Why you don't see Scots wearing their kilts often

[artificer]

Phewee, that's alright then, I shall sleep rather better tonight. As I have never owned or worn a pair of jeans, or ten gallon hat, or cowboy boots it appears that I an not going to upset the sensibilities of our American friends by wearing their national attire incorrectly!

There was a time when I could lay my hands on a Colt .44 and a Winchester lever action though. These appear to be almost essential accoutrements.

I wouldn't know

My family was one of those that spoke German almost universally at home until the first world war. We have a decidedly "Eastern" bent when it comes to cowboy boots, hats and guns. I do have a rather splendid collection of my great grandfather's bow ties

Apart from denims, I think it's nearly impossible to pigeon-hole Americans into one "National Dress". As has been pointed out all of the native peoples had decidedly different styles based on available animals/materials. So you can't even go back to the indigenous Americans.

[chrisupyonder]

I would say this is now our US national dress for both sexes worn every day by many. (Modified from earlier western wear as noted by OC Richard.)

And 90% of the UK.

Chris.

[Dale Seago]

I would say this is now our US national dress for boblack, Asian, th sexes worn every day by many. (Modified from earlier western wear as noted by OC Richard.)

What I'm currently seeing pretty much universally for males up to age 30 or so in my area is a t-shirt worn untucked with knee-length baggy shorts (or alternatively, though far less commonly, with jeans) and athletic shoes. An optional but common accessory is a ball cap with the bill turned backwards.

I hadn't really thought about it until I was having dinner in a Hooters restaurant near home Friday evening and noticed that nearly every male in the place -- Caucasian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander -- was dressed this way. (Mind you, this chain caters largely to a fairly young crowd and their motto is "Tacky Yet Unrefined", so there was a high concentration of 30-and-under males.)

One notable exception was a guy in his 50s wearing jeans and a windbreaker jacket. While I was reading a book as I ate (I'd just come from the Barnes & Noble store in the same shopping mall) he came over to me and told me he really admired me for "having the b@lls to wear a skirt". I don't think he meant to be insulting, just may not have been able to find the word "kilt" in his mental files. He went on to introduce himself, shake my hand, ask a few questions (though curiously, not The Question), and went back to rejoin his friends.

My waitress then came over and asked solicitously if he'd been harassing me, very sweet of her.

[Jock Scot]

What! Reading a book whilst eating? Whatever next!

[Joshua]

We are a nation of immigrants. Hence, our desire to wear clothing from another culture and call it our own. If anything our "national dress" could be derived from Colonial Americas, a blend of Dutch and English influence in the late 17th century.

The Native ancestry that is in my own family line dressed significantly different than other US Native Americans. The Cherokee traditionally wore woven cloth instead of leathers, the women wore brightly colored gowns and the men wore brightly colored tunics and buckskin (or cloth) trousers with turbans. Much of this had to do with the Cherokee being early adopters of agriculture instead of remaining hunter-gatherer (perhaps due to early European influence).

[Joshua]

I will also mention this. The above styles of dress are "historical" and pretty much relegated to stay that way.

The kilt is a garment that has stayed relevant despite being a historical garment. I cannot think of any other garment (besides a necktie (questionable), trousers, and dresses) that has maintained such a status. If I were to dress in Colonial garb, or in Cherokee garb and leave my house, the question would be "are you a re-enactor?" - If I go out in a kilt, the question is "Are you Scottish?".

See the difference?

[RAF]

In my limited travels and experience on the subject, I had completely expected to see dozens of men wearing kilts throughout Edinburgh on my visits to that beautiful city. I counted a total of four. Three of whom worked in kilt shops, and one bagpiper on a street corner. (Granted, perhaps Kilt wearing is a more rural occurrence than an urban one in Scotland?)
Imagine how we feel here in the U.S.! Unless it's a wedding, it's very uncommon to see men in kilts with any regularity. And even then it's rare and/or considered "novel."
So, yes, I agree, that an attempt should be made to democratize the kilt prices so that more can appreciate and partake in the kilt wearing community. (Unlike some, I am not opposed to those who are not Scottish who wear kilts, as long as they wear and represent it well - but that's a whole other topic.)
The caveat of course is, in doing that and keeping a standard of quality. I have seen many websites who advertise less expensive kilts in "lesser" (lightweight wool or poly/viscose) fabrics, but I have also read in many advice blogs that these "lesser" kilts do not keep their shape and have a limited lifespan. So there's definitely a mixed message out there.
Given the amount of work involved in constructing a quality kilt, the balance between price and quality (=value) is a delicate one.

[Jack Daw]

I prefer to wear the kilt only for special occasions; otherwise, it may very well lose its special magic for me. I have nine 8-yarders and am happy to have all of them for the sake of variety. All get enough usage as I make a point to rotate.

For those who like to wear kilts every day, more power to them. I certainly see the need for the casual, non-wool kilts for those that choose to be daily wearers.

[Peter Crowe]

I think if the question is still about Scots not wearing the kilt in sufficient numbers there are many factors: (By the way I have no problem with non-Scots wearing the kilt, provided it is done in a way that does not dishonour it)

1) A quality man's kilt is an expensive worsted woolen garment which needs to be dry cleaned from time to time.
2) It is only since the early XIX century that kilt-wearing gradually expanded from the distinctly regional dress of much of the Highlands (and the northern Lowlands north and east of the Tay) to the national dress of Scotland (even then there are some in the Border counties who still regard the kilt as alien to their tradition, whom despite their proximity to the English border are as authentically Scottish as their countrymen from further north).
3) Following on from 1 and 2 above, the kilt as it has evolved from that time was beyond the budget of many, and even for those who can (could) afford it, represents a considerable outlay. As a consequence Scots who own kilts limit their wearing to appropriate dressy or special occasions.
4) Many regard it as an upper class custom of the landed gentry, or at least as somewhat old-fashioned (as a personal reflection, when I wore my civilian highland day wear in my teens, 20's and 30's in Scotland I was asked on more than one occasion why I was dressing like an old man).

[Gael Ridire]

Enjoyed the comments about Native Americans and their different clothing styles. Colonial Dutch & English wear, to me this is just for reactors for this time period. No Eastern American is going to wear Western clothing unless they are in agriculture and mainly in the south-east. Texas of course, here your not a native unless you wear cowboy boots, jeans, hat, shirt, & drive a pickup. When I lived in Texas for three years I learned to dress this way too. But on leaving I left it all in Texas.

I was at a Celtic festival this past weekend, wore a tartan vest to at least show a little respect to the culture. But I saw a lot of PV kilts. Even saw one style that when I first saw it on the website of Sportskilt I was not pleased. It is called the team kilt, and is solid black with the underlying pleats being whatever team color you want them to be, or you can have various PV tartans that are offered. But at this festival it dawned on me that a team kilt with tartan underneath would work for one claiming Irish & Scot descent by wearing a plain colored kilt, but during the swinging of the pleats one would see tartan. Hay, evolution of the kilt & adapting. Now talk about combining two different cultures!