Advice from the Ladies

[BigMacMcDaniel]

Hello everyone,

Recently SWMBO and I were discussing kilting and I mentioned that I would love it if she would join in on my new favorite pastime. She was very open and even excited at the prospect, but neither of us is very certain of the differences between Kilting for a man and Kilting for a woman. Is it essentially the same? Do both sexes wear a sporran and are the Kilt lengths the same? I have plenty of questions but these seem the most important. After all knowledge is power. I would love input from the ladies on this one.

Thanks,
BigMacMcDaniel

[Thekiltedmohawk]

Here's a link I thought would be helpful for you to take a look at. I don't recall seeing a lady with a sporran by the way.

http://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/ladies-kilts/kilted/

[Mikilt]

Contacting Kelly at USA Kilts is probably a really good place to start. Also, I believe that Freedom Kilts makes ladies kilts and kilted skirts.

[kiltedtom]

Big Mac,

Ask Angie here on the forum. She has more than one kilt and wears them very well. And, might I add, she is one very nice woman with whom to talk here. She wears here kilts a lot. So, I would think that Ms. Angie would be knowledgable on the questions you have. Give her a holler here. She will be glad to help you.

Tom

[Tarheel]

I don't recall seeing a lady with a sporran by the way.

My good JDuPree, as kiltedtom has pointed out, you haven't met Angie or other ladies of the XMarks, yet. There is a wonderful array of feminine views (pun on photos and attitudes) available. They are a much more refined than my crude approach but full of zest for the kilt (their own and their men's).

[Barb T]

The main thing is that your wife is comfortable wearing whatever she wants to wear. Some women are comfortable wearing a full kilt/sporran/belt combo, others are not. If your wife is not familiar with kilts, it's important for her to know that many people would find it odd for a woman to be wearing a kilt and sporran. To be honest, I only wear my kilt and full kit when I'm piping and am "in uniform". I am comfortable with wearing a kilt when I'm piping, but I feel squiffy when I'm not. Neither right or wrong, but that's where I come down.

If your wife were to wear a trad kilt with full kit, she might even be the target of a certain amount of hostility, because a traditional kilt is, quite frankly, historically a man's garment. That doesn't mean it's wrong for her to choose that - she would just need to go in with her eyes open.

If she wants to wear a swell tartan garment to complement yours, there are lots of options that she could choose that wouldn't raise eyebrows. Kilt skirts are an option, or she could go with something like the following:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...t-woman-75461/

Wonderful that she wants to go on this adventure with you!

[neloon]

In Scotland, other than in pipe bands, ladies have never worn sporrans. The kilt was quite popular for women in the 40s/50s/60s but seems to have fallen out of fashion these days. Most believed that a lady's kilt should fasten on the left (consistent with buttons being the opposite way round, I suppose) but that idea has largely disappeared. At my daughter's school, the girls still wear the kilt. The lassie on the left has left fastening.
http://www.albynschool.co.uk/wp-cont...GIRLS003-3.JPG
Alan

[Jock Scot]

I cannot help but agree with Barb and Alan on this. I well remember Mrs Jock and a bunch of her lady friends were of the same opinion when this subject came up here a while ago. Another option open to the ladies should they wish to wear tartan, but not in skirt form is this.

[Balaamsass51]

At our COSCA/STA booth I tell the ladies that "right is right" when it comes to sashes. (yes I know about the wife of clan chief, wife of cornel, pipe band member, dancer exceptions). I also tell couples that kilts flap on the right and ladies skirts flap on the left, so don't cross dress. (usually gets a laugh). My wife happened to be talking with Sir Malcolm McGregor at the Loch Norman games this past weekend, and he confirmed what we have been told before, that females wearing kilts is frowned on in Scotland and that it took a bit for him to get past the idea that so many women wear kilts over here. Of course, it's America and God forbid that you tell a women how to wear anything once they get their mind set.

[O'Callaghan]

Most of the points seem covered by other posts, but there are a few things. Generally, vendors sell ladies kilts in various lengths, whereas men's are all approximately knee length, and it's not always obvious which length is which. Hostess means floor length, mini is self explanatory, a billie kilt is a mini with a band of fabric cut on the bias, a kilted skirt is usually calf length, and if they say ladies' kilt they usually mean knee length like a man's kilt. Some of the same people also sell tartan skirts that are explicitly not kilts.

What is correct? Well, strictly speaking, a tartan sash worn with a non-tartan dress is more correct, and woe betide you if your sash is worn over the wrong shoulder (whichever one that is). OTOH, my experience is that most women wear whatever they please, LOL!

[ETA: My wife has a tartan tam'o'shanter (a type of Scottish hat) and a tartan scarf, both in her clan tartan, but will wear no other tartan items]