30 - 40 Deg Heat

[James Hood]

Metro Chicago was built on a pestilential swamp where it runs into prairie.

DyerStraits (writer waves, hey, how y' doin'!) and writer were among some 18,000 sweaty people at the Chicago Scottish event a couple weeks ago. Daytime temps were high 80s-90s in merciless sun and stupid-high humidity. Not quite but for sure a good % of EVERY POSSIBLE variation of clothing with kilt was seen, including the usual pleats in front, inside out, upside down....

As the esteemed Mr. Dyer and others recommend, dudes and dudettes, y' gotta be practical when kilting in the heat. The "original Scots" and other kilt wearers across the planet certainly were. Besides that, y' drop from heat stroke and there will be no doubt if one is or is not going regimental. Dogs will like it, but some others....

Personally am not too hip on the kilt, sandals and no sock thing but may be coming around. Hey, the Roman Army made it work for a thousand years....

Personal preference for Chicago summer in the sun is khaki-tone utility kilt, long sleeve white-oid safari shirt and bush or Tilley type hat; yeah, that pasty northern Euro-descent skin. Scrunched ecru or khaki hose and caramel suede leather athletic shoes. Around home, a hard-worn, nasty Stillwater Thrifty Kilt and Hawaiian or tee-shirt, period.

Observation of the crowds at huge events as referenced above and kilt-forum-ing "say" the kilt-worldwide is a live, evolving phenomenon. So....

Hey! Wasn't, "Are you kilting in the heeeeat," a Steely Dan song long ago...?

Therefore, am endeavouring to reserve "judgement" on what is right / wrong / traditional / hip / historical / tres' chic /sophisticated / dufus-like / proper / cutting-edge-fashion / poor taste / tacky / uber-manly / nerd-ly / infringing...in "modern kilting." Except in those all-too-often narrow-minded, self-righteous moments.

"A Duck Commander forest-pattern camouflage tartan cargo kilt in pink with sequined metallic lime / orange striped tutu-top and open toed strappy spike heels with platform soles with flashing LEDs and Harley-Davidson tiara around ventilated straw stovepipe hat over purple dreds and shotgun shell earrings and clan badge worn as nose-ring and full-musk-ox-mask (yes, with horns) sporran, nice(!)...

... BUT WHAT IS WITH THOSE PURE WHITE HOSE?! DUDE, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!? And dude, if you are going to wear two kilt pins, don't make them be of opposing street gangs and like shave both armpits or neither, not just one....