Contemporary vs Traditional

[jrmiller]

In practice, what I have seen at our local Irish festival are Utilikilts. They seem to be an easy choice for kilt wanna-bee's.

[Macleod91]

I have both a traditional and contemporay kilt, and i think that the traditonal are far more comfortable and publicly noticable as a kilt. mainly due to the tartan

[Iolaus]

I've noticed that some posters here are equating a solid coloured kilt with contemporary. That really isn't true as traditional kilts can be solid-coloured. (Saffron, Hodden Grey, etc...)

True that. My idea of a contemporary is one that has pockets, and one that sits on the hips rather than the waist. A traditional to me is one that is a wrap only, and designed to be worn higher.

[Bugbear]

I've just finnished putting a whole lot of work into making my Stillwater wool kilt a lot more like a traditional kilt; mostly the insides. It fits so, so, much better. Though, I was very thankful to finally be able to sew the lining back in because I had been putting it on to see how it fit before that.

I prefer the high waist fit on a kilt, and even my canvas Buzz Kidder is a higher waist than some of the other contemporaries. I would prefer that it have the fell sewn down further, and the waist be a little higher, but I have what I have.

My achrylic Stillwater is next on the chopping block, so I haven't done anything to the canvas kilt.

[Bugbear]

I like both.

[attworth]

I pretty much agree with the Wizard, although my beginnings were slightly different.

My first kilt was home-made. It fit decently, it swished decently, it wrinkled like anything made out of duck cloth would, and it cost me around 20$ to make it. A while later, I found a beautiful Seaforth Highlander's kilt for sale on here for really cheap. Luckily it fit perfectly. Wearing that is completely different than wearing my first home-made masterpiece.

[sathor]

Perhaps better would be an Irish (solid colored) Tradional. it 'skirts' between the contemporary and the traditional (trad as most people think of kilts) and you can go either way from there with ease.

[lucienrau]

I agree with those who are saying that it depends on what you want it for. I bought a tank as my first kilt because I wanted to be married kilted. I wore it at my wedding and to the local a few times but not often and wore it less and less over the years.

I bought a UK and started being kilted more often, which has pushed me back towards getting more tailored garments. I think contemporary kilts are great starter kilts for daily kilting, but USAK & SWK are excellent for that too.

[Tim B]

II own and wear both. A traditional (if we mean tartan in this case) truly says, "Scottish Kilt" to most who see it. But if the tartan is something along the lines of a Wallace, Buchannan or such, something other than your Black Watch or Hunting Stewart variety, it certainly stands out in a crowd. Where as a contemprorary (single color cotton twill or the like) in the right environment, can almost blend in with the baggy cargo shorts crowd. So, I guess it depends on what you want to "say" about yourself. I think it all comes down to which you choose, where you wear it, and what the reaction of those around you are. A contemporary kilt at a St. Patrick's Day event may get you the same ridicule that an "in your face" tartan would get at a motorcycle rally. If the first worn kilt results in a negative experience, then that choice probably wasn't the best.

[Monkey@Arms]

A contemporary kilt at a St. Patrick's Day event may get you the same ridicule that an "in your face" tartan would get at a motorcycle rally. If the first worn kilt results in a negative experience, then that choice probably wasn't the best.

I've worn my olive UK original to San Francisco's St. Patrick's Day parade and festival, and got nothing but compliments. I'm pretty sure I've read accounts of forum members wearing tartan kilts to biker gatherings with the same result. Most people are cool with kilts of any variety, and those who have issues generally can't tell one from the other.

Best regards

Jake