Kiltless Arizona

**Rick M** · 7th June 16, 09:59 PM

Hi Norm,

I am kilted all the time and have been for a decade now. My wife and I were in Phoenix a couple months ago visiting my aunt for a week. I guess we just missed you. Sorry 'bout that.

Seriously though, what percentage of men wear a kilt ever? And how fewer wear a kilt as regular garb? There has to be a few zeroes to the right of that decimal point there. I, too, am disappointed not seeing other kilted fellows except at highland games and renfests, but the trend has to start somewhere and I am happy to be an ambassador in that regard.

I have had many pleasant interactions with people that would not have happened if I wore trousers or cargo shorts. If asked I tell them my Scottish roots are very very distant and that I wear kilts for comfort. I always hope others might give it a try knowing that heritage is not required.

Rest assured, there are other brown tribbles out there. It's just that Scotty scattered them all around when he beamed them off the ship, so there'd be some everywhere.

Rick

**Riverkilt** · 9th June 16, 09:19 PM

Good for you! I'm kilted up in Page, Arizona on the northern border. Often see other kilties when out and about. Then the one time I run into one here in Page I'm NOT kilted! Great guy was hiking the Arizona Trail kilted and met up with him in the local Safeway.

As sad as not seeing other kilted men can be it even worse to see one when I'm not kilted and mumbling my feeble line about owning a lot of kilts....

**kiltimabar** · 14th June 16, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Good for you! I'm kilted up in Page, Arizona on the northern border. Often see other kilties when out and about. Then the one time I run into one here in Page I'm NOT kilted! Great guy was hiking the Arizona Trail kilted and met up with him in the local Safeway.

As sad as not seeing other kilted men can be it even worse to see one when I'm not kilted and mumbling my feeble line about owning a lot of kilts....

Gee, I'm surprised, I didn't think there was ANY time you weren't kilted!

**Roadkill** · 14th June 16, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Tarheel

Norm, I still see this issue is a math problem. I try to pay attention to the area our folks are from and the comments they give are often related to the climate and social dynamics they encounter.

I am often the only kilted character in a county of 34,000 permanent residents and 25,000 college students. One county over, member Roadkill has family members in kilts but more residents in his area. Sometimes, there can only be one (as I've heard from other members that love the movie Highlander).

I live in the county just north of Tarheel and, as far as I can tell, me, my son, my son-in-law, and brother-in-law are the only ones who own kilts. There are a few others in North Mississippi, but I never see any out and about.

I can understand the trepidation of wearing a kilt if you are the only one. My co-workers took a little while to get used to it, and I only wear one when I am having to do publicity for one of our brain tumor awareness events (we are doing kilted events to stand out a little for our cause). In our area, if you crave attention, don a kilt! Heads turn everywhere!

**OC Richard** · 15th June 16, 03:52 AM

As I've said before, I work at Disneyland and see thousands of "the general public" every day, and seeing Utilikilts has become a common enough sight as to no longer excite interest among my fellow employees.

I just saw one yesterday.

Seeing tartan kilts of any sort is very rare. Nearly all the kilts we see are Utilikilts, the actual brand. Utilikilts are a Left Coast creation, a West Coast phenomenon, so it goes to figure.

The people wearing them are usually from the Pacific Northwest, which also goes to figure.

BTW I was in Feenicks two weekends ago, for ComicCon. It was 115, which didn't bother me in the least. It did melt the glue which held the soles of my shoes on! A trip to CVS, a bottle of Gorilla Glue, and a bag of rubber bands later, and the shoes were fine.

**Roadkill** · 15th June 16, 12:26 PM

I was in Epcot at Walt Disney World last week and was surprised to encounter a man, probably late 20's or early 30's, wearing a wool black watch kilt.

**MacKenzie** · 16th June 16, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by tundramanq

Many don't wear kilts daily because maintaining them is a daunting thing for a newbie. I bought or made the equipment to handle this with the least amount of time and labor.

Wearing a kilt daily isn't practical where I work, but when I semi-retire to my wood shop I plan on wearing my utility/cargo kilts there, so I am curious what that equipment would be.

**tundramanq** · 16th June 16, 06:51 AM

A kilt drying rack:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...hespins-76200/

And a table with ironing cover large enough to lay out my kilts for pressing.
Mine is a 3 x 5 ft. Sullivan hobby table with the ironing pad and cover. It's foldable but you would need to loosen the cover to fold it - so I don't - I lay out my currently in use kilt for overnight storage and most of the "butt press" wrinkles are gone by the next morning.

**drctl** · 16th June 16, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

You don't see many kilts in the Highlands of Scotland either! This year, thus far, it seems as though the kilt is even more scarce than usual.

To me this says it all. If you don't see many in the highlands, the epicenter of kilts, how can you expect to see many elsewhere?

That being said I am sure that wearing a kilt in Bonnie Scotland wound not garner a second glance. I am sure one would encounter more kilts day to day in Scotland; tour guides, docents, hotel bellmen, etc. than in your average city outside of the UK.

I have also seen more kilts in parts of Canada when compared to the US.

At the end of the day I can't control what others wear, only myself. I have accepted being in the few, the proud, the kilted.

**Jock Scot** · 16th June 16, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by drctl

To me this says it all. If you don't see many in the highlands, the epicenter of kilts, how can you expect to see many elsewhere?

That being said I am sure that wearing a kilt in Bonnie Scotland wound not garner a second glance. I am sure one would encounter more kilts day to day in Scotland; tour guides, docents, hotel bellmen, etc. than in your average city outside of the UK.

I have also seen more kilts in parts of Canada when compared to the US.

At the end of the day I can't control what others wear, only myself. I have accepted being in the few, the proud, the kilted.

In Edinburgh possibly, but then the kilt is worn as a sort of uniform by the people you describe. However Edinburgh is not the Highlands.