Common Sense Reigns, the Future of Kilts Looks Bright

**Riverkilt** · 17th July 05, 07:23 PM

So, I'm at the one day Flagstaff, AZ Highland Games yesterday. Lots of vendor's booths. But what struck me was that the Utilikilts booth and the Kathy's Kilts booth were very near each other and both were VERY busy.

Kathy Lare www.kathyskilts.com is an old line traditional hand sewn kiltmaker. She went to Scotland and learned all their stuff and got all the traditional certificates.

Utilikilts of course is the forerunner in marketing contemporary kilts.

BOTH booths were VERY busy all day. Kathy was answering questions, helping folks find their tartan in her stacks of tartan swatch books, and taking measurements to go with orders for traditional tanks. Kept coming back to see her to talk about my stuff because she and her husband were constantly busy.

Over at the UK booth, same thing. Lots of folks with their pants around their ankles while trying on UKs. Both Jeff and Jay were busy working the booth full time. There were LOTS of folks wearing UKs at the games.

Stumbled on to one new UK owner sitting on the grass a long way from the UK booth. He was wearing his new UK black workman's and he and his girlfriend were trying to figure out what the modesty snaps were. Gave them the info and warned about what they feel like in cold weather.

Buzz Kidder Kilts had a booth there too but the guys manning it were less than enthusiastic. They kept their kilts in plastic storage bins and the one they put on a manaquin had pleats that curled as much as the base of the letter J. You'd think they'd at least iron a display kilt. They did sell a lot of their wide belts though.

Point is, there's no competition between traditional kilts and contemporary kilts. I saw crossover both ways. Guys wearing contemporary kilts at Kathy's Kilt's booth and guys wearing their tartan tanks at the UK booth.

I'm guessing this is happening at all Highland Games type events....??

Ron

**Dreadbelly** · 17th July 05, 07:26 PM

This is encouraging.

**GMan** · 17th July 05, 08:57 PM

This is nice to hear. I certainly hope that those kilt buyers can get out of the notion that kilts are only for events!

**Magnus Sporrano** · 20th July 05, 08:05 AM

It's encouraging to see the kilts being sold briskly at events, but discouraging to know that 99.9% of them will never be worn outside of a special event.

Too many times I have people stop me and tell me they have a kilt, too. And they look befuddled when I ask why they aren't wearing it. Like it's such a novelty to just wear one because it feels like a kilt day today (whereas for me it is far more unusual for me to declare a pants day)

**arrogcow** · 20th July 05, 09:30 AM

About a month ago, I posted teh following on the Utilikilt Yahoo group.

Today I had a UK encounter that disturbs me. This is the third for fouth time that this has happened to me in the 4 years I have worn UKs.

I was out at a flea market and I hear a guy say, "Hey a utility kilt, cool." I turned around and met this guy. He comes up and shakes my hand then says that he has one at home. I immediately ask, "Why aren't you wearing it?" He gets a little shame faced, looks down at his son (about 10) then stammers an excuse about doing yard work and not wanting to hurt his legs (he was wearing shorts).

Now I admit that when I bought my first UK, I never expected to own 9 and almost never wear pants, but really, it took me about 5 min of wearing it the first time that I decided that I would wear it when ever possible.

I just hate that guys are buying UK's as a "Once a year" wear item of clothing.

I only made the comment about UK's there, but it applies to all kilts in my opinion. I did get several people jumping on me for being a kilt nazi, saying that guys should all wear their kilts all the time (not my point, but interpreted that way).

Adam

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 20th July 05, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Point is, there's no competition between traditional kilts and contemporary kilts. I saw crossover both ways. Guys wearing contemporary kilts at Kathy's Kilt's booth and guys wearing their tartan tanks at the UK booth.

What I would TRULY love to see (somehow) are the guys that SHOULD be in tartans wearing tartans, and the ones that SHOULD be in solids wearing solids. This doesn't apply too often, but I'm SURE that you've seen them.

At a VERY recent Festival, there was a young guy in a "Royal Stewart" kilt that had pleats wandering ALL OVER the grounds, was ill-fitting, not maintained, and was being worn with a shirt and shoes from GoodWill. A nice AmeriKilt, UtiliKilt or PittsburghKilt would have looked MUCH better in this case. That "ultra casual" look is much better when modernized.

One week earlier, there was a guy in jacket, shirt, sporran, hose, flashes and ghillies with a UtiliKilt. It REALLY looked out of place. I couldn't imagine if he had chosen a BearKilt, Kathy's Kilt, Matt Newsome Kilt, StillWater heavy-weight, or whatever. You just know these when you see them.

With that in mind, there IS a place for both.

**macsim** · 20th July 05, 09:58 AM

Yes, same phenomenon at the Grandfather Mt. Games. I saw only a handful of UK's last year. This year they were everywhere. I particularly noticed that a number of women were wearing them. They looked really good too! I complimented one young lady from a neighboring clan tent on her appearance. Seems like it doesn't matter if it's on a man or a woman - it just looks good!

The funny thing though was at the end of each day my son and I would go out to eat at local restaurants. This is a mountainous region with a limited number of facilities and there are 20,000 people roaming the hills after the games, many of them kilted. I expected to see plenty of fellow kilt wearers but saw none. These games have been a fixture for 50 years up there and you'd think people were used to it but I got the oddest looks when I went inside the restaurants. (Especially the Mexican place. They didn't quite know what to make of me!) I live a couple of hours away and this general area just isn't very accepting of kilts right now. It must be ze fact dat dis ist a German town, yah?

**bubba** · 20th July 05, 10:41 AM

The town I live in is Dutch. I still get an odd look now and then but mostly they've gotten used to my kilts. I wear kilts every day and it took about 6 months before they got used to me.

**Rigged** · 20th July 05, 06:03 PM

I particularly noticed that a number of women were wearing them. They looked really good too!

Well, that's a good argument for women to wear kilts, but it doesn't do much to overcome the reluctance most guys have about wearing them as regular clothing.

But, as I've said before, there are several agendas at work here and not everyone supports the idea of promoting kilts as a male garment.

**Mike n NC** · 21st July 05, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by macsim

Yes, same phenomenon at the Grandfather Mt. Games. I saw only a handful of UK's last year. This year they were everywhere. I particularly noticed that a number of women were wearing them. They looked really good too! I complimented one young lady from a neighboring clan tent on her appearance. Seems like it doesn't matter if it's on a man or a woman - it just looks good!

The funny thing though was at the end of each day my son and I would go out to eat at local restaurants. This is a mountainous region with a limited number of facilities and there are 20,000 people roaming the hills after the games, many of them kilted. I expected to see plenty of fellow kilt wearers but saw none. These games have been a fixture for 50 years up there and you'd think people were used to it but I got the oddest looks when I went inside the restaurants. (Especially the Mexican place. They didn't quite know what to make of me!) I live a couple of hours away and this general area just isn't very accepting of kilts right now. It must be ze fact dat dis ist a German town, yah?

I had to chuckle over this one. While at the games on Saturday the wife and I were invited to join the Clan Home (her family) for dinner in nearby Newland. I was the only one to show up in a kilt! Everyone else had gone back to the motel to change before going public. (***?)

After it was all over a couple of folk came up to comment on the cammo PK I was wearing and were surprised to hear I wear kilts almost all of the time. These same people were puzzled that I was disappointed that they didn't wear theirs.

Go figure. 20,000 people scrambling all over the mountain, many in kilts but not many will venture into the public arena. Even with the climbing popularity of kilts it looks like there is still a way to go.

Mike