Does being a kiltie make you a "clothes horse"?

[ForresterModern]

Wearing the kilt did not make me a "clothes horse" or " fashionista"-----I already was one, and kilts and kit just gave me another outlet to direct my time efforts and, unfortunately, finances toward. Harder and more expensive to build a good stable of nice kilt clothes and kit than it is for the rest of my attire choices, and takes a bit more time. Ya just can't trot down to your local men's store and pick up a couple kilt jackets and waistcoats when they are on sale at the end of season like you can with suits and sportcoats.


But interestingly, I have cut back on my non-kilt attire shopping and purchases since starting to wear the kilt more frequently. Cause and efect?

j

[Alan H]

No.

1. I am not a clothes horse, and have recently had a discussion in the msg room about that exact term.

2. I could give a rip about "Fashion" and both the term and the concept makes me gag.

3. I do not stand in front of the mirror in the morning and hold up hose and kilts and shirts for half an hour deciding exactly which combination goes perfectly well with my new flashes.

4. I do not have a "personal style". I put on clothes in the morning and go do things that men do.

[Spartan Tartan]

One of the first things you realize when you leave the military is that you have to start deciding what to wear each morning.

Exactly!!

[theborderer]

For me, a clothes horse is a folding frame to hang clothes on to dry in front of a fire, or a wooden frame raised by a cord to the cieling for the same use. Of cours e that was in the 50's in England.

[Tobus]

For me, a clothes horse is a folding frame to hang clothes on to dry in front of a fire, or a wooden frame raised by a cord to the cieling for the same use. Of cours e that was in the 50's in England.

Yes, that's still (to my knowledge) the primary definition. This context is slang.

I am not a clothes horse, and have recently had a discussion in the msg room about that exact term.

Message room?

I could give a rip about "Fashion" and both the term and the concept makes me gag.

I understand, and agree to a certain point. I gag at the idea of keeping up with modern fashion trends or media-driven stuff. But the underlying concept of fashion is simply to dress in such a manner that you look sharp. An allowance for form rather than purely for function. After all, if we dressed only for function, we might all be dressed in drab Soviet-style clothing! But fashion, at its core, is simply a term for dressing with individual style, both in colour and design.

I do not stand in front of the mirror in the morning and hold up hose and kilts and shirts for half an hour deciding exactly which combination goes perfectly well with my new flashes.

Me either. I do that the night before.

I do not have a "personal style". I put on clothes in the morning and go do things that men do.

So then you pay absolutely no attention to what you're wearing? Is there no decision process when you take your clothes out of the drawer or closet?

[Cygnus]

Message room?

I was confused by this too, though the first thing I thought was "monosodium glutamate"... Hopefully AlanH can enlighten us.

And I've always thought that fashion is what is being advertised in shop windows and strutted out on runways, while style is an individual's manner of expressing themselves through clothes, grooming, etc.

That may just be me getting too semantic.

[RAF]

I think there are two points to mention re: the term "clothes horse." 1. Yes Tobus, as you have said, the term relates to someone excessively interested in clothes. but 2. it also refers to someone who has/owns vast amounts of clothing - something for EVERY occasion. The line between excessive interest and hoarding can become blurred if we're not careful. I've always appreciated nice clothes, even before being bit by the kilt. And yes, I too have found that I tend to be just as particular with the kilt outfits as with the non kilt outfits. So I guess, in a sense I haven't changed, just my clothing selection has.
The problem for me is that I entered the kilted life after the age of 42 and I have several nice blazers/sport coats - all of which are in good to mint condition, and none of which are the "right" length to my (increasingly) traditionalist eye for wearing with my kilts.
While I would like to get more kilt jackets, I find it hard to justify such purchases when I have so many (too many) "standard" jackets, and more to the point, no space in my closet! I'm a BIG fan of waistcoats - much more versatile!
To answer your other question, the husband does not begrudge me my love affair with the kilt and all its accoutrements - partly because he too, is a clothes horse (of a different color,) and partly because he likes how I look when I'm kilted.
There are healthy and unhealthy obsessions. As long as the clothes don't overtake all other aspects of your home and life, I'd say clothes horse is on the healthy side.
Of course I could just be rationalizing - I'm very good at that:-) Did I mention I have another waistcoat on the way? No thanks to a link here on Xmarks!

[Peter Crowe]

I was confused by this too, though the first thing I thought was "monosodium glutamate"... Hopefully AlanH can enlighten us.

And I've always thought that fashion is what is being advertised in shop windows and strutted out on runways, while style is an individual's manner of expressing themselves through clothes, grooming, etc.

That may just be me getting too semantic.

My late mother used to impress a similar mantra too me when I was a teenager.

"Anybody can follow the latest fashion trend, but that does not mean they have style!"

At the time I thought she was out of touch (as teenagers do), but by time I had reached my early twenties I was in complete agreement.

[GoodGirlGonePlaid]

Yep, Full On Clothes Horse here
*OWNING IT*
always have been. Heck, I may even be a clothes hoarder. But I do ALWAYS have something to wear. Now I just have more kilt-skirts to add to the party.

...and currently wearing a brown houndstooth scally cap and jaunty crocheted scarf.

[Alan H]

oh I've just exchanged a series of PM's with a friend here on X Marks. It's turned into quite a discussion, which I'm enjoying immensely.

My process of getting dressed in the morning.

A.) Do I have any kilt underwear available?

Yes.. maybe I'll wear a kilt, today... see step B.)
No... it's all in the laundry basket. Pull out blue jeans.

B.) does it look cold this morning?

Yes ... wear a heavier kilt, no t-shirt.
No ... wear a lighter kilt, maybe t-shirt

C.) Which kilt do I feel like wearing? This often devolves into "which kilt happens to contact my hand first?"

D) Put it on. Put on a belt. usually it's a black one. Put on a sporran. If I wear a black belt, I wear a black sporran. Brown belt, brown sporran. I have ONE brown, and ONE black sporran. I have ONE brown belt, but have engaged in the atrocious extravagance of having two black belts. One is beat up casual, one is nicer. The choice takes maybe four seconds.

D.) Go to drawer. Pick out socks. Put them on. The ones in the drawer are clean, BTW. This is unless there are socks on top of the dresser which I only wore for a short time last night and I revolt at putting perfectly clean socks into the laundry. If there are such socks on top of the dresser, I put on those. If the socks on top of the drawer aren't something I'd wear with a kilt then nix this step.

E. ) Go to closet. Pick out shirt. If it's summer and hot, then pick out t-shirt from other drawer. Black tshirts go with camo kilts. WHICH black t-shirt? Answer: the one on top. I don't wear my Waldo red and white rugby shirt with a kilt. I own seven shirts with buttons. Four are solid colors. Green, blue, tan and gray. Any of them go with any of my kilts. So grab the closest one and put it on. I don't wear plaid shirts with kilts because I think that looks stupid. I COULD team up my Lindsay modern kilt, Lindsay modern flannel long sleeved shirt and Lindsay, modern flat cap.

But I don't.

F.) shoes. If I'm wearing a kilt and it's not "dress up", I'm probably wearing my black boots. So grab them and lace them up. Done. If it's a camo kilt I might wear the old, retired hiking boots. See above. Athletic shoes are for working out in, or throwing... or wearing with blue jeans.

F.) Sometimes I forget to brush my hair in the morning...details, details. I brush my teeth at night, so don't have to do this.

G.) Get on with it. The entire getting dressed process takes about four to six minutes.

If I am dressing up for a more formal occasion, then the process takes about twelve to fifteen minutes because of those damn flashes and ties and my dress shirts are too small for my neck, now and stuff like that.