Why you don't see Scots wearing their kilts often

[Jock Scot]

[QUOTE=GG;959220]As long as the kilt business is blooming, and young people are standing in line to learn kilt making and become professional kilt makers, this attitude towards, in their eyes, rather stupid kilt wearers, often being Americans or otherwise foreign people, visiting their country, may be most understandable. Don't blame them. It is "their" kilt, after all.[/QUOTE



I think you are missing a very important point here Greg.I am guessing but I suspect the young Scots in question who do indeed pour scorn(vitriolic scorn quite often) on the kilt are from the Lowlands as it is not naturally "their" kilt. It never has been.

The young Highland Scot will just wonder what the occasion is, if they spot the kilt being worn in the day. It is true though, that they almost certainly will assume the wearer of the kilt not to be Scots. Nevertheless the young Highland Scot will generally take ownership of "their" kilt.

I think people also need to remember that out of a total Scottish population of about 5 million , LESS than a million people live in the Highlands and Islands.

[tpa]

Chrisupyonder, I ordered my kilt from The Edinburgh Kilt Company over the phone, because of the size issue. The original quote for shortening it was £17, reduced to £10 if I did not mind waiting and also because, at the original price, I was not prepared to order immediately.

[GG]

I think you are missing a very important point here Greg.I am guessing but I suspect the young Scots in question who do indeed pour scorn(vitriolic scorn quite often) on the kilt are from the Lowlands as it is not naturally "their" kilt. It never has been.

Thanks for the clarifying, Jock. I suppose they - the young Low Landers - are in general against the kilt, no matter who will war it, Scots or non Scots?

The young Highland Scot will just wonder what the occasion is, if they spot the kilt being worn in the day. It is true though, that they almost certainly will assume the wearer of the kilt not to be Scots. Nevertheless the young Highland Scot will generally take ownership of "their" kilt.

I think it is OK for them to wonder, and also that they almost per definition expect the kilt wearer to be a non Scot, but if they, as you say, take ownership of the kilt, shouldn't we foreigneres fear a hostile reaction from them, too, when wearing what they feel are their "property"?

After all tourists normally expect to be well received when visiting a foreign country and not be met with suspicion and contempt.

[Jock Scot]

Actually the Scot in general and the Highland Scot in particular are a very courteous bunch and apart from certain areas in the lowlands that are renowned for raucous behaviour,---take note of the football match two days ago!----- particularly when alcohol is involved, the tourist will have absolutely nothing to fear. Now if a visitor tries to tell a Scot ANY Scot(funnily enough lowlanders all of a sudden turn into kilt experts and can be very vociferous over all this!)how to wear the kilt,WHEN TO WEAR IT, potted clan history etc, etc ,even though the visitor may be right, then watch out!


The Lowland Scot has a tough and often seemingly unforgiving sense of humour which takes few prisoners , but actually means(most of the time)no harm and unless it is understood as such, real offence can unfortunately be taken.

So a person wearing the kilt in the lowlands MIGHT be the target for some tough , but generally good natured micky taking. A visitor , in most of the lowlands will probably escape unscathed. However a kilt wearing visitor in certain parts of the Central Belt(Lowlands), for example, could well have some serious fun poked at him!

[GG]

Actually the Scot in general and the Highland Scot in particular are a very courteous bunch... Now if a visitor tries to tell a Scot ANY Scot(funnily enough lowlanders all of a sudden turn into kilt experts and can be very vociferous over all this!)how to wear the kilt,WHEN TO WEAR IT, potted clan history etc, etc ,even though the visitor may be right, then watch out!

O Jock, I don’t miss your allusion to yesterday’s debating. I have no hard feelings about it, however. But perhaps I should stress that I have no intention to tell you/any Scotts WHEN to wear the kilt. My business was solely to suggest a more frequent wearing of it, i.e. that a special occasion should not be absolutely needed.
I think you can agree with me that the more the kilt is seen – worn in a proper way, of course – the better it shall be over all accepted.
I also think the kilt making business should profit from a more frequent wearing. Do you not see my point?

The Lowland Scot has a tough and often seemingly unforgiving sense of humour which takes few prisoners , but actually means(most of the time)no harm and unless it is understood as such, real offence can unfortunately be taken.

So a person wearing the kilt in the lowlands MIGHT be the target for some tough , but generally good natured micky taking. A visitor , in most of the lowlands will probably escape unscathed. However a kilt wearing visitor in certain parts of the Central Belt(Lowlands), for example, could well have some serious fun poked at him!

I do understand that the kilt is not particular welcome in the Scottish Lowlands, where 80% of all Scots live, at least not in day time, and that that has nothing to do with being Scottish or not, whereas in the Highlands it should be more accepted, even if some might wonder why on earth a foreigner should be wearing a kilt?

I still find it difficult to understand that I can wear a kilt in Denmark, Germany, Holland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and probably in a lot of other countries without any problems at all. But not in the very home of the kilt?

I’m convinced that if in Germany I would wear short Lederhosen which the Germans themselves are no longer wearing (except for the October Festival in Munich), I shouldn’t be ridiculed or attacked, apart from, perhaps, by types I should otherwise not bore to communicate with.

[Nighthawk]

So far there are few replies on this thread that come anywhere near answering the very good question. Yes the are a few Scots that wear the kilt regularly and I think we all agree that they are the exception rather than the norm. So what about every one else?

I think we need to consider many things that I will mention as they come off the top of my head in no particular order of priority.

Historically the kilt is Highland Scots attire and it is only in fairly recent times that the Lowland Scots have even considered wearing the kilt.

Lowland Scots(the majority by far) have little or no history of wearing the kilt as daily dress and even to this day there is a natural lack of sympathy to the kilt by many(not all as there is Highland blood from migrations South) lowland Scots particularly for daywear.

The Highland Scots (the minority) wore anything they could lay their hands on and I am yet to be convinced that the kilt, particularly the tartan kilt was daily apparel for many Highlanders. So the end result is that there is and never has been a Scotland where the kilt has been worn as general attire for the majority.

In consequence it is hardly surprising that the kilt is and has been worn for special occasions. Things may change, who knows.

Added to the above, we then have the Clan bit, OK mainly the Victorian Clan bit, but when all said and done Scotland is full of MacThis, Mcthat and Mactheothers so there is a very natural wish to belong and of course there is no better way to demonstrate the belonging bit than wearing YOUR tartan. Particularly as Scotland has a close knit society and long and deep social history which influences things in a way that young countries cannot really comprehend, however hard they try.

So the end result is a mindset of MY tartan and no one else's will do. It may change, although I doubt it.

Also the Scots have not been exposed, until very recently, to the cheaper option kilt, so yes indeed the £400/£500 kilt does only come out for special occasions ------just like it always has.

You are so very correct, Jock! That's exactly why I mentioned the less expensive off-the-rack and modern varieties! They allow the kilt (however one defines it) to become daily wear in the modern world. And in reality, that's the thing I like best about the modern kilt. It allows me to wear a kilt as often as I like, while like trousers, reserving my best for special occasions. These less expensive alternatives to the expensive traditional kilt do truly make the kilt a viable alternative to trousers in the modern world, in a way that, as you so accurately pointed out, has never happened before. And I know your feelings on the modern kilt (and how you define and don't define a kilt!) but I think that in this light, the evolution of the garment is a fine thing. Now- I have to go to the parts store to get a new part for my car. So off I go to put on my Amerikilt- since wearing my $600 tank would be most inappropriate for working on my car!

[GG]

That's exactly why I mentioned the less expensive off-the-rack and modern varieties! They allow the kilt (however one defines it) to become daily wear in the modern world.

Very well said.
We wear various kinds of trousers, depending on circumstances and for every task. Most men wear only trousers.

Inexpensive tartan kilts and modern kilts in addition to high quality expensive kilts give us the possibilty of wearing the kilt every where and everywhen, should we so wish.

[Jock Scot]

GG.

I think you are not quite understanding the subtleties of what I am trying to say and perhaps that is my fault.So let me try a bit harder!

We in Scotland don't need any encouragement to wear the kilt,those of us that do anyway, we are more than happy with the way and occasions that we do choose to wear it. Why? Well for reasons of I suspect, practicality, cost and even reasons lost in the mists of time to why we don't wear the kilt often in the day and we are actually more than happy with saving the kilt for special occasions. When you think about it we have had more than enough time to change the situation over the last 100 years or so, had we felt so inclined.

Please do not run away with the idea that the Lowlanders dislike the kilt, alright a few might, but in reality the kilt is not part of their culture(until recently) and you should regard any unflattering comments as part of the Highland/Lowland pretty robust leg pulling.

Certainly in the distant past the Highlanders were regarded as a troublesome, warlike bunch who did things their very own way, which was quite different to the lowlands-----although they were not averse to wars and banditry either!

Wear the kilt in Scotland by all means and many from outwith Scotland do quite happilly, every year. You are quite right, many Scots don't understand why anyone would want to wear the kilt as you and many on this website would like. I think you will just have to accept that we in Scotland choose to wear the kilt in our own good time and in our own way, which, I quite accept, is not the choice of many of you. I actually (I think I speak for most kiltwearers in Scotland)am happy with our choice and I have no problem with your choices either, but I do think the Scots are more than capable of making up their own minds when and where they wear the kilt, don't you?

[Redshank]

All Highland Scots and to a certain extent lowland Scots are aware that the kilt is regarded as our National Dress, and like all nations that have a national dress they reserve it for special occassions, as such they have high regard and great respect for the kilt, and many would pour scorn on cheaper alternatives, some see it as disrespectful to cheapen the national dress or wear alternatives to tartan, a vast majority see the alternative of wearing trousers/pants as a much more practical and easier option, couple that to the fact that they don't have to prove they are Scottish to the world, it's in the blood, it's in the heart.

[Jock Scot]

All Highland Scots and to a certain extent lowland Scots are aware that the kilt is regarded as our National Dress, and like all nations that have a national dress they reserve it for special occassions, as such they have high regard and great respect for the kilt, and many would pour scorn on cheaper alternatives, some see it as disrespectful to cheapen the national dress or wear alternatives to tartan, a vast majority see the alternative of wearing trousers/pants as a much more practical and easier option, couple that to the fact that they don't have to prove they are Scottish to the world, it's in the blood, it's in the heart.

Now why did I not say that? Thank you Chris!