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[macwilkin]

While I (as a tartan kilt maker) would LOVE for the kilt to be most widely known for it's clan affiliations and Scottish Heritage, if you want the kilt to be "widely accepted", then it has to go BEYOND that. It has to appeal to people OTHER than just those of us with celtic blood.

With all due respect, Rocky: why do you have to go "beyond it", though? Why must history and tradition be ignored and sacrificed for something to be "accepted"?

My point was, that my students at our community college accept the kilt as a heritage symbol and it's history. After talking to some, they express interest in their own heritage. A few have even asked me about "non-Scottish" tartans if they have no Scottish blood. The very fact that tartans are being designed for Italians, Swiss, Norwegians, Germans, Chinese give the tartan kilt that appeal to others that you mentioned. It's been my experience that students will love history if you make it interesting and something they can relate to; I'm all for telling them about the modern trend in kilts, but they could have also dropped a name like Ewan MacGregor, showed a picture of him traditionally decked out, and talked about his kilt symbolizing his family. That would have worked.

I don't want the kilt to be "widely accepted" just for for the sake of being accepted. The kilt isn't for everyone, and that's all right. In my experience, most folks I talk to accept the kilt once I explain what I mentioned above.

To me, a discussion of kilts without some discussion of its roots is wasted. But, I'm a history teacher, and I hate to see history ignored. You have to know where you came from to get where you're going.

Please don't get me wrong, though: I'm happy that you are getting some exposure, though. That's good.

Regards,

Todd