Evolution of a Kiltie - Changing Tastes

[JerseyLawyer]

Gotta be an inevitable progression...happening at different speeds for different folks....but inevitable. Hand sewn wool kilts are just too beautiful not to covet, lust after, scheme to acquire.....and include in our wills.

For those of us who started with that, though, it doesn't make for much of a progression.

Of course, I'm happy with tanks.

[Colin]

I was thinking about something similar the other day Ron.

I wonder if kilts are another phase in life for some of our members. We have a very unique group and a lot of the members here seem to be people that embrace life as it comes and continually search out new experiences. Is this just one period in their varied lives? Look at all the members that have come into the forum diving head first only to retreat a bit as their taste and experiences with kilts change and mature. It's like everything else in life.

I know my tastes and phases with kilts has changed in the past 4-5 years. When I bought my first kilt it was just something to try. I than got very caught up in the local kilt scene in Vancouver and like to think that a few of us did our part to promote a kilt night that was dwindling before moving to it's current location. I tried to co ordinate everything to match kilts, to think about how I could work kilts in to my everyday life. I also ordered a new kilt whenever I could afford to.

Now, my life is not defined by what I wear, but rather the situation defines what I wear. I don't want to wear a kilt to bed or to the gym or swimming or snowboarding. I have perfect clothes for those situations and they work very well.

I am more comfortable in my kilt wearing now that I don't feel like I have to make a point of it. I don't bring it up in conversation that has nothing to do with kilt wearing, I don't wear it on my sleeve just to see if people will ask about it. I have gotten rid of most of my casual kilts and have only kept one PV kilt to go with my 2 wool kilts. I rotate the wool kilts for weddings, Christmas parties, pub nights, Burns night, etc. I would prefer to just own a few kilts that I can wear in any situation that I may want a kilt for. There are many other kilts or tartans I would love to add, but I simply don't need them.

I wear a kilt when a where I want and it may not be as often as others and some may look down simply because I don't wear it every day, but that's fine. Kilts are one of many aspects of my personality and not the basis for it.

That's of course just my experience and my taste. Each of us has a unique approach and that's half the fun.

[Coemgen]

Well, I started off with a SportKilt, then got a wool heavyweight SWK, then I got an SWK and one 13 oz. and one 16 oz. from Frugal Corner.

Once I get enough money, I plan on getting a Survival Utilikilt.

One day, I'll get some hand tailored stuff. A great kilt, a tank, some jackets… *sigh*

And so my taste in kilts evolves. Of course, as I intend to enter the priesthood, I may need to temper it off a bit (not much money in that line of work). C'est la vie. At least there are a few role models amongst the rabble .

[Nick the DSM]

one day when i stop growin', I'll own a tank and maybe a jacket. but for now i'm stickin with cheaper stuff like UK.

[Kilted in Maine]

one day when i stop growin', I'll own a tank and maybe a jacket. but for now i'm stickin with cheaper stuff like UK.

Stop Growing??????

Where do I sign up for that????

[KiltedPilot]

My tastes have evolved also, but ageing is not a big factor -- it's more about learning curve for me. Until you see and wear a kilt design for the first, it's hard to know how a kilt is going to feel and look on you.

My Stillwater Ireland National (now sold) was one of the nicest looking kilts on me, but I never really liked the feel of it (thick waistband, acrylic wool). I like the feel and practicality of my Utilikilts Mocker, but disliked the stiffness of the material (splayed pleats). I never really liked the look of the neo-trad UK on me. I love the comfort of my Sport Kilts at home, but find its appearance is a little too casual for trips out.

The perception of scrutiny by others regarding my new choice of attire has also caused me to give increased attention to my appearance, causing me gain new appreciation on what does and does not work for me. Personally I feel I am iterating towards a better understanding of my tastes, rather than those tastes actually evolving.

KP

[Freedomlover]

I grew up with the woolie variety because that's all there was back in the day. Somewhere around here I have a picture of me, taken in the late 40's, in a little kilt that must have had every bit of 2 feet of tartan in it. So it follows naturally that every kilt I ever owned (not that many actually since they tend to last basically forever) was a custom made number, without exception from Scotland. I didn't discover contemporary alternatives until Utilikilts opened for business in about 2000. I bought one of their first ones, a zip front model, and was delighted with it. Several others followed, as did one from AK and another from PK (I'd love to get my hands on another PK!). Then here came SWK with perfectly functional and reasonably priced kilts in other than wool. I've got 5 of those: 2 thrifties, (one like new Wallace is for sale: see the "for sale" forum) 1 standard, 1 wool heavyweight, and 1 wool Leatherneck. Just recently I acquired a workman's model from Blaklader and am pleased with it.

The long and the short of it is that I really like the modern variety better than the traditional. The lighter the better says I.

[Mark Keeney]

I also started with the UK's. I still like them and wear them when I don't want to be asked to what event I'm going. I will also wear it when I don't want to be careful about my kilt. I really don't fit the image they want to project in Seattle but I will probably keep wearing my utilikilts in spite of them.

[McMurdo]

I came to wearing the kilt through my Heritage and Family, as such early on they were all wool, most of my kilts are wool, however as a full time kilt wearer I have added PV kilts a Utilikilt and even a denim kilt from Union Kilts, I wear the PV and such in the summer when the wool would be too much, the Utilikilt I wear when I'm lounging around the house. So yes my tastes have changed also, when I came to kilting I thought that the only kilt was the 8 yard knife pleat variety, however now I have 2 4 yard box pleat kilts from Matt Newsome with one more on order with Matt.
My changing tastes have a lot to do with this forum here I have been inspired to try something different, I have learned how to properly wear the kilt, it is here that I learned about the 4 yard box pleated kilt and it's place in history.
I have also been lucky enough to meet some wonderful friends, and some true artists, I hope to meet more of you as this adventure continues.

[Malcolm MacWilliam]

This could be a long tale, but I'll keep it short. My first kilts were wool tartan of 5 yards by 60 inches wide. It started in 1995 with (yes, I'll admit it) the movies Braveheart and Rob Roy. I went to a friend of mine who reenacted 42nd and 77th Highlanders (and I joined the group about a year later, Muskets of the Crown, Inc.) and he put a great kilt on me......pleated on the floor of his living room. I was hooked. For the next year, I did Highland games as a Jacobite, honing my skills at pleating the great kilt. Then the same friend got me to come out to a Rev. War reenactment and I learned to pleat the wee kilt on the ground. I didn't own a kilt with sewn in pleats (in 18th century reenacting we call them cheaters) until about 7 years ago when my daughter and wife made a box pleat, no special tartan (teal, with red, black and yellow stripe....lovely!). Then two years ago I had my daughter sew in pleats (large knife pleats) in a 42nd (Blackwatch) kilt, but ours have a red stripe for Grenadier Co. All my kilts are wool, I have about 8 different plaides for great kilts, about 5 plaides for wee kilts, and three kilts with sewn in pleats...AND I'm in the que for a Matt Newsome!! All my kilts are tartan....at this point, I don't think I could wear anything but wool tartan. So, my journey started with great kilts to wee kilts (all hand pleated) now moving to modern kilts.....AND thanks to this forum for that. I love my great kilts as much as the moderns.....and I'm partial to reds with black striping (my Newsome will be a Red Campbell tartan). I'm clan Gunn, but only own a necktie of that tartan....all my other tartans are of other clans or nondescripts that I like the look of. I'm an elem. principal and when I schedule teacher observations, the teachers are known to wear tartan!!! Ever since 1995, I'm drawn to wool tartan!! Malcolm