The kilt cannot be universally accepted

[Luke MacGillie]

Don't be afraid of attire conventions, they have been developed and fine tuned over the centuries for good reason, and the quiet, but firm words whispered in your ear of "its just not done old boy" is a "gentle" and discreet suggestion from a friend or helpful onlooker that perhaps one needs to seriously consider ones attire options. It is your choice to think and perhaps act on it. It would be wise too!

Many of the modern conventions deserve to have "Anymore" appended to that suggestion, In my humble opinion.

[Jock Scot]

Many of the modern conventions deserve to have "Anymore" appended to that suggestion, In my humble opinion.

You may be right. I am afraid I know little about Modern Conventions to be able to comment. I was born many decades too early. I do know a bit about traditional conventions though, particularly in British terms and Scottish kilt terms.

[Luke MacGillie]

You may be right. I am afraid I know little about Modern Conventions to be able to comment. I was born many decades too early. I do know a bit about traditional conventions though, particularly in British terms and Scottish kilt terms.

Modern to me means anything after 1900

So say a sporran with a gilt cantle and elephant hide bag, the most expensive sporran known to man in say 1740, its not "Formal" enough to wear after 5pm, and to do so would get you looked down upon by some poly viscose, chrome plated modern with a skene brew in his socks.

Yes I said socks because they are knit, not cut from the cloth

My kilt culture is firmly rooted in the distant past, and think I was probably born out of time as well

[Jock Scot]

Modern is anything after 1900 eh? Crikey that makes me really modern, a mere ankle biter even! Perhaps my children might like to hear that a 1940 vintage is modern! Somehow I don't think that they would agree. Actually, as much as I would like to, I don't think I would either!

[Luke MacGillie]

It all went to pot when the 77th and 42nd turned in their swords and pistols because they didn't really know how to use them and those items were just extra weight to carry around.......

[Jock Scot]

Its those wretched quartermasters again, they cannot abide all those chaps dashing about the place with all that kit that they cannot use properly, you never know they might hurt someone. Best get it all back in the stores where it belongs and all will be well, as stores are, after all, for storing, not using!

[ThistleDown]

Luke and Jock -- at the risk of drifting even further off-topic, the armoury at Culzean is full of stuff one of the Earls bought mid-19C from your quartermaster at a bulk bargain price. The vast majority didn't see action before its obsolescence was noticed. The entire centre portion of this pic was case-labeled for a Highland regiment -- but then came Waterloo and they remained in the 'store' for almost a half-century, or so I am told.



Now back to the subject.

[Pleater]

During my visit to the Folk festival in Sidmouth earlier this month there were the Exeter City pipes and drums around in their band uniforms, someone which are rather poorly fitting, a couple of men wore kilts for social dancing and looked very smart, but there were also at least three kilts being worn as costume for morris dancing.
The band probably got most notice because of the volume of their playing, the social dancers were noticed in the streets, but the kilted morris dancers were totally unremarkable amongst the rest. They dance Border morris and their tradition is rather more disreputable than the other types. They wear pheasant feathers in their hats, and the females tend to be of the satin corset and torn fishnet tights sort. The other types of morris tend to resemble cricketers, or Victorian rugby teams.

Whilst the wearing of kilts by Border morris men is unlikely to gain universal acceptance anytime soon, the greater comfort of those wearing them was something noticed by those expending great amounts of energy in the hot sun.

Anne the Pleater

[Michael A]

Hello All

This is my first post apart from my newbie introduction.

I received my first utility kilt yesterday and basically haven't taken it off, including doing anaesthetic clinics in a business shirt and tie, but wearing military leather flying boots with the kilt. I have some distant Scottish ancestry, with which I have not until recently identified. I ordered my tartan (Ferguson) kilt last week but I wanted to get used to it first, hence the "tactical" kilt. Needless to say, it's marvellous to wear.

I will say though, that even though utility kilts don't need a sporran due to their cargo pockets, wearing either a plain day wear sporran or one of those ammunition/admin pouches as a sporran screams "KILT!" to any bypassers who might otherwise have doubts as to its identity. In my limited exposure, I have had laughs from people at work, which is fun really, but from strangers they have either not noticed, asked if I am Scottish, or complimented me on it. The only one at work I might be worried about is the recently arrived registrar from Aberdeen, but if he settles here in Australia, his kids will have Australian accents and attitudes and they and theirs will be like me: Australians with some Scottish heritage and genes. There really isn't much he can do about that to be honest. And I don't think he'd mind - his wife is French for one thing.

There is an American from California of Filipino heritage at work who has expressed interest in getting a utility kilt. I say the more the merrier! I wouldn't be concerned about "appropriation" - that whole idea is a pernicious and backward concept whose logical conclusion would be apartheid! We borrow all kinds of aspects of others' culture all the time and always have. I don't see European people getting their knickers in a knot about non-European people wearing suits, even though they have European origins. It's not "appropriation", it's called living in the modern world; it's civilisation. If a black man in Hawaii wants to wear a kilt, if he is comfortable in that, then that is just another contribution of Scotland to the modern world on top of the enlightenment and all that!

I hope this is not too controversial for a first post. I do agree however, that it would be foolhardy to wear a kilt in some poor areas, but it might be just as hazardous to go there alone anyway in some cases.

[Bluethunder90]

"appropriation" - that whole idea is a pernicious and backward concept

I agree completely with your assessment of appropriation, however, it was just my attempt to convey the message that I realize that I am not of Scottish heritage and as such, do not want to, in any way, offend someone else's heritage.