Is it OK for just anybody to kilt up?

[Steve Ashton]

If I can, I would like to relate my personal experiences.

First off, I am not Scottish. I am an American who lives, and has dual citizenship, in Canada. My only Scottish connection is one Grandfather back in the early 1800's who, on a US census, listed that his father was born in Scotland.

I began wearing kilts and then became a kilt maker simply because I liked kilts.
Here in Canada, and also in the US, I found a very pleasant surprise. If I am in trousers I am just another old, white guy. No one paid me any more attention than any other guy like myself.

But once I began to wear a kilt people on the street made eye contact. They smiled back and responded if I said hello.
Even women would return a hello and sometimes a smile.

I have visited Scotland. I have packed only kilts when I did so.
I have never felt as uncomfortable wearing a kilt that when in Scotland. Not even when in England or Wales.
I visited with my suppliers, and visited Edinburgh as I wanted to experience the home of Tartan Tat firsthand.
During my first time in Edinburgh my wife and I started a trip down the Royal Mile at the top of the hill with a visit to the Castle. As we walked across the Tattoo grounds my wife noticed an ice cream truck. She went to get an ice cream and I continued to the entrance of the Castle to await her.

Now, to put this in perspective, Here is a photo taken later the same day when I visited with Howie Nicklesby. I had removed my jacket as we were having a pint in a local pub and it was a bit warm that day. Just to show that I was not dressed slovenly.



Well, I got to the drawbridge and stood there. In the time that it took for my wife to join me I would guess over 50 people came up to me asking for a photo with the guy in the kilt. All were tourists who were a bit disappointed that I seemed to be the only kilt in the city. By the time my wife joined me I had a group of young Japanese girls hanging off of me. I wish I had had a hat to place on the ground. I could have paid for the trip.

As we progressed down the hill towards Holyrood house I stopped into every kilt shop we found. I walked into the shop of one of the most respected Scottish kiltmaking names in the entire kilt world. The shop was long and narrow. The little bell on the door rang as I entered.
There was just one clerk in the store. A young man, dressed in slacks and a light blue sport coat, all the way in the back, up on a step stool, arranging a display.

I had casually strolled about half way through the store before the clerk even turned around to see who had come in.
But I was totally taken aback when the clerk looked me up and down before saying in a very condescending way - "Oh, another American came to Scotland and bought himself a kilt."

To say that I was gobsmacked is an understatement. All I could manage was "Well, actually sir, I am a kilt maker. I wear a kilt every day. And you, sir, just lost a sale."
I turned on my heel and walked out.

In visits to all over Scotland, I have never felt as unwelcome. I feel like I should have worn a sign on my back. "Sorry, I'm just a kiltmaker.", as an apology.

No where else in the past 20 years have I been received like I was in Scotland and it left a very bitter taste in my mouth. The only exception was 1 other kiltmaker and X Marks members.

According to the parliament of Scotland, the official symbol of Scotland is Tartan. Not the kilt.
Scotland is the home of the Tartan Tat phenomenon. It is to the Scottish hire shops that we owe much of the outlandish myths that are so prevalent in the rest of the world today. The whole "Authentic full Scottish highland dress outfit" concept to include, Prince Charlie coattees worn with a belt as day wear, fuzzy white rabbit sporrans worn down against the crotch, white hose, Tartan flashes, ghillie brogues with the laces half way up the leg, Tartan flashes and the horrid Ascot tied in a 4-in-hand knot Ruche tie.

As a kilt maker I have had the opportunity to see, hands-on, many Scottish made kilts. I find it odd that instead of taking pride in the kilt and the quality of Scottish makers, the kilts seem to be made to the lowest common denominator. You do not know how many Scottish made kilts I have seen that do not pass the stretch test or fit the wearer well.
When I query Scottish kilt makers about this, I am universally met with an all too common dismissal. "I'm Scottish. Don't try to tell me. I know best. No maker outside of Scotland can make a 'real' kilt." And also "We are having to compete with the Pakistani invasion that has stolen our livelihood.". (Even though The Gold Bros. are 100% born and raised in Edinburgh)

So yes, while I can respect that different views have been expressed in some of the previous comments I strongly disagree with some of them. Scotland does not own my kilts. I do. I am not doing so to pretend I am Scottish or to adopt anyone elses racial heritage. I like wearing a kilt and will continue to do so for my own reasons. And I believe I am fully within my rights to ignore those who try to tell me that I do not have the "right" to wear a kilt because I do not live above the Highland Line or speak with a Scottish accent.