the Last Coup in Men's Fashion

[Tobus]

While the article was written in a style that (obviously) rankles kilt-wearers, I think there were some very good points made. But you almost have to read between the lines to get the message. Here's what I took from it:

1. The author is quite correct that men's fashion underwent a dramatic change a couple of centuries ago, where they rather quickly transitioned from wearing flamboyantly embellished costumes to wearing plain clothing. This is the entire premise of the article. A shift occurred in the way society expects a man to dress, and men's fashion has not recovered from it.

2. Kilts (or "man skirts") were the main focus, but plenty of other examples were given to support the premise, such as cravats, bow ties, and pocket squares. The point being made was that men, unlike women, can easily stray too far into "look at me" territory, and western society tends to slap them down if they do it in the wrong context or overstep their bounds.

3. As for kilts, new attempts at "man skirt" fashions (like Kanye's recent flop) will fail for the reasons given above. But traditional kilts, in the Scottish style (i.e. Burns Night outfits, which is likely the only exposure the author has had to THCD), is still recognised and respected for its history and cultural significance.

On these three points, I really can't disagree with the author. Inflammatory jabs notwithstanding, she raises valid points about the history of men's wear and provides an accurate glimpse at the realities of contemporary men's fashion limitations. Her point, I believe, is that if you're going to wear the kilt, wear it traditionally and you'll be fine. But if you attempt to make it a new modern "man skirt" style, you'll run up against the brick wall of society that expects modern men to dress conservatively.