Men's Kilts and Women's Kilts

[cessna152towser]

Friends John and Yvonne were telling me today of new kilts in their Hunter tartan which they had ordered from a kiltmaker in the Inverness area.
Both kilts arrived in reasonable time and were a perfect fit, but both were fringed to the right as per men's kilts.
When they queried this with the kiltmaker he insisted that there is no such thing as a woman's kilt, that all kilts are unisex and are fringed to the right.
This despite the fact that Yvonne already has two ladies' kilts from other kiltmakers which are fringed on the left.
I re-assured them that although in my opinion ladies and gents kilts normally fold to opposite sides, it was quite common to see ladies wearing kilts fringed to the gents' side, for example female pipe band members. I also know a now retired lady magistrate who regularly wore kilts which were fringed to the right, and I encouraged Yvonne to start wearing her new kilt and not worry about which side it was fringed to.
I wonder how common it is for the more traditional kiltmakers to make all their kilts fringed to the same side whether they are being made for a man or a woman.

[denmcdough]

Alex,

I'm no expert on this matter, by any means. However, my wife just received her Muir kilt, made by Alexis Malcolm of Florida, and the fringe is on the left. Personally, it doesn't bother me as to what side it's fringed on, as long as it looks marvelous.

[RockyR]

Is it a KILT or a KILTED SKIRT? I've seen kilted skirts fringed on both sides, but have only seen KILTS fringed on the (wearer's) right side.

[Downunder Kilt]

Rocky, in my opinion you are spot on, there is only one garment that is a kilt and that's the one we all know. There are no mens and and ladies kilts. A kilt is a kilt and that's it. There are ladies kilted/pleated skirts which have the fringe on the left but these are not and should not be called kilts. As a general "rule" ladies don't wear klts unless in a pipe band

[O'Callaghan]

Mostly they open on the left whether they are kilts or kilted skirts, although Sport Kilt (!) seem to have theirs open on the mens' side. I think the real issue is that women are not horrified at the thought of donning a man's garment (unlike vicea versa), so the makers can get away with it.

[BoldHighlander]

I think the real issue is that women are not horrified at the thought of donning a man's garment (unlike vicea versa), so the makers can get away with it.

Indeed....I know of some women (non-pipe band) who have bought men's kilts & don't have a problem wearing them irregardless

[CDNSushi]

Is it a KILT or a KILTED SKIRT? I've seen kilted skirts fringed on both sides, but have only seen KILTS fringed on the (wearer's) right side.

Semantics aside, what is the difference then between a kilted skirt that's fringed on the right and a kilt (regardless of whether it's for a man or woman) that's fringed on the right side?

I.e. what physical characteristics distinguish the two garments other than the fact that a kilted skirt MAY be fringed to the opposite side?

(puzzled)....

[Mark Keeney]

Semantics aside, what is the difference then between a kilted skirt that's fringed on the right and a kilt (regardless of whether it's for a man or woman) that's fringed on the right side?

I.e. what physical characteristics distinguish the two garments other than the fact that a kilted skirt MAY be fringed to the opposite side?

(puzzled)....

Ladies kilted skirts usually use less material, with shallower pleats, and may be longer length (below the knee).

[wildrover]

Semantics aside, what is the difference then between a kilted skirt that's fringed on the right and a kilt (regardless of whether it's for a man or woman) that's fringed on the right side?

I.e. what physical characteristics distinguish the two garments other than the fact that a kilted skirt MAY be fringed to the opposite side?

(puzzled)....

Hey, careful, you're awful close to treading on my masculinity here!

(And that, honestly, is probably the only reason anyone seeks to make a distinction where none exists...)

[Pleater]

The kilts I wore in junior school were fastened on the right, the long wrap around skirt I made as a teenager fastened on the right too - it was made from a bought pattern.

The 'rule' that women's clothes should fasten right over left is not found everywhere in the world - kimonos are always wrapped left over right except when being worn by a corpse.

Martial arts jackets, although most can be fastened either way, are fastened left over right.

All the commercially made skirts I have seen which are pleated with a wrap over front - even ones I bought which were described in glowing terms of the amount and quality of the fabric, have been skimpy, flimsy, loosely woven, and where the straps were real leather and not cloth or plastic they have been of low quality, thin, and easily frayed or split. The pleats are tiny kinks in the fabric, and they fall with no regard to the pattern.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: