What proportions of Traditional/Contempory kilts do you see?

[Father Bill]

Only time I've ever seen "contemporary" kilts is at an X-Marks event. I was the only one there in a traditional "tank" but every other kilt I've ever seen has been traditional. Actually I'd never heard of these other variations until I joined X-Marks.

[cck]

Excluding Scottish themed events, in the past year I have only seen 2 men wearing kilts, and both were seen twice. A grand total of 4 kilts in one year ! One was a gentleman in formal attire at the opera, which is routine for him (traditional.) The other man was at an awards ceremony for a triathlon and he had put on a Sportkilt (traditional? modified) to pick up his gold medal. A few weeks later there was a second event and he again wore his kilt. This time, however, I joined him (kilters love company) and gold medals went to 2 in kilts.

At themed events, in this area, I would estimate about 50/50 for traditional/contemporary.

[Kiltboy]

At a celtic festival, game or parade: traditional=80% contemporary=20%

At a bar/pub, shopping, or at a street/neighborhood festival: contemporary=90%, traditional=10%

I'm seeing more and more UKs, but almost at a gathering. I see very few kilts in the wild.

[artificer]

It's a rare thing to spot a random (non-celtic event) kilt worn out and about 'round here.

Mostly I have seen UK type contemporary kilts at concerts/pubs. Of the few traditional kilts I've seen about, probably most were on lads on their way to a pub after a morning wedding, or an older gent out for a special evening with his wife.

ith:

[seanachie]

I don't see many kilts in my area day to day. I do remember one instance of seeing someone on a trip to Joshua Tree at the Walmart, well off the beaten path. For myself I have a mix of both modern and traditional. Tonight everyone at my office is going to directly to a Christmas dinner from work, so I am wearing a traditional box pleated wool kilt. Typically on Friday's at work I wear a modern kilt because I work in a lab (not a chemist though) because I handle production samples and cosmetic raw materials and worry about spills, residue etc. In my everyday life, what I wear depends on what I am doing but it's pretty close to 50-50. Church, symphony concerts, nice dinners etc unquestionably I go traditional. Taking my dogs to the park and playing with them, modern. Chores around the housing, running errands on a Saturday, modern. Meetings, functions outside of work traditional.

[AKScott]

My local demographic is unique I think, at the northwest corner of the pavement in North America. In my lcoal area about the size of Connecticut we have about 100,000 people. Among those we have a pipe band with about a dozen members.

Outside the pipeband, I am out and about in a traditional kilt a couple times a month and we have two examples of local color frequently seen about town in modern kilts with combat boots and scrunched socks.

There is also one man, a member here about 20 miles down the road from me who owns a PV kilt in Black Watch, though I have yet to meet him.

We do have a new in town club rugby team. I met one of the players last week, we were both kilted at the time. Apparently they are planning to play in black/ grey and white (fashion sett) PV kilts. I am likely to give the young man some proper hose next time I meet him.

So besides me and the pipe band, 50-50, n=4.

[creagdhubh]

My local demographic is unique I think, at the northwest corner of the pavement in North America. In my lcoal area about the size of Connecticut we have about 100,000 people. Among those we have a pipe band with about a dozen members.

Outside the pipeband, I am out and about in a traditional kilt a couple times a month and we have two examples of local color frequently seen about town in modern kilts with combat boots and scrunched socks.

There is also one man, a member here about 20 miles down the road from me who owns a PV kilt in Black Watch, though I have yet to meet him.

We do have a new in town club rugby team. I met one of the players last week, we were both kilted at the time. Apparently they are planning to play in black/ grey and white (fashion sett) PV kilts. I am likely to give the young man some proper hose next time I meet him.

So besides me and the pipe band, 50-50, n=4.

If you are in need of additional hose (for that chap), you know where to go! Haha!

Cheers mate,

[Nick the DSM]

If kilts are to be seen at all, it's mostly traditional kilts. I hardly see any comtemporary kilts at the Highland games. Though, I have seen them at local punk/rock/metal shows.

[xman]

I am largely exposed to traditional kilts, but do see some contemporary models. 10:1 I guess.

[Zardoz]

The proportions seem to differ a lot depending on where you are, and what you're doing. I'll say the overall for what I see is about 80% traditional, and 20% contemporary, give or take a few % ...

Thinking about it, it seems like I see more more contemporaries at renfaire and celtic events than everyday, but maybe I just notice them more there, since they don't seem to 'fit in'.... but still in that 20% margin. I guess outside typical events I know about 8 guys here that I pretty much always see in kilts, a couple that I've only seen in contemporary kilts.

I'll use this last weekend as an example- I wore a trad kilt to all this stuff:

Friday night I went to a regular pub night with some renfaire folks, 3 trad kilts, 1 contemporary. These are all people I know.

Saturday night, went to see bands at two different bars, 4 trad, 1 contemporary at the first one (Irish Pub). And 1 trad, (me) and 1 UK worn by a woman, at the next. I knew 2 of the guys at the Irish pub from faire.

Sunday I went to a benefit concert for kids at Christmas, and there were about 4 or 5 kilts all traditional, while I was there, I only knew one of those guys.

So no matter what, I think it's great to see lot of kilts around, and it's nice to meet strangers wearing them.