what would happen? Pocket lint

[Nathan]

I don't know of traditional kilts with "pockets" as we could argue about whether Steve's kilts are still traditional once the feature is added. That said, there are plenty of military kilts for sale on ebay that have a square "pocket" on the front apron. I've also know of pockets to be sewn on the under apron in a similar fashion. Not sure if military kilts count as THCD since they're technically THMD but there is a long precedent for at least one pocket on traditional kilts.

[ASinclair]

ML, a spy's pocket lint would accumulate in his sporran, naturally. I'm with Kyle on this one. No pockets in or on my kilt.

[OC Richard]

In spy novels, they refer to "pocket lint"- the accumulation of stuff that separates normal people from people whose past has been obscured or eliminated or doesn't exist.

Wow... I've read that sentence a couple times and I still don't know what it means... but then, I don't read spy novels!

When going from wearing trousers to wearing a traditionally made kilt, do you

I carry the same stuff.

It's a oft-repeated theme on XMarks, people lamenting the kilt lacking pockets or some other attribute of trousers, and a huge industry has been created meeting these perceived needs (Utilikilts et al).

I have never found traditional Highland dress wanting in any way, never thinking "the kilt would be so much better if it were only more similar to trousers" in this way or that.

[Highlander31]

In spy novels, they refer to "pocket lint"- the accumulation of stuff that separates normal people from people whose past has been obscured or eliminated or doesn't exist.

Wow... I've read that sentence a couple times and I still don't know what it means... but then, I don't read spy novels!

“Pocket lint” is part of the trade craft. What you carry says a lot about you. For instance do you carry your cash in a money clip, in your wallet, or just folded in your pocket? Do you keep the bills in order, or are they just put together? If in order, do you put the larger denominations on the outside, or the inside? What do you have in your cell phone? Photos? Texts? Do you carry a pocket knife, if so, what style? What receipts are in your wallet, or pocket? What credit cards do you use? Or do you only pay in cash? Do you wear a ring, other than your wedding band? Is the wedding band plain, or distinctive? All these things are taken into consideration when one develops a legend (cover story.) When you go under, you must become the legend. The smallest mistake will end the operation, and at the very least earn you an interrogation with some very unfriendly people.

Normal people don’t think about any of these things, they just go about life.

When going from wearing trousers to wearing a traditionally made kilt, do you

I carry the same stuff.

I carry the same basic things every day (sometimes I add one or two items for specific things that might be happening that day.)
It all fits in my pockets or sporran with room to spare.

[ForresterModern]

I obviously carry many items in whatever choice of sporran I have made that day, usually things I must have but needn't make use of frequently. For items I need to reach and make use of regularly, if I am jacketed I will make use of those pockets and those of the waistcoat if also so clad. If not jacketed I typically use a medium sized belt pouch that I wear over my left hip on my kilt belt for those frequently needed items like keys, cell phone, a small kilt wallet with limited contents, and change. As I am often also carrying a bag of camera gear extra space may be commandeered in that as well. As a last resort I sometimes carry a medium shoulder bag of either leather or cordura---a bicycle bag or sling pack.

[OC Richard]

If not jacketed I typically use a medium sized belt pouch that I wear over my left hip on my kilt belt for those frequently needed items like keys, cell phone, a small kilt wallet with limited contents, and change.

I carry that stuff in my sporran. At a piping gig my sporran will have my ordinary wallet, car keys, cell phone, and rubber coin thingie. At a Highland Games I'll add my small digital camera, either in the sporran (getting crowded now) or in a waistcoat pocket.

I almost never wear a dirk belt.

[rmccool]

I agree with Jock Scot... kilts that appear to be traditional in design and materials can be worn with "traditional" dress, even if said kilts happen to have concealed pockets. As with any mode of dress, the big thing is appearance; what happens beneath the apron stays beneath the apron.

How one handles "pocket lint" while kilted is likely to hinge upon a variety of factors. As a resident of the American South, I find wearing a jacket outdoors for more than a few minutes in summer to be all but unbearable, so utilizing jacket or waistcoat pockets is an option that I rarely have available. I also typically carry a great deal of "stuff" - car keys/remotes (2 sets, since I switch between two vehicles fairly often), house key on a key ring that holds a folded CPR mask, work keys (quite a few), lip balm, small vial for medication, nail clippers, pocket knife, change, wallet, pocket comb, handkerchief, cell phone, and one or more devices that I can't discuss due to forum rules. The size of this collection is one of the reasons that I prefer 5.11 tactical pants for casual wear - they are designed with lots of pockets and allow me to distribute the load evenly. I wear 5.11 TDKs on casual occasions for the same reason.

When wearing a traditional kilt, there's just no way to manage everything (unless I wanted to wear a sporran stuffed like a burglar's bag o' loot, which I prefer to avoid). I typically pare down the keys to those essential to the occasion, carry only essential ID, a credit card or two, and cash in a small plastic card case, and carry them in my sporran. I leave most of the other stuff in a car or put it in my laptop bag, etc. It's a bit inconvenient, but I have to do the same thing when wearing a business suit, so it's not anything that's unique to the kilt.

I will confess that unless the occasion is formal, I'll carry my cell phone clipped to either a belt or to the waist of my kilt, rather than in a sporran or pocket. I receive quite a few telephone calls during a typical day, and digging for a phone in a sporran or pocket is bothersome. For formal events, the phone gets silenced and dropping into a jacket pocket.

[OC Richard]

“Pocket lint” is part of the trade craft... When you go under, you must become the legend.

Normal people don’t think about any of these things...

Wow... I must be 'normal' then! I've never thought of the 'legend' aspect of the stuff I carry.

I suppose it could be called 'sporran lint' but sporrans don't really have lint, do they?

My sporran is big enough to carry exactly the same stuff as I do when wearing pants. One thing has transferred from kiltwearing to pantswearing: using one of those little oval rubber thingies with the slit in it for coins. I started wearing it with a sporran because I didn't like digging around the bottom of the sporran for loose change; then I realized that I didn't like digging around in the bottom of my pockets either!

And there's one thing I carry in the sporran I don't carry in pants: foam earplugs.