Spontaneous kilt-giving; success rate

[Alan H]

I have, out of more-or-less nowhere (the recipients knew they were coming of course and gave me the OK) given made-by-me kilts to four guys who have never worn kilts before. I still have to deliver the Royal Stewart 5-yard to my cousin, when that's done, it'll be five.

My cousin is probably a success story. It's a tartan kilt and he's already gone out and bought hose, a belt and a sporran to go with it. Captain Jak and his X-Kilt prototype was a success story, though I haven't seen him for a while. He went out and bought a Stillwater Nightstalker, and has occasionally been seen at the Games. Dan the Brewer was a success story as well, he went out and bought a Stillwater Saffron kilt, hose, sporran, the whole kit and even came to one X Marks Burns Night. His X-Kilt got passed on to a young friend of Panache's, who presumably still wears it. So, three successes out of five.

The other two gifts are more-or-less failures. By this I mean that the guys have worn the kilts 2-3-4 times....like out to coffee with me for example.... as a way of saying "thank you" but they have now sat unworn in their closets for months, and I somewhat doubt they'll ever come out again. That kind of sucks, though I knew that one of the gifts was a total shot in the dark. The stinker is that he won't return it so that I can give it to someone who WILL wear it. I've asked 3-4 times. It's OK, that kilt was an experiment and didn't really come out all that well, but still. The other one is a pretty nice digicamo kilt, though I wish I'd done the belt loops differently. Maybe, MAYBE now that it's Spring, Stuart will strap the thing on, but I kind of doubt it.

For you who have given kilts to guys who weren't kilt-wearers, and who didn't really ask for them...just sort of spontaneously given someone a kilt, what's your "success rate"?

[McFarkus]

I was at a local street fair last summer wearing a kilt and an African American guy whose wife had a booth said, "A kilt, my grandfather Mac**** was Scottish." We talked about kilts a bit, and I realized he and I were close in size.

I had a cheapie acrylic kilt I bought on ebay and hadn't worn much, so I brought it to him later that day. He was thrilled!!! He even gave me a large pillow from his wife's booth that cost almost as much as I paid for the kilt. It's nice to be able to make someone happy.

I also gave away my only handmade 8 yard kilt (about 13 oz.). I'd shrunk a bit and was able to give it to someone who managed to set his only warm (acrylic) kilt on fire. I also sent along an Argyle jacket that was too big for me. I guess this one doesn't count because he was already a kiltie.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

Well, my brother says he's worn it a few times, but I haven't actually seen him in it since I gave it to him.

My father has worn the kilt we gave him several times and is looking forward to another (when I find the time to make him one in the Nichol tartan).

Our neighbor's son (who we gave an X-Kilt that you made for Dan at Devil's Canyon, which Dan managed to get too skinny for) happily wears his to games and such, but has unfortunately begun to outgrow it already (he's a giant).

So, mostly success, I'd say.

Be well,

[David Thornton]

I was gifted a kilt by a member who had outgrown his, it really changed my outlook & participation on the board. As I have lost 4 inches at the waist, I am thinking about the proper way to pass it along (or keep it as a fat kilt!).

Maybe you should gift with the proviso that it be worn or be re gifted, they will still appreciate the gesture and may feel some relief if they are only wearing it occasionally to save face with you their friend.

Just a thought

David

[Wompet]

Brother #1 - I gave him a phillabeg which I really can't blame him for not wearing. 0 for 1
And he was at the Buffalo Irish Festival with (because of) me a couple of years ago when Jimmy Carbomb gave him a kilt. Does that count as indirect giving (0 for 2)?

Brother #2 - I gave him a black SWK Standard three years ago that he wore once, and a X-Kilt in Desert Camo I made for him that again got worn once. 0 for 3.
BUT - seeing the Sackett tartan, he has said he wants me to make him a kilt in that, and his girlfriend is agreeable to it ... 0.5 for 3?

[lethearen]

My uncle just saw a pic of me in our tartan and said "Awesome, I'll have to get me one some day." So I offered to get one for him. SportKilts just discontinued Ferguson, but they said they had some in stock left. I figured that'd make a good "do I like to wear a kilt" kilt for him. I'll post how he likes it if he ever gets back to me on his measurements

[Rex_Tremende]

Well, I don't know if I can technically claim my giving led to success, because one of my my best buds already admired my kilts and had since bought a UK on his own once. But later, I gifted him my Black Stewart SWK and he's worn it out on his own a few times. Lately, though, he's been into my kilt closet and has left with my USAK Auld Lang Syne and Tewksbury MacGillivray tanks on.

Fortunately, he returned them the same evenings. But he's aware of the difference, now.

Regards,
Rex.

[Nighthawk]

I have only given one- it was to my best friend, who happens to be an Anderson. I took him to a Highland festival last summer, where he discovered that his name had a tartan associated with it, and he got pretty excited. So I got him an Anderson tartan kilt for Christmas. It was a success.