Woman in a Kilt?

[Morath]

My wife is a US Navy veteran and fell in love with the Navy tartan. Would it be proper for her to wear a kilt (She does understand that a kilt is a men's garment)? Or is there another, similar looking, alternative?
ith:
She is not fond of the typical calf length skirt meant for women, but doesn't want to trample on Scottish tradition.

[Mipi]

It's up to her and you, at the end.

The kilt IS a men's garment, just like a trousers, but is not stopping women to wear them, right. And it's completely "normal" to do so.

There is an option for women to have kilt which closes on the left side if that helps you or her in the decision.

[Rex_Tremende]

My wife is a US Navy veteran and fell in love with the Navy tartan. Would it be proper for her to wear a kilt (She does understand that a kilt is a men's garment)? Or is there another, similar looking, alternative?

She is not fond of the typical calf length skirt meant for women, but doesn't want to trample on Scottish tradition.

Women have so many options. Why not have something made in a style that she does like? There are lots of ideas in the Lasses' Wear Thread.

Regards,
Rex.

[Scotus]

A woman should not wear a kilt, as it's a garment for men. As Rex has said, there are other options for women without resorting to masculine dress. This isn't the same as a woman wearing pants, jeans, etc., as the kilt is the national dress of Scotland and should be respected as such.

[Pleater]

Our queen wears kilts which are longer length, and entirely mirror imaged from the normal masculine garment.

I have seen photos/film women wearing kilts with the pleats done normally but the aprons reversed, right over left.

I wear kilts which are short enough not to take the skin off the back of my knee when wet, and reverse Kingussie pleated - it just seems right for pushing through heath and other vegetation around here. I fold them left over right as I sometimes wear kimono style garments which are always left over right unless dressing a corpse.

Personally if the kilt is to be knee length I'd tend to think it should be made in the male mode, and if a below knee length then it should be reversed and made a more A line shape too.

I feel that as the kilt is honouring military service it should be in the male mode - though I would not necessarily think it should be pleated to the stripe, but to whatever is preferred - if pleating to the sett is possible with the tartan then it might give a nice balance between deference to a tradition and personal preferences.

Anne the Pleater

[Jock Scot]

Just a thought. My wife had a pair of trousers(pants) made in my tartan to wear at highland games etc.,where the midgies and/or the weather is just too awful. As a Scots lass she would not dream of wearing the kilt, although she has several kilted skirts made in my tartan.

[JolyStNicholas]

A kilted skirt in the Navy tartan sounds like a good answer to your question.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

My wife is a US Navy veteran and fell in love with the Navy tartan. Would it be proper for her to wear a kilt (She does understand that a kilt is a men's garment)? Or is there another, similar looking, alternative?
ith:
She is not fond of the typical calf length skirt meant for women, but doesn't want to trample on Scottish tradition.

If she doesn't like calf length skirts, don't have it made calf length. The beauty of women's kilted skirts is that there is no set length that tradition demands, as there is in a man's kilt. Lady's kilt skirts can be made in any length from micro-mini to floor length hostess. Have a kilted skirt made for her at her desired length.

Lady's skirts can be made pleated in the rear only, as in a man's kilt; they can be made pleated all around; they can be made with no pleats at all.

She really has a lot of freedom here when it comes to lady's fashion. Have her select a style that she likes, and then have that style skirt made in the Navy tartan.

[dfmacliam]

I agree with Matthew, a skirt can be made in so many ways. I think if she had it made in the Navy tartan, she could proudly show her service and culture with style and grace.

[Malcolm MacWilliam]

Aye, I agree with the gentlemen above. A kilt is a man's garment....there are other ways to have women dress in tartan....skirts look different than kilts. Kilts look good on men, skirts look good on women.

Malcolm

(what esp. leaves a sour taste in my mouth are women reenactors, esp. those who try to reenact a Highland soldier.....a bit difficult to explain the authenticity to the public)