my currant quandry.......tank?

[Alan H]

There is much screaming and shouting about women not wearing kilts and yet nobody bats an eye when a girl or a woman straps on a kilt for a highland dance competition.

So.....'nuff said, there.

Cloves, I'm going to go to town here...dream wild, right? and suggest that you consider making your own kilt.

PM Barb, and ask her about the differences between a dancers kilt and a guys kilt. Yeah, yeah, the tartan will be a dancing tartan, meaning that it will have a lot of white in it, and it'll be lighter weight. yup...but what I REALLY mean is, what's the difference, STRUCTURALLY. I don't know the answer to that, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that you could make a "dancers kilt" out of 13 ounce cloth in a non-dancers tartan and have something that fit you well and looked sharp. IF you wanted to stick with 11 ounce, well, no problem, huh?

....and you could make it yourself. All it takes is patience and care.

If you're not ready to take the plunge in terms of materials and hours of labor, then I agree with the other folks that have written so far. Try a Stillwater Heavyweight or a USA Kilt and see how you like it. If you dig the whole tartan kilt thing, THEN save your nickels for that tank.

The other low-cost option is to cruise ebay for tartan skirts. I bought my lady a beautiful wool tartan skirt in Dress Blue Stewart for...get this...ten bucks. It cost ten more to ship it from Florida, and twelve bucks to gt it dry-cleaned. It's flippin' gorgeous. There are kilt skirts on ebay all the time at ridiculous prices. You might think about getting one or two of those and seeing how you like them. There's much ballyhoo about the difference between kilts and kilt skirts, but you know what? Nuh-uh. Yeah, theyr'e different; the length is usually different ( you could shorten a long skirt) and the cut around the hips is different, and the waistband is different and the straps/buckles are smaller and so on, but STILL...they're not THAT much different. They're both still tartan, and they both wrap-around.

Anyway, yes I can see a contemporary use of a kilt for wear by a woman who thinks a little bit differently; you bet I can.

Sporran? I, personally dont thing that's a good idead, but how about this?....A hip purse...

https://www.bisadora.com/t-hip_purses.aspx

OK, that hip-purse is advertised as pretty hip-girly, but think of the CONCEPT, not that actual item, itself. A clever leatherworker could make you something remarkably cool with a celtic motif that would work much like that hip purse. In fact, I see things like that all the time at Ren Faire leatherworkers booths...basically belt-pouches. One of those would work, eh?

Team that up with a wide-ish, but not a "real kilt belt" sort of belt with a celtic motif buckle and you're stylin'.

Kilt pins? I bought a really gorgeous silver thistle at the Ben Lomond Games, and I also have a round celtic knot kilt pin. The X-marks kilt pin is nice, and there are many other options, like Celtic Crosses. Find one of those that look good to you and go with it.

Footwear? OK, I'm gonna freak you out. Knee socks. Yup, I'd say regular old grade-school girl cotton knee sox like what you can buy at www.sockdreams.com, and forget the flashes. I'd go with bright white if I were you and get ones that really look like knee socks and not like "kilt hose". Team those up with a nice pair of black flat uniform pumps, Or maybe black ballet pumps, if that isn't too girly-girl for you...
[

Then again, the whole "knee socks and black shoes" thing may just make you lose your breakfast, eh? I have to admit, it DOES sound kind of kinky. LOL. Whatever the case, IMHO, keep the shoes simple. Aim for "classic" rather than something "out there".

Perhaps a preferable option is calf-high or knee-high womens boots. Those would likely look *great*. Well, not the fuzzy, shearskin ones....

Above the waist I'd get the simplest, most classic white button-down blouse I could find, because the knee socks/pumps are going to tend to look "little girly" and you want to put some effort upstairs into making the look "sophisticated". Go classic, but FEMALE up here, don't use a button-down mens dress shirt. Add a nice silver or gold necklace, perhaps with a celtic motif pendant and you'd look great, I'll bet!

To top it off for a formal occasion, I would just throw on a black short-waisted jacket, perhaps something like a bolero cut, but without the Spanish motifs..

Look at this page: http://www.bushwackerwestern.com/jackets-w.html

...and check out the bolero jacket. Now, if that piping were removed so that it was plain plack, and the collar were a bit different..... Or maybe some tartan ribbon in the tartan of your kilt were creatively used....See, they custom-make them I bet you could e-mail 'em and....

I think it'd look GREAT.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'd forget the white sox and black pumps, and go for the boots. Well, unless you WANT to look kinky.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. GO for it, Cloves. If you want a really nice kilt, then don't let anybody stop you.

[Rampant Lion]

I agree with bubba, if you're concerned about getting a "men's kilt" you could get a kilted skirt made to knee length out of 8 yards of 16 oz. material. I don't think it'd be too hard for a kiltmaker to make the "kilt" open on the other side.
When I was at the local highland games here in Calgary I saw a lady in a kilt and I will admit it took me aback for a brief moment. I saw her off and on throughout the day and totally came to think it was cool. I think my initial reaction might have been because her fella had a matching kilt on too. haha. Kinda like couples in matching jogging suits.
I'm more of a traditionalist, but I say wear what you want. A heavy weight kilted skirt just might make things... easier.

[Canuck]

I say go for it. Get the tartan you want , get a traditional kilt. Wear it with a bulky sweater... Heck you have your own fashion sense. Don't worry about which way it closes. That's for a time when women had dressers and it was convenient for the dresser to dress you.
I think, once you have one you will find occassions to wear it. If it get's dirty it can be cleaned.
Wear it with pride.
Cheers
Robert

[raindog]

Hi Cloves,
Have to agree with everyone so far. I didn't even associate kilts with a male only garment
Most of the world (everyone who doesn't wear a kilt!) probably wouldn't see it as a men only thing either.
Go for it and enjoy it


Jeff.

[Gil Prothero]

hey cloves..interesting..
i like your independence..
get whatever you want dear..
you do have a gender advantage..
you may wear what you want, in any way, who's going to say otherwise?
you can do the tall boot thing, ( 20 eyelet martens)
or ghillies..
i knew a very assertive woman who wore ghillies witha cape..everyone stopped to watch her just walk down the street..she's a top radio personality now..
every highland game i go to, women wear kilts..the band members don't wear anything diff than the guys..
it's a new FREE and great world. life is too short, do what you want.
i have gotten flack from people asking me if i have permission to wear certain plaids..
i tell them i always have written permits on me..just for the clan cops..
i'll bet you look GREAT !
and EVERYONE wants a TANK..

[Gil Prothero]

OMG!!! Cloves,
THANK YOU, for talking about the Tripp Kilt..
i just looked it up

neat site..

i love Goth.

i got a pair of very high top doc martens..this would be great.

any ways, thanks again..

[GatorUK]

Noticed in your post that you are a drummer. Since it is obvious that you are interested and enthusiastic about the kilt, have you thought about joining a pipe band if there is one in your area? Not that you need an excuse to buy and wear a traditional kilt. By all means, if you want one, get one and pfft on what anyone else says. You might want to try a Stillwater heavyweight first to see how you like the look and feel of a traditional kilt before laying out the $$$ for a custom made traditional.

This does, of course, give a different perspective to 'kilt checks".

[David Dalglish]

When I was at the World piping championships in Glasgow, there were lots of women wearing "tanks" with blouses & plain coloured waistcoats & a fancy belt --looks great "Go for it". No sporran though.

[Tartan Hiker]

have you thought about joining a pipe band if there is one in your area?

...and pipe bands often provide their members with kilts, so cost problem solved!!

[Robin]

Go for it!

Some will disagree...who cares!?

Some ideas:

Wear stockings (sexy or classy...or both)... goth boots or (high) heels, no sporran! maybe no belt or a nice fashion belt...a nice blouse.
Maybe it's nice to use a sporran as a handbag?

I think women wearing a tank can look extremly good...just don't dress the way "us men" do.

It's hard to give good advise...what looks good on one person can look terrible on another...and personal taste and style is also an issue.

Anyway...GET your tank, after that you can start fiddling around with the rest of the outfit.

Good luck!