Kilted at Balloch, Loch Lomond

[tpa]

Why are Scots that are so proud of the kilt and love to wear it so reluctant to wear it frequently, what is their problem?

Perhaps because they don't frequent this forum.

I often wonder about this too. I no longer live in Scotland but still wear a kilt almost daily but on my last visit to the Scottish borders, I never saw another male in a kilt, even in shops selling them.

If I had a shop selling highland wear, I would make sure the staff, male or female, were also kilted. What better way locally to advertise your wares and encourage sales? Tartan ties were a very poor substitute, although a number of the female staff I saw in various shops wore kilted skirts of varying lengths.

I have gathered from his posts that Steve Ashton wears a kilt to serve in his shop. So it can be done, I even wore mine occasionally in my convenience store, although not on days when I was likely to be cleaning the ceiling air conditioner or top shelves!

[Jimmy]

Perhaps because they don't frequent this forum.

I often wonder about this too. I no longer live in Scotland but still wear a kilt almost daily but on my last visit to the Scottish borders, I never saw another male in a kilt, even in shops selling them.

If I had a shop selling highland wear, I would make sure the staff, male or female, were also kilted. What better way locally to advertise your wares and encourage sales? Tartan ties were a very poor substitute, although a number of the female staff I saw in various shops wore kilted skirts of varying lengths.

I have gathered from his posts that Steve Ashton wears a kilt to serve in his shop. So it can be done, I even wore mine occasionally in my convenience store, although not on days when I was likely to be cleaning the ceiling air conditioner or top shelves!

I entirely agree with you about staff in a kilt shop should be kilted. In many of the Glasgow shops and there are quite a few, there's not too many kilted staff about. You are right is saying the best advert for the kilt would be the staff wearing the kilt correctly themselves

[OC Richard]

It's nice, though, isn't it, that the kilt has become common wear for Scotland football and rugby supporters.

And that kilts have become standard wear for weddings (hired kilts though many of them are).

All in all, it seems that the kilt has become far more common over the last quarter century, even if mainly for sports matches and weddings.

Going back a half century, to the 1960s, how many Scotland supporters would have worn kilts to matches? I'm guessing that it was very rare at that time, but correct me if I'm wrong.

[Jock Scot]

It's nice, though, isn't it, that the kilt has become common wear for Scotland football and rugby supporters.

And that kilts have become standard wear for weddings (hired kilts though many of them are).

All in all, it seems that the kilt has become far more common over the last quarter century, even if mainly for sports matches and weddings.

Going back a half century, to the 1960s, how many Scotland supporters would have worn kilts to matches? I'm guessing that it was very rare at that time, but correct me if I'm wrong.

From what I remember, kilts at Scottish rugby internationals in the '50/60's were not common. Tweed jackets and caps, trilbys too, cord trousers, tweed suits, Barbour oilskins, duffle coats, pipes being smoked and nearly everyone over sixteen who did not smoke a pipe, smoked cigarettes.Oh and the most important item of all----the unversity/college/school scarf.

[tpa]

From what I remember, kilts at Scottish rugby internationals in the '50/60's were not common.

You are right, I know, I was in a minority, consisting mainly of other pupils from our school for which wearing the kilt to go into Edinburgh at the weekend was mandatory. However it was warm and comfortable and that was what was needed at Murrayfield frequently.

[Jimmy]

It's nice, though, isn't it, that the kilt has become common wear for Scotland football and rugby supporters.

And that kilts have become standard wear for weddings (hired kilts though many of them are).

All in all, it seems that the kilt has become far more common over the last quarter century, even if mainly for sports matches and weddings.

Going back a half century, to the 1960s, how many Scotland supporters would have worn kilts to matches? I'm guessing that it was very rare at that time, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Strange isn't it , I was in Dublin a couple of months ago watching Scotland play the Republic at soccer, about 5000 Scots Supporters were there, most of them kilted. I'm at the rugby international this Saturday at Murayfield and along with thousands I will be kilted, it is a sort of de rigeur at these events as it is with weddings in Scotland. You are right in saying that there are more people wearing kilts now than there was a quarter of a century ago, if you watch old clips of international matches, both soccer and rugby, the kilt was not so much in evidence. So what has brought about this revival, perhaps the formation of the Scotland Travel Club ( the famous Tartan Army) in recent years and this club being run and solely operated by the Scottish Football Association giving it a solid recognised base which led its membership to number into tens of thousands.

So we have, as I have said repeatedly, nearly every household in Scotland owning a kilt, albeit one of the cheaper versions, but neverthe less converting people who either, had never worn the kilt or had occassionally hired one for a function such as a wedding.

This again begs the question where are all the kilt wearers in good summer days when the kilt is such a good dress to wear and these ocassional kilt wearers always admit how good it is to wear and pledge to wear it more often, but this rarely happens?

How many kilt wearers feel that all these admiring glances and positive comments from both sexes and all ages when kilted are nothing more than a substitute for '' Oh I wish I was wearing my kilt''?