Scottish outlook on kilted Americans?

**Gael Ridire** · 28th November 12, 05:24 PM

Phil an all - Thanks for the opinions! I'd post a photo of my recent family addition, but seem that it won't upload. A year ago when my final child announced he was engaged I gave each child and spouse a tartan tie & sash for Christmas. At my granddaughter's blessing the tie & sashes were worn, and many folks recognized the fact and realized that something special was happening. Someday we'll all have kilts. But it was special to the family.

**ThistleDown** · 28th November 12, 08:30 PM

I add my voice in full agreement with Alex, Jock and Phil, but it does need to be pointed out that your Elliot forebears who moved to America in the 1700s never wore the kilt before that move. Highland dress has been adopted as Scottish national dress, but wearing it should not automatically be assigned a role as ancestor recognition. The Border families are as important as the Highland clans in the history of Scotland. Wear the kilt because you love it.

**neloon** · 29th November 12, 03:24 AM

The original poster spoke of "kilt wearing Americans". That seems to be a very broad church and most Scots are probably very happy with some members but less so with others - it must depend in entirely on motivation. For example, the vast majority of Scots see Utilikilts and the like as just a big joke and certainly nothing to do with Scotland. I guess that we could have some concerns about sites like this one and various US "gurus" causing misinformation and myths to be endlessly passed around until they become the truth. You only have to look at the locations of Xmarks members to see that there is very little Scottish representation To put the question the other way round, what do Americans think of Scots singing C&W songs. C&W clubs are very popular in Scotland especially here in the North East. If some farmer from Auchnagatt or a fisherman from Buckie who has never been near the States composes a song about his forty-tonner thundering across the prairie (or whatever), can that be regarded as in any way authentic C&W?
To recap, Scots are very happy for the tartan to be worn by Americans for many possible good reasons provided the tail does not come to wag the dog. The kilt is Scotland's National Dress!

**Phil** · 29th November 12, 04:56 AM

You are fairly new here, neloon, so can be excused for being unaware that this particular tail has been transatlantically wagged for many years now. Fortunately it is, by and large, correct as to forms and styles of dress and, as such, cannot be faulted.
As in so many things, however, there is always a transatlantic desire to push the envelope but always a realisation by most that such creations are not considered authentic highland dress.

**neloon** · 30th November 12, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by Phil

You are fairly new here, neloon,

Four months "younger" than you!

**Phil** · 1st December 12, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by neloon

Four months "younger" than you!

I was looking at the number of posts but apologies for branding you as a newcomer! The join date is a bit misleading in that I have been here for a good while before 2007but I don't know why the date should show up as 2007. Perhaps something to do with the change of ownership of the site.

**David Thorpe** · 29th November 12, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by neloon

For example, the vast majority of Scots see Utilikilts and the like as just a big joke and certainly nothing to do with Scotland. I guess that we could have some concerns about sites like this one and various US "gurus" causing misinformation and myths to be endlessly passed around until they become the truth.

Emphatically agreed. The term "MUG" doesn't seem to be taking off as it should to describe the decidedly non-kilt garments so misnamed.

If some farmer from Auchnagatt or a fisherman from Buckie who has never been near the States composes a song about his forty-tonner thundering across the prairie (or whatever), can that be regarded as in any way authentic C&W?

I'd like to hear it, authentic or not.

To recap, Scots are very happy for the tartan to be worn by Americans for many possible good reasons provided the tail does not come to wag the dog. The kilt is Scotland's National Dress!

I can't imagine, and would be disgusted to learn of, someone trying to dictate TCHD to a Scot, as if that would not be an exercise in futility.
A question for consideration: Is not the traditional kilt the "National Dress" of Scots the world over? After all, there are five times as many Scots outwith the geographical borders than within. Many of us of the Diaspora are very interested in, have asked about and have received much good information about both historical and contemporary TCHD from several knowledgeable and willing posters here, whether they reside in Scotland or not. What readers actually do with that information is understandably a reason for concern, but hardly controllable.

At any rate, I thank you for sharing your thought-provoking comments.

**Jock Scot** · 29th November 12, 05:43 AM

Are there really 5 times as many Scots living outwith Scotland's borders? Or, are there 5 times as many of other nationalities with Scots ancestry outwith Scotland's borders? Two similar, but very different questions with two very different answers.

The answers, depending on where we come from, of the above questions cause some Scots and some with Scots ancestry, who are not Scots as such, quite a bit of angst. Therein lies the problem for us all wherever we happen to live.

**Angstrom** · 29th November 12, 07:15 AM

Just wondering if there are similar discussions about non-Germans wearing lederhosen....

The whole "national dress" question is interesting. It seems that often what passes for "traditional" clothing is of fairly recent origin, was used primarily for special occasions, or by a relatively small segment of the society.
In the case of the kilt, the current "traditional" or "proper" 7-yard knife-pleat kilt comes from a fairly narrow window in Scottish history, as do the "rules" about how it should be worn.

You might just as well ask "How do Scots feel about non-Scots eating haggis?" Food is often as distinctive as clothing, but nobody seems to get terribly upset when other cultures borrow, combine, and re-interpret their distinctive cuisines.