Contemporary Kilts -- a Visual guide....

[CMcG]

I've always had kind of a simplistic view on this.

If it's tartan, it's not a contemporary kilt. Ditto for tweed. Polyester Viscose tartan is still tartan. However, I've seen contemporary kilts made which incorporate tartan into their design in various ways. Paul Henry has done this, and done it well. That complicates things.

One thing that I know for sure drives me bonkers, is well-meaning guys who take their strome 16 ounce tartan kilt, wear it with hiking boots, and then announce that this look belongs in the Contemporary Kilt Forum. However, I'm aware that this is just me being dorky.

STILL.....Utilikilts, Gryphon kilts, Freedom (non-tartan) kilts, Amerikilts, R-Kilts, Stumptown kilts, NeoKilt, Tactical kilts...the X-Kilt...to me, these items are "contemporary kilts". Kilts made of tartan, even polyester-viscose, as long as they have sewn-in pleats in the back, close with some sort of buckle, and have a full-width apron belong in the "traditional kilt" forum. This includes those made with internal pockets.

so where does the Sportkilt fit into this?

I know, I know.....arrrgh

I'd like to add some fuel to the semantic fire

@Steve Ashton would probably call ALL his Freedom Kilts—tartan or otherwise—"contemporary."

The Utilikilts webpage refers to their product as either a "modern, casual kilt" or a "Male Unbifurcated Garment (MUG)."

Gryphon Workshop says they make "utility kilts, cargo and modern kilts."

RKilts listing reads "Casual Kilts, Contemporary Kilts, Utility Kilts and Non-Traditional Kilts."

Stumptown calls them either "modern kilts" or "utility kilts."

Neo Kilts actually describes theirs a bit more: "Neo Kilts are a high quality kilt made in a traditional style using modern materials and high quality craftsmanship as a bridge between everyday trousers and the revered highland garment" and "Every day wear kilts made in a traditional style."

And perhaps most interestingly, Amerikilts simply call theirs an "American Kilt." They also list the New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art's useful definition, which I think applies more broadly to the genre of contemporary-modern-casual-utility-cargo kilt: “AmeriKilt emphasizes the masculinity and functionality of the kilt at the expense of most of its other formal qualities.”

As Nathan suggests, the wording of the Contemporary sub-forum seems to welcome both "Contemporarily made kilts" and how kilts (in general) "can be worn to emulate a contemporary style or fashion." If someone were to create a visual guide for contemporary kilts, they might do well to split it into two parts along those lines. Or perhaps just try to cover one of them...