Thanks for sharing your story, Alan.

It's funny to me, as I seem to be going in the exact opposite direction as you.

My introduction to kilts was through Utilikilts. The first times I saw them, I thought that there wasn't a chance that I'd be able to pull it off and wear it confidently. Then I tried one on, and quickly became hooked.

Next up was Freedom Kilts, then Union Kilts, then R kilts, then Amerikilt, then Alt Kilt. All in solid colours or camo materials. I just didn't think that I could wear a clan tartan. I thought they looked great, but, I had no affiliation, and couldn't visibly 'fake' a Scottish identity (I'm of japanese descent.)

Then I read more and more on this site, and found out about universal tartans, and fashion tartans. And the thought grew that perhaps I could wear one of those tartans. But, the pockets! Oh, the pockets. How I need my pockets.

Well, right about that time, Steve introduced us to the HBC tartan. And conveniently, he makes a tartan kilt complete with pockets. What luck! The order was soon placed for that HBC tartan, a fashion tartan that I did feel a direct link to, with pockets.

Not long after that, Rocky was having a sale on his off the rack casual models. What a divine coincidence that he happened to have one in my size in the American Heritage tartan. (My wife is American.) I was able to get it and have an under apron pocket put in. *phew* I still had a pocket.

Yes, I know, that's what sporrans are for. And I do like the looks of sporrans, I just have a very big fear of placing a dangly bit in front of my own dangly bits. Yes, yes, that's irrational, as thousands have been doing it, and continue doing it, but, it's just something I haven't been able to cross,,,, yet.

Anyways, I now had two tartans, with fairly direct affiliations. I then ordered a Maple Leaf tartan kilt (again, with pockets) which I also have a link to.

The next step though, came when I placed an order for a fashion tartan, that I have absolutely no link to. I just happened to like the colours of it. The Edinburgh tartan looks really nice, and it also gave me a chance to get a kilt from another kiltmaker that I had gotten to know and like.

So, I will soon have in my hands, a fashion tartan kilt that has no link to me, aside from the fact that I like the colours in it. Somewhere in my queue, I will also be ordering up an antarctic tartan (again, just because I love the colours in it, through Kathy Lare), as well as a tartan with japanese historical context (through Mr. Newsome!) There's some other tartans out there that I really like as well, that holyrood comes to mind ;) , and yes, I'm sure there will even be a clan tartan at some point.

To make a short story even longer, I guess, it just goes to show how everyone is different.

Mike

PS Now if I could just work on that sporran fear....