Now that we have a definition... a question of Tradition...

[GrainReaper]

I, being of a very frugal background, fill my freezer all summer with the fishes I catch all summer, the froglegs and crawfish I harvest are a nice bonus. I keep a garden to supply my summer table, and to put up what I cannot eat for winter... I hunt when permits allow (rabbit stew keeps the garden growing) this also stocks the freezer for the winter and if it's a good season I have meat for the spring and summer. I waste almost nothing, the pelts get sold, as do the carcasses. Sausage, Jerkey, roasts and whatnot.

If I had more yard space I would raise some chickens but since I live in a fairly well-heeled area I think they might irritate the neighbors.

I make my own ale, mead and hard cider.

I am in the minority these days I suppose, but I like living simply, and off what I can grow/harvest/hunt/catch.

This keeps me in decent shape nutrition-wise... Long walks and running in summers and shoveling all winter keep me fit above the physical demands of my job.

Healthy living keeps my kilts fitting nicely and with the cost of these buggers, and I plan on keeping them fitting as such.

[MacLowlife]

There is a fair amount of information about the HEIGHT of men in various places through time, including an interesting article a few years ago that suggested Europeans are getting taller and Americans aren't...http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...the-height-gap

But that doesn't say much about girth.

Granted, there are a couple of husky lads amongst MacLeay's Highlanders, but not many. Have you ever gone looking for a UK military uniform from WWII in a chest size larger than 40?

Americans have been prosperous- think of President Theodore Roosevelt, with his impressive bulk, or William Howard Taft, who got stuck in a bathtub, they say, but I believe highlanders of the last hundred years or so have tended to be lean men, made wiry by plenty of outdoor living and not a lot of excess food. The famous tights-wearing visitor from the South may havebeen fat and he may have been able to dictate fashion, but it wasn't THCD.

Googling Scottish Giants will give you some food for thought:
George Gracie ( a lowlander, but still an occasional kilt wearer ... http://www.thetallestman.com/georgegracie.htm

Angus MacAskill, who moved to Cape Breton Island as a child, was born on the Isle of Berneray... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_MacAskill

Benandonner, who might or might not have beaten Finn MacCool, is sometimes depicted in a kilt of sorts, though his chest seems to be noticeably larger than his middle- Speaking of middles, do you suppose our own modern preoccupation with the middle finger has to do with Benandonner's being magical?

[Galloglaigh]

After 11 attempts to register here under different names, we now have enough evidence to confirm that this is again Steven Aikens of Jasper AL. This time using an IP proxy in an attempt to hide his real location.

[MacGumerait]

Historically speaking, we must remember that while the current generation has a life span longer than most of those generations that came before us. But, if you look at portraits and other images, most men who reached an advanced age also packed on more pounds, particularly around the mid-section. Active or not, the older you get, the more difficult it is to remain slim. Usually your body's metabolism slows down and you tend to gain weight. (Of course, in my case, I do not ever remember being slim. LOL) So, to think that prior generations of kilted men were in better shape, at least past late 30's, is probably wishful thinking.

Since we of the modern generation are blessed with a longer expected life span, we can also expect to be blessed with more girth as we mature.

So decide which is better, shorter life and better looks or longer life and whatever comes with it. LOL

Tom

Tom , you make some good points . Also , greetings my fellow Hoosier !

Although metabolism plays a part , there are exceptions to this rule .

I am a second generation American , great grandfather and grandfather immigrated from Inverness to the US in 1910 .

Great grandfather was 5'8" weighed 140 lbs in his adult life and passed at 97 yrs old . Grandfather was 5'9" weighed around 155 lbs in his adult years and passed at 92 yrs old . Grandfather's brother was 6' weighed about 160 lbs and passed at 102 yrs old .

My father is around 6'1" and weighs about 180 lbs , he's 88 and still alive and kicking . I'm 5'11" and 160 lbs and 57 yrs old .

Also , it goes without saying that we Montgomery men were and are all good looking . ( of course that depends on who you ask ! )

Thus ... we have both looks and longer life .... even in the past generations . Okay ... well maybe just the longer life thing .

Cheers , Mike

[Calgacus]

OK, so we solved all of the problems with defining THCD last week. I am wondering about a modern condition that may not have existed heretofore. Many men seem to have worked around it, but I wonder if it has any historical precedent.

I am talking about stored body fat. Despite what the Poet Burns says about "Mark the rustic, haggis fed, the trembling earth resounds his tread..." can we agree that for most of the modern kilt-wearing era, men have been much leaner than many of us are today. That is,

is an hourglass shape the ultimate Traditional Kilt accessory?

And I know, I have used modern and historical and even accessory, but I mean this as a serious question about TRADITIONAL KILTS. Have improved nutrition and industrialization created a body type that is contradictory or inimical to the traditional wearing of the kilt?

I will admit right now- I have a spare tire. I also work in an office and drive a car most places I go. I drink out of a shiny red can at least once a day. It has been a long time since I was truly hungry, Thanks Be To God. But I wonder if my kilt would fit better - more traditionally - under other circumstances.

Since you posed this as a serious question, I shall post a serious answer.

I am someone who is still bigger about the hurdies than I am about the waist, though I am for the first time in life having to work to keep it that way. The upshot of this is that the top part of my kilts are tapered and form a conical shape when fastened. This means that my kilts are not supported by being fastened tightly about my waist, they cannot slide down much as the waist of the kilt simply cannot get past my hips. They are held in place as much by shape as friction.

As to which looks better in a kilt, a man of substance or a skinny guy like me, I cannot say, however in terms of keeping the thing in the right place I think I have the edge.

[Tarheel]

I've walked five miles plus everyday as a land surveyor and at 58 years old still have a 32 waist but measured 39 in my hips when ordering my kilt. I got an email from Atlanta Kilts Ga."are you sure you measured correctly?" I will be sending my first photos for the August challenge in a few days. I may have to look to the archives on altering kilts in "X-marks" later as my girth expands when my age lengthens. Personal stats are 6 foot tall and 155 lbs. As my wife says, "a tall drink of water."

[creagdhubh]

Historically speaking, we must remember that while the current generation has a life span longer than most of those generations that came before us. But, if you look at portraits and other images, most men who reached an advanced age also packed on more pounds, particularly around the mid-section.

Some of the portraits show men in that fashion, but not all. Again, subjective to the individual.

Active or not, the older you get, the more difficult it is to remain slim. Usually your body's metabolism slows down and you tend to gain weight. (Of course, in my case, I do not ever remember being slim. LOL)

Tell that to my 60 year old, mountaineering father! There are a multitude of healthy ways/strategies in order to stay slim as you get older. However, when you really get to the crux of it, staying lean and healthy basically comes down to simple lifestyle choices and sticking to them! Age is just a number, mate!

My dad at 20,000 feet during his summit bid of the highest point in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Aconcagua in Argentina, 10 January-2 February 2014. Aconcagua is part of "The Seven Summits," which includes Mt. Everest.

So, to think that prior generations of kilted men were in better shape, at least past late 30's, is probably wishful thinking.

Well, then I suppose my grandfather, my great-uncle, my Chief, and various other (older) Macphersons are exceptions to the rule! And not necessarily in "better" shape past their late 30's, but still in overall good physical condition.

[Calgacus]

Great photo, Kyle!

[kiltedtom]

Correct all of you are. Generalities have exceptions. But, still, looking at descriptions of famous persons, and seeing what images we have from the periods, and I am talking primarily before 1700, individuals later in their lives tended to be more portly. Perhaps not like the images of beer barrell shaped Germans (from whom my mother's side of the family comes, mostly), but the Greeks, Romans, Europeans in general.

Also true is that not all people died young. Some persons, like Elanore of Aquitaine died at very advanced ages, even for today (she was 82 years old at her death, and one heck of a woman in her life). Her great grandfather-in-law, (William the Bastard of Normandy--aka: William I the Conqueror of England) gained so much weight by the time he died, they had to stuff him in his coffin. (also part of the difficulty was bloating resulting from the injury to his abdomen which caused his death.)

Unfortunately, regular activity alone would not have been enough to keep most people of advanced middle age or older as trim as they were in their youth. Again, most, not all.

Hope everyone here has a great week and long, healthy lives.

Tom

[Alan H]

The Luminous Joan is of the oft-expressed opinion that kilts look much better on trim guys than on fat guys.

I'm not one to beat around the bush and say things like "Gentlemen of Substance" any more, though I used to. The word "fat" is not inherently a judgement of someones personality or worth as a human being, eh?...

I'm in a bit of an odd situation that way, as because of the incredible amount of core work I do, throwing...especially rotational/transverse stuff... my midsection is thick. My fat is in my rumpus and thighs, and there's plenty of it, but I'm "thick" in the midsection. Hmm.

I happen to think that kilts, generally look pretty good on fat guys, especially if the lad uses a sporran hanger off of their belt, rather than a separate sporran strap. Ditto for "thick" guys...meaning I really ought to start using sporran hangers until my midsection shrinks by about 4 inches, which it probably will when I stop throwing.

One thing that she and I both agree on.... we both think that tartan trews look a LOT better on trim guys.