Scottish outlook on kilted Americans?

[Sir William]

Well…I'm going over in April on business and will be wearing a kilt, at least some of the time.

I've never received a negative comment in Scotland. On the contrary, I've received quite a few compliments and had some great discussions.

[Angstrom]

Alright then after some 18 pages of yet another thread on the subject what have we achieved? Some would say absolutely damn all, some will be disappointed, some may be a tad angry, some will say so what, actually though whilst we have all been treading on thin ice I think much has been achieved.

So OK if we don't like the answers then perhaps the question should not have been asked, but asked it was and in good faith. The answers may not have been to every-one's liking and unsurprisingly there are almost as many different answers as there are people. Nothing new there then!

On the positive side though, at least Americans in particular(see first post) and others from outwith Scotland are aware that broadly speaking there is a common theme running through the Scots answers. So, many(we know for sure some do) Scots do have very different ideas and with admittedly varying degrees of opinion on the matter than from other parts of the world-------I cannot really see why people are so surprised at that, but there we go------ and should they(non Scots) venture to Scotland and I hope they do, then should they encounter opinions that run counter to their expectations at least they are prepared. Surely we can all agree on this?

Agreed. It's good to be informed, to gain understanding, and be better prepared to make good decisions.

Thank you for your patience and honesty. It can be hard to appreciate different viewpoints, but the only way to clear up misunderstandings is to keep talking. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

And as for why it matters? It's been said that "A gentleman tries to never offend anyone unintentionally."

[OC Richard]

Great post there Jock!

[Father Bill]

*Sigh* I promised myself not to wade in here because I don't need the bruises, but here it is I guess. Lord protect me!

Once again, I start to feel as if I'm intruding by even owning a scrap of tartan, because I'm not Scottish enough. Yes, yes, I know the "Do as you d___ well please" point of view. I reject that since, to me, and perhaps only to me, it's selfish and inconsiderate. Nonetheless, the kilt is something that stirs great feelings in this Canadian (not American) heart. The subtle distinction is, in my mind, that first, Canada has kept greater ties to Great Britain than has our oft-respected southern neighbour, and that second, in my own observations, Canadians are more likely than Americans to reject that "Do as you d___ well please" point of view. We tend culturally to see freedom as something to be used in ways that should at best never offend, and so are sometimes a wee bit more circumspect. (I now await the massive volley of arrows coming north. One fears to even state one's own opinion or observations for fear of the response. It's just the way I feel, fellows, not necessarily the way it is.)

So... Here's the nub o' the thing: I love my kilts. I wear them for special occasions only. I wore one last weekend for the 90th birthday party of my daughter-in-law's Granny, born a Menzies. (Yes I can pronounce it correctly.) I did manage to turn aside the one question: "Are you Scottish?" by answering, "Just my kneecaps." Although after some research, it turns out that there is clearly Sinclair (or for the historians, St. Clair) blood in me, I chose not to give the longer explanation. The result was that the folks laughed and dropped it. I recommend the approach; it just occurred to me on the spot, and it worked well on this occasion.

I do note though that those Scots, (even within the most narrow definition which has been propounded by one of our most respected members here) ... those Scots who have responded to the original post, clearly do not represent a monolithic viewpoint (Surprise, surprise!) but rather a spectrum of responses - probably because they're human beings. I keep that quietly as encouragement to occasionally wear one of my kilts.

Meanwhile, they hang in my closet with the deepest of respect and affection, are taken out on only the very most appropriate occasions, and it seems to me that this may actually be the style in which an awful lot of native-Gaelic-speaking-highland-born-and-bred-lived-there-all-their-lives-never-been-outside-the-highlands Scots view and employ their treasured garments. I won't speak for them, but it seems to be a reasonable interpretation of what I've read here.

I hope not to be shot on sight for wearing a kilt on a special occasion in or out of Scotland. I probably won't take one when I go next time. There's too much hurt involved.

Here endeth the sermon.

Amen.

[Angstrom]

Just thinking out loud here...

If the kilt is reserved for special occasions, and fewer folks wear it, it will become a ceremonial garment and a museum piece. Is that desired? Is that the best way for current and future generations to appreciate what was once an everyday part of life?

It seems a bit like the discussions one hears from other historical enthusiasts -- is it better to preserve these old things as they are, or use them as their makers intended?

If the kilt is not to be worn, why the interest in designing and registering new tartans? Is all of that coming from outside Scotland? Are non-clan tartans offensive?

It's not unusual to see stories about Native American tribes objecting to items of ceremonial clothing or spiritual items being appropriated by outsiders for fashion or decorative purposes. I understand that. I don't recall seeing similar objections to outsiders wearing replicas of simple everyday clothing.

The discussion of the new Marine Dress Blue tartan seemed like a good example of rethinking a tradition -- or combining two traditions -- and coming up with something new that honors the old.

I apologize to the Scots if I seem obtuse here, but I'm hard-pressed to think of an equivalent here in the US. I do appreciate to opportunity to learn.

[neloon]

If the kilt is reserved for special occasions, and fewer folks wear it, it will become a ceremonial garment and a museum piece.

To which the answer must be to wear it all day every day as I do. Some of my fellow Scots on here seem to feel that's just too eccentric. Of course I am asked by strangers "What's the occasion?" and when I reply that I am kilted full time that seems to meet with approval. So there may be hope for the future - the kilt is much more worn by the younger generation nowadays and is common as a 21st birthday present. Maybe it has to do with increased national awareness, popularity of ceilidh dancing or just the swing of the pendulum.

To answer your other comment, there are new tartans being designed in Scotland but principally for commercial gain/publicity e.g. football(soccer) clubs, universities etc. (In Scotland, these are usually referred to as "bumbee" tartans.) Of course in the early 19th century many tartans were also invented for the commercial gain of weaving firms.

[Mael Coluim]

Elaine and myself would love to meet up too with you all if we can ... sounds like fun and another adventure..
Iechyd Da
Derek

Hope you can!

[RockyR]

To which the answer must be to wear it all day every day as I do. Some of my fellow Scots on here seem to feel that's just too eccentric. Of course I am asked by strangers "What's the occasion?" and when I reply that I am kilted full time that seems to meet with approval. So there may be hope for the future - the kilt is much more worn by the younger generation nowadays and is common as a 21st birthday present. Maybe it has to do with increased national awareness, popularity of ceilidh dancing or just the swing of the pendulum.

THAT is wonderful to hear. Stagnation breeds death. If the kilt were to be relegated to formal wear only, over time, it would disappear (or reduce in numbers substantially enough to cripple the industry). Hearing that Scottish lads of 21 are getting kilts for their birthday gives me hope. Hearing about Rugby fans going out in kilts to the matches gives me hope. Hearing you say that you wear a kilt as everyday wear and give that simple (and accepted) explanation gives me hope.

[Grizzly]

Apologies to the OP but should we not start a new thread for Ern (Mael Coluims) visit in 2014. Seems like it's going to be a big event and with TPA's help there will be real ale aplenty. Is it too late for Tilted Kilt to open a Derbyshire branch?

[CMcG]

Alright then after some 18 pages of yet another thread on the subject what have we achieved? Some would say absolutely damn all, some will be disappointed, some may be a tad angry, some will say so what, actually though whilst we have all been treading on thin ice I think much has been achieved.
...

I, for one, have gotten a lot out of this thread

It's not that we have uncovered a new Scottish outlook on kilted outlanders, rather that there has been some clarification and further explanation of their various outlooks. When I brought a critique against the "kilts for Scots, as defined by Scottish residence" position, there was initially some righteous indignation at my impertinence, but eventually the combined responses from our resident Scots helped to cure much of my confusion.

This appears to be one of those things that seems self-evident to them, but needed to have a few assumptions revealed before I could grasp it. It's a been a longtime coming on this one... some of my fellow kilted foreigners appear still to be offended or hurt by this, so let me try and explain what I'm getting out of it. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!

I doubt that there is one, single explanation for the outlook of Scots who prefer that the kilt be worn by Scots, in Scotland, for special events. I'll try to outline a few things I have gathered and we can imagine that there is probably overlap, varying degrees of commitment to these ideas/feelings, as well as things that haven't been covered. To start, I'll give some points of significance and then see how kilted foreigners cause tension with them. Please pardon my academic leanings, but I'm seeing this through a semiotic lens.

The first thing is that the "kilts for Scots" position exists not despite the lack of Scottish sovereignty, but partly because of it. We must be careful with this one because of Rule #5, but suffice it to say that some of the comments in this thread sent me off to do a bit of reading about Scottish referendums, devolution, and independence. There is probably a tie-in here with the history of the kilt from the Battle of Culloden, Proscription Act, King George IV's famous visit to Scotland, and the eventual promotion of the kilt from the everyday clothes of Highlanders, to the national attire all Scots. In this way, the kilt is a symbol of Scotland as a nation, as opposed to an ethnic group, and has come to be so through convention. This symbolism has many layers and branches of meaning, but seems to go back to a point of resistance and as a marker of distinction.

Second is the indexicality of the kilt as a sign of Scotland; I mean index, here, as a type of sign that exists through association, like smoke is an index of fire. Not everyone in Scotland wears the kilt, but the majority (if not all?) would recognize this connection. The index is that the kilt is a unique garment originating in Scotland and, as such, carries a strong linkage between the clothes and the place.

Third is the social function of the kilt within Scottish culture. We've read time and time again that the kilt is seen as special clothing, which is usually reserved for special events like weddings or ceilidhs, partly because of the expense of the kit. There has also been the rise of the Tartan Army, which might be linked to the availability of cheap kilts, but this still follows the same idea of the kilt as reserved for occasions. In this way, the kilt is iconic of special events in Scotland because it resembles them in its colourfulness and separation from the everyday. This is not even including, of course, non-civilian usage, such as pipers, Scottish regiments, or other uniforms.

If I'm reading this correctly, the kilt is quite replete as a sign, because it has symbolic, indexical, and iconic significance. The problem with non-Scots wearing the kilt, especially when it is done outside Scotland and for non-Scottish events, is that it has the potential to erode the value and impact of the kilt as a sign. There is also the chance of adding new or different layers of signification altogether...

Scotland is a small nation, both in terms of population and land mass, which is currently part of a larger State. Scots who feel the kilt should be worn by Scots in Scotland are not so much trying to prevent other people from enjoying the kilt, as they are fighting to maintain the strength of their identity within the UK and the rest of the world, with an underlying current of yearning for independence. To turn this to a positive, all those foreigners who love to wear the kilt should move to Scotland and get with the program

Again, not all Scots feel this way and, of those who do, not all hold such a dogmatic or confrontational outlook on it. Jock Scot, for example, has written that he accepts the kilt is worn by non-Scottish residents and outside Scotland, so he has turned towards helping Xmarkers to grasp the traditional way of wearing it.

There are many people who don't care what anyone else thinks and wear what they like, when they like. Good on them. I think, though, for those who are concerned about what Scots think (like Fortiter Et Recte, who asked the original question), an understanding of the kilt as a sign is helpful. I suspect that the risk of offence would be minimized if one were to wear the kilt in a traditional way, at events where Scots would wear the kilt, whether it was at home or abroad, worn by people of Scottish ethnicity or otherwise.

We know there are Scots who actively promote kilts outside Scotland too, through involvement with piping, Highland dance, Highland games, Saint Andrew's associations, or even just the Highland attire industry. This could be seen as a form of soft-power because it spreads Scottish culture and strengthens connections with the diaspora, which could be invaluable for an independent Scotland, as it was at the dawn of the Irish or Chinese republics.

I now have a better understanding of the kilts for Scots in Scotland position. Nonetheless I hope that if more people from outside Scotland wore the kilt "properly" i.e. as the Scots in Scotland wear theirs, then there might be more acceptance of the Scottish diaspora holding onto or even reclaiming the kilt. The flip side of that coin is that it would be a shame for some Scots to "cut off their nose to spite their face" by saying the Scottish diaspora are categorically not Scottish and shouldn't wear the kilt because they aren't Scots by nationality, when those same people could be their greatest allies. Perhaps this is another one of those mutual understanding things.