and with two small children ages 5 and 7 whom I care for through the day when their school is not in session. We live in somewhat overcast Pittsburgh, PA, USA. I have both baked and cooked professionally. My interests include fermenting and amateur radio, and in the latter regard I have a small mail order business selling parts to other fabricators of ham radio kits.

After nearly one year of deliberation and research on the topic of formal Highland wear, I decided to replace my ONLY well worn, very orthodox double breasted wool suit with a formal kilt. To that end I ordered a pair of outfits: one snappy day look from wonderful Kinloch Anderson in their 13oz Corporate tartan, another more formal look from another less customer service oriented UK source in a 15 oz. Campbell of Argyll Ancient tartan.

While waiting for the outfits to arrive (still waiting, in fact), I found a local purveyor of kilted garments [ www.pittsburghkilts.com ] and bought some excellent casual kilts in a medium weight brushed cotton that looks and hangs well. (If you check out the site, look at the "Bull Denim"). Next, I bought a pair of MARPAT kilts for everyday wear from the same source. I needed 'everyday' wear because I am now wearing kilts nearly exclusively, and that of course means I clean and mow grass and cook and take kids to the playground, etc., all while being kilted. My thing is to wear my kilts instead of waiting around from someone to be either wed or buried. That of course requires a variety of looks, in a variety of weights.

Like most of us, I wish that kilts were a more affordable garment, but they are not and after nearly a year of looking at the high prices I have managed to get over my sticker shock and steel myself to the fact that if I want to wear them I need to be willing to pay someone what they are worth. With that realization, coupled with some rainy-day savings, I have become an animal entirely different than anything I had previously imagined for myself. I have become a 'clothes horse'.

That doesn't mean that I necessarily look like such an animal to my neighbors and to the other whom I encounter during the course of my day. To most of them I resemble a fellow in a skirt. Not just any guy, but that guy on the corner who USED to dress normally but who now, without so much as a by-your-leave, is dressing in what they perceive to be skirts. (Technically they are correct, although more accurately we of course know ourselves as members of a fierce tribe of kilt wearers.) Regardless, since I now look for just the right shirts, boots, shoes, and socks to compliment my kilts, and I can spout actual fashion suggestions and rules, a clothes horse I am. Last week I had to admit this fact to myself and to my ever supportive wife.

Lessee... I presently have on order a pair of kilts from Bear, and next up is one from TFCK, most likely in a 6 yard heavy weight solid black wool. If anyone has pics of a TFCK 6 yarder taken from behind, I would love to see how the pleats look from that vantage. Once I get the TFCK, that will have to hold me for awhile because my 'rainy day' has mostly come and gone, I am afraid.

That'd be about that from me. To those of you who have welcomed me already (Bubba, Ham, Phil, Rhino...), thank you for your kind words. I look forward to both learning a few things as well as tossing in my own two cents on occasion.

My name is Mychael, I am frightened of emoticons, and I wear kilts.

P.S. Phil's OK.