Tradition and Change

[Calgacus]

I think that depends on whether the utility style kilts are adopted by the Highlanders or, more broadly, the Scots. At the moment, they are mostly worn by Americans. They have been adopted as a symbol of the counterculture featuring in punk rock, hippie and goth fashion to some degree. So far, the Scots haven't really taken ownership of this type of garment.

I certainly can't predict the future but regardless of the answer to your query, this is the Traditionally Made Kilts and How to Wear Them subforum, so I think the utility kilts conversation is a bit outside of scope.

Personally, I think it unlikely that Scots will adopt utility style kilts. The reason I say this is because by and large, if a Scot is going to wear a kilt, he wants it to reflect his cultural heritage, and it will therefore most likely be a traditional tartan kilt. I have seen a few goth/rock types wearing kilts in dark black & grey tartans, but that's about as far as it goes. I would imagine that to wear a utility type kilt could possibly even be seen as a deliberate rejection of one's Scottish culture.

To illustrate, one of our former First Ministers famously wore a Howie Nicholsby pin-stripe kilt with no sporran and what appears to be a jeans waist to a fashion show in new York. It caused quite a storm here, with one paper describing it as "toe-curling", and it is often referred to as "THAT kilt". He has since said that he is "haunted" by the image.

We can be quite a conservative bunch at times.